Bakel, Senegal
Bakel is a town of approximately 15,000 inhabitants located in the eastern part of Senegal, West Africa. The town is located on the left bank of the Sénégal River, 65 kilometers (40 mi) from the Malian border and linked by canoe ferry to the village of Gouraye in Mauritania.
Bakel, Senegal | |
|---|---|
Town | |
Bakel | |
| Coordinates: 14°54′15″N 12°27′30″W | |
| Country | Senegal |
| Region | Tambacounda |
| Department | Bakel |
| Population | |
| • Total | ~15,000 |
| Time zone | UTC+0 (GMT) |
Bakel is one of the four eponymous departmental capitals in the region of Tambacounda, the other three being Tambacounda, Goudiry and Koumpentoum. Bakel is known for its French fort (Fort Bakel), which René Caillié visited in 1819. It was also the area where the Mauritanian crisis occurred, a dispute over grazing rights that led to a war between Senegal and Mauritania in 1989. As a result of this conflict, many people around the area moved abroad or emigrated to Senegal.