Sédhiou (Wolof: Seéju) is a town of Senegal, in Casamance area, nearby the Casamance river, with a population of 31,511 in 2023.[1] It is the capital of the Sédhiou Region.
Sédhiou | |
|---|---|
Town | |
 | |
  Sédhiou Location in Senegal | |
| Coordinates: 12°42′31″N 15°33′21″W / 12.70851°N 15.55583°W | |
| Country |  Senegal |
| Region | Sédhiou Region |
| Department | Sédhiou Department |
| Population (2023 census)[1] | |
| • Total | 31,511 |
History
editThe main historical culture of Sédhiou came from the Mandinka people, but many populations are located in the area nowadays. It was the center of one of the constituent kingdoms of the Kaabu Federation.
In 1861 Sedhiou became the seat of one of the first seven arrondissements of the French colony of Senegal.[2] In 1876 the marabout Fode Kaba raided the Balanta villages nearby, but was forced to withdraw by the French forces stationed in the town. His ally Sounkari, the chief of Bacoum, nevertheless continued the fight and unsuccessfully besieged the French fort in 1882. He was eventually defeated by Alfred Dodds in 1887.[3]
Sedhiou was the capital of colonial Casamance from 1883 to 1906, when it it moved to Ziguinchor. The commune of Sedhiou is created in February 1960.[4]
Geography
edit
It is the capital of the Sédhiou Region.
Demographics
editIn 1983, 13,212 inhabitants lived in the town, rising to 18,465 in 2002. At the 2013 census Sédhiou had a population of 24,213.
Notable people
edit- Sadio Mané (born 1992), professional footballer who plays for Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr FC and the Senegal national team.
Twin town
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "Senegal: Regions, Major Cities, Urban Communes & Urban Agglomerations - Population Statistics in Maps and Charts". www.citypopulation.de. Retrieved 25 September 2017.
- ^ Arrêté du 28 décembre 1861, divise la colonie du Sénégal et dépendances en sept arrondissements
- ^ Roche, Christian (1971). "Portraits de chefs casamançais du XIXe siècle". Revue française d'histoire d'outre-mer. 58 (213): 453.
{{cite journal}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help) - ^ Loi 60.025 du 1er février 1960
External links
edit- (in French) City web site
- (in French) Présentation of Sédhiou on Les Ulis official web site