Senegal or "Sunu Gaal": The Last Place In Africa To See The Sunset

Have you ever wondered what place, city or country sees the sunrise first and the sunset last? Maybe you haven’t but now I guess you’re curious as to where “Sunu Gaal” is? Sunu Gaal is a tropical climate with pleasant heat in West Africa, it is known as “Senegal”. Didn’t see that coming, did you? Now that I have your attention let’s share some fun facts about Senegal!.

Dakar beach in Senegal

• Senegal gained its independence on the 4th of April 1960 and its capital is Dakar
• It is the safest country to visit in Africa and throughout history, it has never gone to war or been ruled by the military forces.
• The official language is French with a mix of Wolof, a few natives speak English.
• Senegal is dominated by Muslim people and because of this, it has no legal drinking age as Islamic law doesn’t allow people to drink.

Senegal women dancing in traditional wear

• Senegal economy gains from the foreign exchange due to their limited natural resources.
• Lac Rose is one of its must-see tourist attractions, it is a natural pinkish body of water caused by the high salt concentration. Its salt concentration is higher than the Dead sea’s concentration.

Lac Rose In Senegal

• On Sunday mornings you can find animals swimming in a lake, this way of living is very normal. On weekdays one can find goats and sheep’s walking around town daily.
• When colonizers first arrived with their ships to the land they asked, “What tribe is this land?” The native people replied, “Sunu Gaal” meaning “these are our boats”. The colonizers for lack of better African pronunciation called them Senegal.

During the 17th and 18th century, Senegal was popular for selling slaves, gold and ivory. Their customer numbers increased and filled with different classes of people. The house of slaves still stands today as a reminder of their trade history.