Honoring the
Republic of Senegal
© Copyright 2011 The Africa In April Festival, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
April 14 - 17, 2011
Robert R. Church Park
Historic Beale Street District
Downtown Memphis
Click HERE to view photos and vidoes of previous festivals
Educational Resources/Links
Exhibitor & Vendor Information
Registration forms are available for download in PDF format.
Please click HERE.
You will need Adobe Reader or other PDF reader to view the Registration Form.
The Festival will showcase the Republic of Senegal from an international perspective using a multiplicity of mediums - education, economics, culture, fashions, arts/crafts, music, history, and cuisines.
Festival-goers will enjoy a diverse cultural marketplace and four days of fun, festivities, and food with a different theme each day. Make plans now for the celebration.
Official Festival Brochure
(Click on image above to download)
(Click on image above to download)
Educational Resources
History of Senegal
Senegal (French: le Sénégal), officially the Republic of Senegal, is a country south of the Sénégal River in western Africa.It owes its name to the river that borders it to the East and North and that originates from the Fouta Djallon in Guinea. Senegal is externally bounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Mauritania to the north, Mali to the east, and Guinea and Guinea-Bissau to the south; internally it almost completely surrounds The Gambia, namely on the north, east and south, exempting Gambia's short Atlantic Ocean coastline. Senegal covers a land area of almost 197,000 km², and has an estimated population of about 14 million.The climate is tropical with two seasons: the dry season and the rainy season.
Dakar, the capital city of Senegal, is located at the westernmost tip of the country on the Cap-Vert peninsula. About 300 miles off the coast, in the Atlantic Ocean, lie the Cape Verde Islands. During colonial times, numerous trading Counters, belonging to various colonial empires were established along the coast. The town of St Louis became the capital of French Western Africa (Afrique Occidentale Francaise, or AOF) before it was moved to Dakar in 1902. Dakar later became its capital in 1960 at the time of independence from France.
The French colonies of Senegal and the French Sudan were merged in 1959 and granted their independence as the Mali Federation in 1960. The union broke up after only a few months. Senegal joined with The Gambia to form the nominal confederation of Senegambia in 1982. The envisaged integration of the two countries was never carried out, and the union was dissolved in 1989. Senegal remains one of the most stable democracies in Africa. Senegal was ruled by a Socialist Party for 40 years until current President Abdoulaye WADE was elected in 2000. Senegal has a long history of participating in international peacekeeping and regional mediation.
Map
of
Senegal