West Africa
Where Senegal is
West Africa is the western region of the African continent, typically including countries from Senegal and Mauritania in the northwest to Nigeria and Cameroon in the east, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and south.
The region encompasses diverse cultures, languages, and ecosystems—from Saharan desert to tropical rainforest.
West African cuisine features dishes like jollof rice and fufu.
Largest hot desert
- SahelSemi-arid African transition zone
- savannaTropical grassland, sparse trees
- Gulf of GuineaAtlantic inlet, African coast
- Niger RiverWest African watercourse
Lake Chad · Fouta Djallon · tropical · equatorial · harmattan · coastline · mangroves · delta
Moderately low rainfall climate
- grasslandsOpen grassy terrain
- pastoralismMobile livestock husbandry
- nomadsUnsettled, roving people
- herdingManaging animal groups
livestock · drought · desertification · millet · sorghum · baobab · cattle · goats
African oral tradition keeper
- kenteGhanaian ceremonial woven cloth
- djembeHand-struck goblet drum
- afrobeatNigerian funk-jazz fusion genre
- highlifeLuxurious wealthy existence
jollof · boubou · masquerades · voodoo · orisha · Nollywood · talking drum · fufu
Nigerian people and language
Catching aquatic creatures
marine · lagoons · pirogues · Dakar · Lagos · Accra · Abidjan · Freetown
Malian city, byword for remoteness
- transatlantic slave tradeForced African deportation to Americas
- colonizationForeign territorial takeover
- Berlin ConferenceMeeting that divided Africa
- independenceFreedom from external control
Portuguese · French · British · gold trade · salt trade · Sundiata Keita · Oyo Empire · decolonization
Sahara
Largest hot desert
- SahelSemi-arid African transition zone
- savannaTropical grassland, sparse trees
- Gulf of GuineaAtlantic inlet, African coast
Niger River · Lake Chad · Fouta Djallon · tropical · equatorial · harmattan · coastline · mangroves · delta · estuary
semi-arid
Moderately low rainfall climate
- grasslandsOpen grassy terrain
- pastoralismMobile livestock husbandry
- nomadsUnsettled, roving people
herding · livestock · drought · desertification · millet · sorghum · baobab · cattle · goats · rainy season
griot
African oral tradition keeper
- kenteGhanaian ceremonial woven cloth
- djembeHand-struck goblet drum
- afrobeatNigerian funk-jazz fusion genre
highlife · jollof · boubou · masquerades · voodoo · orisha · Nollywood · talking drum · fufu · palm wine
Yoruba
Nigerian people and language
Tuareg · Berber · multilingual · polyglot · ethnic diversity
fishing
Catching aquatic creatures
tidal · marine · lagoons · pirogues · Dakar · Lagos · Accra · Abidjan · Freetown · fish markets
Timbuktu
Malian city, byword for remoteness
- transatlantic slave tradeForced African deportation to Americas
- colonizationForeign territorial takeover
- Berlin ConferenceMeeting that divided Africa
independence · Portuguese · French · British · gold trade · salt trade · Sundiata Keita · Oyo Empire · decolonization · precolonial
- African mapssub-Saharan, Maghreb, country maps, regional maps, national parks maps
- African regionsSahel, Maghreb, Rift Valley, Nile Valley, Congo Basin
- British AfricaGold Coast, Rhodesia, Uganda, Nigeria, Gambia
- Francophone AfricaSenegal, Mali, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Niger
- AfricaEgypt, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, Algeria
- African GeographyKenya, Nigeria, Morocco, Ghana, Tanzania
West AfricaEast Africa
Continental region by Indian Ocean
Southern Africa · Horn of Africa · North Africa · Central Africa · Maghreb
West AfricaEast Asia
China-Japan-Korea region
Southeast Asia · Eastern Europe · Eastern Hemisphere · Western Europe · Oceania
west, westward, Africa, Afrocentrism, Pan-Africanism, Afrocentric, Afro-, West African, non-African