Louga, Senegal

🇸🇳 Louga is a town in north-western Senegal. Louga is a cattle market centre, and has road and rail links with the port city of Saint-Louis to the north-west and Dakar to the southwest. The area surrounding Louga is at the northern limits of Senegal's peanut growing area and is inhabited by the Fulani, who are generally pastoral nomads, and the Wolof, who are sedentary farmers. Louga is located in what is called the Ndiambour, which used to be part of the Cayor province.

Administration Louga is both the capital of the Louga department and of the Louga region. The administrative region of Louga was formed in 1976, divided into 3 departments with 11 districts and 48 communities. There are 7 municipalities. The Louga region is made up of 3 departments: • Louga • Kebemer • Linguere.

Geography The closest towns are Dagadj, Bayakh, Taoua, Laye, Mbarom and Ngueye Dili. The capital of Senegal, Dakar, is 203 km away. The climate is dry, almost desertlike, with a long dry season called the harmattan that can last 9 months or more. This season carries dust to Louga and occasionally causes sandstorms, promoting wind erosion and water loss by evaporation.

Population The main ethnic groups are the Wolof, the Fula, the Toucouleur, and the Moors.

Economy Agriculture is the main sector of Louga's economy. Fishing is practiced on the 50 km sea front in Potou.

Transport Louga is a junction station on the Dakar-Niger Railway network.

Sport Stade ASEC Ndiambour, better known as Stade Alboury Ndiaye, is a multi-use stadium. It is currently used mostly for football matches and serves as a home ground of ASEC Ndiambour. The stadium holds 15,000 people.