"Chaotic, Charming and Colourful -... " a Dakar Travel Page by MikeAtSea

Dakar, like many cities in the developing world, is strongly influenced by its colonial history. The Cap Vert peninsula had no urban tradition before colonial settlement and was mainly populated by small fishing villages. This tradition remains in Yoff, Ngor and Soumbedioune in the Médina, but European settlements displaced much of the original population and rapid urbanization in the 19th and 20th centuries continues to put pressure on these older villages.
The Plateau, historically the French area of the city, still has a very European character. Visitors to the Plateau remark that many parts of the urban landscape are indistinguishable from a street in a French city. This is where the city's major banks and businesses are located. European style cafés and shops are also found throughout the area. Historical buildings such as the Chamber of Commerce, the Presidential Mansion and the railroad station are also located here. These center on Place de L'independance, a grassy square near the center of the city.
The Plateau, historically the French area of the city, still has a very European character. Visitors to the Plateau remark that many parts of the urban landscape are indistinguishable from a street in a French city. This is where the city's major banks and businesses are located. European style cafés and shops are also found throughout the area. Historical buildings such as the Chamber of Commerce, the Presidential Mansion and the railroad station are also located here. These center on Place de L'independance, a grassy square near the center of the city.
This is a bustling, charming and sometimes chaotic city of typical West African character.