Gorée
Coordinates: 14°40′01″N 17°23′54″W / 14.66694°N 17.39833°W / 14.66694; -17.39833
| Island of Gorée | |
|---|---|
| Name as inscribed on the World Heritage List | |
| Country | Senegal |
| Type | Historical/Cultural |
| Criteria | vi |
| Reference | 26 |
| UNESCO region | Africa |
| Inscription history | |
| Inscription | 1978 |
Île de Gorée (i.e. "Gorée Island"; is one of the 19 communes d'arrondissement (i.e. "commune of arrondissement") of the city of Dakar, Senegal. It is a 0.182 square kilometres (45 acres) island located 2 kilometres (1.1 nmi; 1.2 mi) at sea from the main harbor of Dakar (14°40′0″N 17°24′0″W / 14.666667°N 17.4°W / 14.666667; -17.4).
Its population as of 31 January 2005 official estimates is 1,056 inhabitants, giving a density of 5,802 inh. per km² (15,028 inh. per sq. mile), which is only half the average density of the city of Dakar. Gorée is both the smallest and the least populated of the 19 communes d'arrondissement of Dakar.
Gorée is famous as a destination for people interested in the Atlantic slave trade but relatively few slaves were processed or transported from there. The more important centres for the slave trade from Senegal were north, at Saint-Louis, Senegal, or to the south in the Gambia, at the mouths of major rivers for trade.
Read more about Gorée: History and Slave Trade, Administration, Island Historical Sites, Notable Residents, In Popular Culture, Image Gallery