The Île de Gorée (Gorée Island) is a 45 acre (180,000 m²) island off the coast of Dakar, Senegal. It is best known as the location of the House of Slaves, a holding and transfer point for human cargo during the slave trade. It is now a popular tourist destination.
The island was one of the first places in Africa to be settled by Europeans, the Portuguese in the mid-fifteenth century. Later it was captured by the Netherlands in 1588, the Portuguese again and then the French in 1678, before changing hand repeatedly between the French and British.
Despite these changes, the island grew rapidly as a port with a population of over 6,000 people. When French rule was finally cemented, the Cap Vert peninsula became safe enough for most to move to Dakar.
Other attractions on the island include three museums, one dedicated to women, one to the history of Senegal and one to the sea; the seventeenth century Gorée Police Station , Gorée Castle and a small beach.
The island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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Last updated: 06-21-2005 04:58:08
Last updated: 08-25-2005 08:20:33
