Gorée Island

Gorée Island

French  Île de Gorée 
 
small island just south of Cape Verde Peninsula, Senegal, that was the site of one of the earliest European settlements in Western Africa and long served as an outpost for slave and other trading. It is a rather barren volcanic rock of only 88 acres (36 hectares) that commands the roadstead of Dakar harbour. The small, picturesque town of Gorée is nearly coextensive with the island.

 Gorée Island was first visited (1444) by Portuguese sailors under Dinís Dias (Dias, Dinís) and occupied in subsequent years. The island's indigenous Lebu people were later displaced, and fortifications were erected. The town was active in the Atlantic slave trade from 1536 until 1848, when slavery was abolished in Senegal. Historians debate whether Gorée was a major entrepôt for the trade or simply one of many centres from which Africans were taken to the Americas.

 Gorée changed hands several times, but from 1817 until Senegal's independence in 1960 it was under the control of France. As early as 1848 Gorée participated in French elections, and it was represented in the French Parliament during the first half of the 20th century. The island's importance steadily declined with the rise of Saint-Louis and Dakar on the mainland.

      Several museums and the remains of colonial-era forts attract tourists. The Maison des Esclaves (“Slave House”), which was constructed in 1786, includes displays of slavery artifacts, and the Fort d'Estrées (built in the 1850s) is the site of a historical museum. There are also museums of women's history and of the sea. In 1978 Gorée Island was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site, and several of its historic structures were restored in the 1980s and '90s.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Gorée — For other uses, see Goree (disambiguation). Coordinates: 14°40′01″N 17°23′54″W / 14.66694°N 17.39833°W / 14.66694; 17.39833 …   Wikipedia

  • Gorée — Vorlage:Infobox Insel/Wartung/Höhe fehlt Gorée Gorée vom Meer aus gesehen Gewässer …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Goree Institute — The Goree Institute operates in peace building, development and the promotion of arts and culture in Africa. It was established on June 25, 1992, in the wake of the historic meeting in Dakar, July 1987, between the exile leadership of the African …   Wikipedia

  • Gorée, Île de — or Gorée Island Island, Senegal. Inhabited by the Lebu people when it was occupied by the Portuguese in the mid 15th century, it was later occupied by the Dutch and then taken by the French in 1677. It was a major Atlantic slave trading centre… …   Universalium

  • island — islandish, islandlike, adj. islandless, adj. /uy leuhnd/, n. 1. a tract of land completely surrounded by water, and not large enough to be called a continent. 2. something resembling an island, esp. in being isolated or having little or no direct …   Universalium

  • Goree (disambiguation) — Goree may refer to: Gorée an island in Senegal, Africa. TJ Goree Confederate Lieutenant. Elizabeth Goree an early Texas teacher, school administrator, and education advocate. Wife of TJ Goree. Gora (racial epithet) Goree, Texas, a city in the US… …   Wikipedia

  • Gorée — Île de Gorée Île de Gorée 1 Patrimoine mondial de l humanité établi par l UNESCO Port de l île de Gorée …   Wikipédia en Français

  • House of Slaves (Gorée) — Statues and p …   Wikipedia

  • Ile de Goree — Île de Gorée Île de Gorée 1 Patrimoine mondial de l’UNESCO Port de l île de Gorée Latitude …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Ile de Gorée — Île de Gorée Île de Gorée 1 Patrimoine mondial de l’UNESCO Port de l île de Gorée Latitude …   Wikipédia en Français

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”