The country of Senegal located to the south of the Senegal River in western Africa is a country of many faces, each of which is as enchanting as the other. However, very few tourists who visit this country are aware of the fact that this country has been inhabited since the prehistoric times, as revealed by the archaeological findings of the area. In fact, the first chapter of History of Senegal dates back to11th century, when the Senegal River valley was first settled by the Muslims. Know everything about the History of Senegal, from millions of year ago till today by browsing through this page.
Early History of Senegal:
The Ghana Empire was created in African savanna in the 5th century and by the 11th century the Apogee of this empire covered a part of east Senegal. In the early 11th century, Islamization of this part of Senegal began by the Almoradives who had recently invaded the Ghana Empire. In the later part of this century, the Tukrur Empire was formed by Toucouleurs and covered a part of the north Senegal. By the 13th century, the entire Senegal territory was occupied by the Mali (Malinke) empire, which was followed by the creation of the Jolof Empire in the 15th century.
History of Senegal from 15th Century to 19th Century:
The Portuguese arrived on the African peninsula in the year 1444 and by the year 1500 a number of Portuguese trading posts had been created in the Senegal region for exploitation of gold and slave trade. The Portuguese were closely followed by the English, who landed on the Guinea coast in 1580. By the late 18th and early 19th century, slave transportation to America had begun and there were recurring conflicts between the Europeans for the control of the trading posts. It was during these dark times that over 20 million Africans were reduced to slavery.
Modern History of Senegal:
Senegal and the French Sudan merged to form the Mali Federation in January 1959. This Federation gained full independence on June 20, 1960, but soon broke up on August 20, 1960 due to internal political conflicts. As a result of this fall out, two separate countries were formed, namely Senegal and Soudan (renamed the Republic of Mali.
| 
