# Dakar Region

Dakar Region (French: Région de Dakar) is the smallest and most populated Region of Senegal, encompassing the capital city of the country, Dakar, and all its suburbs along the Cap–Vert Peninsula, Africa's most westerly point.

## Administration

The Dakar region is divided into five départements (administrative structures without political power, unlike the French départements). The départements had the following areas and populations at the Census of 2023:
| Département | Area (km$^2$) | Population Census 2023 |
| Dakar | 80 | 1,278,469 |
| Guédiawaye | 13 | 372,708 |
| Keur Massar | 46 | 770,314 |
| Pikine | 42 | 764,597 |
| Rufisque | 356 | 818,337 |
| Total Région de Dakar | 547 | 4,004,427 |
Keur Massar Department was formed in May 2021.

### Dakar department

Dakar Department is also a commune (city). This is a situation comparable to Paris which is both a department and a commune. The department/commune of Dakar is further divided into:
* 4 arrondissements, which are administrative structures without much power. The arrondissements are further divided into:
** 19 communes d'arrondissement (i.e. "communes of arrondissement"). The communes d'arrondissement have a lot of power, unlike the arrondissements of Paris, and are more comparable to the London boroughs.

### Guédiawaye department

Guédiawaye Department is also a commune (city). This department has only one arrondissement, so that Guédiawaye is both a department and an arrondissement. The department /arrondissement/commune of Guédiawaye is further divided into:
* 5 communes d'arrondissement

### Pikine department

Pikine Department is also a commune (city). The department /commune of Pikine is further divided into:
* 3 arrondissements, which are further divided into:
** 16 communes d'arrondissement

### Rufisque department

Rufisque Department is made up of two arrondissements and six urban communes:
* Rufisque arrondissement, which is also a commune (city). The arrondissement/commune of Rufisque is divided into 3 communes d'arrondissement:
** Rufisque Centre (Nord)
** Rufisque Est
** Rufisque Ouest
* Bambylor arrondissement, which, administratively speaking, is the only rural part of the Dakar region. The Bambylor arrondissement is divided into 3 communautés rurales (i.e. "rural communities"):
** Yène
** Bambylor
** Tivaouane Peulh-Niaga
* The six communes of Bargny, Sébikotane, Diamniadio, Jaxaay-Parcelle-Niakoul Rap, Sangalkam and Sendou

## Table of Administrative Sub-divisions

Administrative Divisions of the Dakar Region :
| Département | Commune | Arrondissement | Commune d'arrondissement | Communauté rurale |
| Department/ County / State | City | Borough | Neighborhood | Rural Borough |
| Dakar | Dakar | Almadies | Mermoz-Sacré-Cœur | |
| Dakar | Dakar | Almadies | Ngor | |
| Dakar | Dakar | Almadies | Ouakam | |
| Dakar | Dakar | Almadies | Yoff | |
| Dakar | Dakar | Dakar Plateau | Fann-Point E-Amitié | |
| Dakar | Dakar | Dakar Plateau | Gorée | |
| Dakar | Dakar | Dakar Plateau | Gueule Tapée-Fass-Colobane | |
| Dakar | Dakar | Dakar Plateau | Médina | |
| Dakar | Dakar | Dakar Plateau | Plateau | |
| Dakar | Dakar | Grand Dakar | Biscuiterie | |
| Dakar | Dakar | Grand Dakar | Dieuppeul-Derklé | |
| Dakar | Dakar | Grand Dakar | Grand Dakar | |
| Dakar | Dakar | Grand Dakar | Hann-Bel Air | |
| Dakar | Dakar | Grand Dakar | HLM | |
| Dakar | Dakar | Grand Dakar | Sicap-Liberté | |
| Dakar | Dakar | Parcelles Assainies | Cambérène | |
| Dakar | Dakar | Parcelles Assainies | Grand Yoff | |
| Dakar | Dakar | Parcelles Assainies | Parcelles Assainies | |
| Dakar | Dakar | Parcelles Assainies | Patte d'Oie | |
| Guédiawaye | Guédiawaye | Guédiawaye | Golf Sud | |
| Guédiawaye | Guédiawaye | Guédiawaye | Médina Gounass | |
| Guédiawaye | Guédiawaye | Guédiawaye | Ndiarème Limoulaye | |
| Guédiawaye | Guédiawaye | Guédiawaye | Sam Notaire | |
| Guédiawaye | Guédiawaye | Guédiawaye | Wakhinane Nimzatt | |
| Pikine | Pikine | Dagoudane | Dalifort | |
| Pikine | Pikine | Dagoudane | Djidah-Thiaroye Kaw | |
| Pikine | Pikine | Dagoudane | Guinaw Rail Nord | |
| Pikine | Pikine | Dagoudane | Guinaw Rail Sud | |
| Pikine | Pikine | Dagoudane | Pikine Est | |
| Pikine | Pikine | Dagoudane | Pikine Nord | |
| Pikine | Pikine | Dagoudane | Pikine Ouest | |
| Pikine | Pikine | Niayes | Keur Massar | |
| Pikine | Pikine | Niayes | Malika [fr] | |
| Pikine | Pikine | Niayes | Yeumbeul Nord | |
| Pikine | Pikine | Niayes | Yeumbeul Sud | |
| Pikine | Pikine | Thiaroye | Diamaguène Sicap Mbao | |
| Pikine | Pikine | Thiaroye | Mbao | |
| Pikine | Pikine | Thiaroye | Thiaroye Gare | |
| Pikine | Pikine | Thiaroye | Thiaroye Sur Mer | |
| Pikine | Pikine | Thiaroye | Tivaouane Diaksao | |
| Rufisque | Rufisque | Rufisque | Rufisque Est | |
| Rufisque | Rufisque | Rufisque | Rufisque Nord | |
| Rufisque | Rufisque | Rufisque | Rufisque Ouest | |
| Rufisque | Rufisque | Sangalkam | Bargny |
| Rufisque | Rufisque | Sangalkam | Diamnadio | |
| Rufisque | Rufisque | Sangalkam | Jaxaay-Parcelle-Niakoul Rap | |
| Rufisque | Rufisque | Sangalkam | | Sangalkam |
| Rufisque | Rufisque | Sangalkam | Sébikotane | |
| Rufisque | Rufisque | Sangalkam | Sendou | - |
| Rufisque | Rufisque | Bambylor | | Bambylor |
| Rufisque | Rufisque | Bambylor | | Yène |
| Rufisque | Rufisque | Bambylor | | Tivaouane Peulh-Niaga |

## Conclusion

Within the Dakar 'region, the only politically significant units (i.e. those who have elected officials and wield a significant power) are: the 7 communes, the 2 communautés rurales, and the 43 communes d'arrondissement.