Historically, Senegalís importance derives from its utilization as the last port of call for slaves shipped to the New World in the 16th Century during the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Invariably, slaves shipped from the West African region saw Goree Island as their last link to Africa. But Senegal is historically significant for another reason. During the 1850ís and 1860ís, Franceís conquest of the Wolof and Serer states commenced its formal development of a French colonial empire in Africa. Senegal served as a base for French colonial expansion in the region during the 1890ís and after 1902, Dakar became the administrative capital of a sizeable region, which stretched all the way to central Africa. This reinforced the importance of Senegal to Colonial Francophone Africa and even today , Senegal continues to play an important role in French speaking Africa due to its relative stability and democratic governance.



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