Senegal is bordered by Guinea-Bissau, Mali and Mauritania and encloses the confederated state of The Gambia. To the west lies the Atlantic Ocean. On the coast between Dakar and St Louis is a strip of shifting dunes. South of Dakar there are shallow estuaries along the coastline, fringed by palm trees. Dakar, the capital, is a bustling modern city and major port with good restaurants and shops. There is an interesting boat ride to Gorée Island, a former slaving station. St Louis, once Senegal's capital, is another French fortified settlement from the days of slave trading. Dakar is the capital of Senegal, home to the Senegal National Assembly and Senegal Presidential Palace. The city of Dakar formed around a French fort. It was founded in 1857 after residents moved from the nearby island of Gorée. It grew as a port and around a railway to Saint-Louis, opened in 1885 but now only used for special excursions. The city later became a naval base, and replaced Saint-Louis as the capital of French West Senegal.

Specialised in haute-couture, embroidered traditional West African Muslim clothes.