Dakar is the capital and largest city of Senegal. It is located on the Cap-Vert Peninsula on the Atlantic coast and is the westernmost city in the Old World and on the African mainland. Its position, on the western edge of Africa, is an advantageous departure point for trans-Atlantic and European trade; this fact aided its growth into a major regional port.

Dakar is a major administrative center, home to the Senegal National Assembly and the Presidential Palace.