Thiès
Thiès | |
---|---|
Toun | |
![]() Thies - ceety centre | |
Coordinates: 14°50′N 17°06′W / 14.833°N 17.100°W | |
Kintra | ![]() |
Region | Thiès Region |
Time zone | UTC+0 (GMT) |
Thiès (pronooncit “chess"; Wolof: Cès) is the third lairgest ceety in Senegal wi a population offeecially estimatit at 320,000 in 2005. It lies 60 km east o Dakar on the N2 road an at the junction o railway lines tae Dakar, Bamako an St-Louis. It is the caipital o Thiès Region an is a major industrial ceety.
History
[eedit | eedit soorce]Afore colonization, the Thiès Plateau wis a woodit frontier atween the kinricks o Cayor an Baol inhabitit bi the None, an ethnic sub-group o the Sereer. The Sereer None still inhabit the Thiès-None neighborhuid o the sooth-wast ceety the day.
The plateau acquired strategic importance when the French embarked upon an expansionist colonial policy. A military post wis creatit in 1864 an the military hae marked the ceety’s development iver syne; it is hame tae a major military base.
Transport
[eedit | eedit soorce]At first a simple rail stop, or "escale", on the Dakar-Saint Louis line (completit in 1885) Thiès became a rail junction wi the Dakar-Niger line (built 1906-1923). The naitional netwirk o pavit roads creatit efter WWII likewise converged on Thiès, which thus commands nearly aw access tae the Cap-Vert Peninsula (Dakar an Rufisque).
The railways brocht commercial development an migrant laborers, includin Bambara frae eastren regions o Senegal an frae Mali. The rail wirkers o Thiès played a key role in the immergence o Senegal’s labor muivement. Their strikes in 1937 an again in 1947-48 an aa marked the development o the unthirldom muivement athort French Wast Africae.
Economy
[eedit | eedit soorce]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/99/Thi%C3%A8sMarket2.jpg/220px-Thi%C3%A8sMarket2.jpg)
Thiès is best kent for its tapestry-makin industry, an exclusive factory haein been set up in 1966, producin wirk designed bi Senegal’s top airtists. The famous Birds o Paradise tapestry wis manufactured in Thiès. The ceety an aa contains a polytechnic schuil.
As the transportation hub o a productive agricultural hinterland: rice, peanuts, manioc, millet, an fruit, the ceety is a leadin fermstockin-tradin an meat-packin center. It haes rail yards an repair shops, an alumina phosphate deposits are wirked at nearbi Palo an Taïba.
The day, Thiès is developin increasingly as an extension o the congestit Cap-Vert Peninsula. It is attractin industrial investments (electrical an mechanical ingineerin) an there are plans tae link it tae Dakar bi heich-gate an commuter train.
Ither attractions in Thiès include a museum, an airtisanal an crafts veelage an a few remains o auld fortifications.
Twin touns
[eedit | eedit soorce]Thiès is twinned wi:
See an aw
[eedit | eedit soorce]References
[eedit | eedit soorce]- Much of this article was translated from French Wikipedia's fr:Thiès.
Freemit airtins
[eedit | eedit soorce]- Thiès public services Archived 2006-03-03 at the Wayback Machine
- (in French) Steid o the Mayor o Thiès Archived 2008-04-30 at the Wayback Machine
- (in French) Thiesinfo, Local newspaper wabportal[deid airtin]
- (in French) Situation économique et sociale (For year 2004) Archived 2007-09-28 at the Wayback Machine (Local government, Service régional de Thiès, September 2005)