The Republic of Sénégal is the country in the westernmost bulge of the African continent, south of Mauritania and north of Guinea. Portuguese explorers were the first Europeans to reach this area, and for several centuries Portugal, Holland, Britain and France struggled to control the region. France prevailed in 1677 and eventually made Dakar the largest city, a major port, and the administrative center of French West Africa. Sénégal has been independent since 1960. The Gambia is an independent nation surrounded by the southern part of Sénégal. French is the official language of government and trade in Sénégal, although the West African language Wolof and Arabic are commonly spoken. The French word for a lighthouse is phare, although a smaller light or harbor light is called a feu (literally "fire," but here meaning "light") or a balise (beacon). In French île is an island, cap is a cape, pointe is a promontory or point of land, roche is a rock, récife is a reef, baie is a bay, estuaire is an estuary or inlet, détroit is a strait, rivière is a river, and havre is a harbor. Aids to navigation in Sénégal are maintained by the Subdivision des Phares et Balises within the Port Autonome de Dakar. In 2024 the Subdivision's web site listed the beacons maintained as "Lighthouses and lights: 3 landing lights in Saint-Louis (Gothie Mathie, Guet Ndar and Gandiole), Kayar and Fass Boye, Almadies, Gorée, PAD jetty lights (North and South), Diockoul, Yenne and Mbour, Joal, Djogué, Mamelles and Cap Manuel." ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. Admiralty numbers are from volume D of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA List numbers are from Publication 113.
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![]() Gorée Light, Dakar, June 2008 photo copyright Wyndham Whynot; used by permission |
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Information available on lost lighthouses:
Notable faux lighthouses:
Adjoining pages: North: Mauritania | South: Guinea-Bissau | West: Cape Verde | Enclave: The Gambia
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Posted August 26, 2005. Checked and revised May 10, 2024. Lighthouses: 16. Site copyright 2024 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.