Louga

Louga (sometimes Luga ) is a city located in the North-West of the Senegal.

History

The origins of the village are discussed, but Louga quickly increased and developed, in particular thanks to the strong soldier built in 1883 by the French colonial authorities to pacify the region threatened by the Tiédos (warlike).

Thereafter Louga is promoted chief town of province and is attached to the French colony. Very quickly, the village attracts the Muslim populations tested by the exactions of Tiédos.

In 1887, Louga counted a thousand of inhabitants, being devoted to agriculture and the breeding. At the end of the 19th century, Louga starts to take the features of an urban center and to play a part in the economic life and social of the soil called Ndiambour. January 18th 1887, Louga is set up in circle. This change of status allows a reorganization of the city to face the challenges which await it.

Thus, a first allotment is built in 1894. Louga resembles from now on good of other colonial cities, with a center town having of all the infrastructures and the completely stripped peripheral districts. With the beginning of the year 1900, Louga experiences a development considerable with the establishment of Marbath, or gone to cattle. In Santhiaba, western district of the line of Railroad of Dakar-Niger, another allotment is built in 1901, which is worth to him a promotion in mixed commune in 1905. The accession of Senegal to independence reinforces the development of this city whose population grows quickly.

The administrative reforms which followed one another since the colonial period thus made pass the town of Louga of the statutes of chief town of province, circle, mixed commune to the statute of commune. The current communal perimeter which covers a surface of 1800 hectares was defined by decree n° 7840 of November 2nd 1954. It widened continuations with the many consecutive allotments considerably, with the massive installations of the populations. The urban extensions crossed the limit of the communal ground involving an encroachment on the grounds of the surrounding villages. Today, the projected communal perimeter, extends on a surface from approximately 3035,25 hectares, that is to say an extension of 75%.

Administration

Louga is at the same time the chief town of the Département of Louga and that of the area of Louga.

Geography

The closest localities are Dagait, Bayakh, Taoua, Laye, Mbarom and Ngueye Dili.

Louga is the second plus big city of the country from its surface. Built on sand, with crossed commercial caravan roads and main roads of colonial penetration, Louga always was in the center of the events which marked out and marked the course of the history of Senegal. Of climate sahélien, it takes, for the dry period, the strange and picturesque aspect of a Saharan city where mix rurality harmoniously and urban.

Today, confronted with a difficult economic conjuncture, a persistent stranding and a dryness, it keeps confidence in the future, its capacity to adapt and of entreprendre' .

The city extends on a vast sandy plain. She enjoys a climate sahélien characterized by one rain season short and unstable and a long dry season 8 to 9 months.

The Harmattan, heat and dryness, very active from January to May, constitutes the wind prevailing of this zone. It transports dust which causes sometimes true sandstorms, and especially, it supports wind erosion as well as the water loss per evaporation.

Population

At the time of the censuses of 1988 and 2002, the population was respectively of 52.057 and 73.662 inhabitants.

In 2007, according to the official estimates, the city would count 82.884 inhabitants.

Economy

The economy of the area of Louga has problems.

Agriculture is the main activity. Fishing also is practiced on its maritime frontage of 50 km.

Twinnings

Personalities born in Louga

Abdou Diouf, politician
Rolls Sakho, footballer
Djily Mbaye, builder of all the infrastructures of Louga (quoted, roads, hospital, stage, mosque, college, etc)

Serigne Abass Sall (1909 - 1990), large marabout, buried in his mosque of the Northern Santhiaba district

See too

Gathering for the unit and peace, political party whose seat is in Louga

Cartography

Guy Roberty, Chart of the vegetation of French Western Africa. Louga (1: 200,000), Paris, ORSTOM, 1956

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