Thiès is a region of western Senegal. The capital is also called Thiès.
Geography Thiès has two coastlines, one in the north with the Grande Côte housing the Niayes vegetable market, one to the south with the Petite Côte, one of the tourist areas of Senegal.
Principally the main passageway between the peninsula and the rest of the country, the region of Thiès has received a communication route connected to the first rail line and new road infrastructure.
Thiès is relatively small, yet it is the most populous region after Dakar, with a population of 2,467,523 inhabitants in 2023.
The coastal communities are dependent on fishing, growing crops, and coastal tourism for subsistence. The interior of the region was the peanut basin. Phosphates are also mined there.
History
The Thiès Region has always been occupied by the Serer people since the ancient Serers and their ancestors. However, in the pre-colonial period, more so around the 16th century, the Wolof immigrants among others have settled in.Klein, Martin A., "Islam and Imperialism in Senegal Sine-Saloum, 1847–1914", p. 7, Edinburgh University Press (1968), Diange, Pathé. "Les Royaumes Sérères", Présence Africaine. No.54 (1965) p-p 142-72Ba, Abdou Bouri, "Essai sur l’histoire du Saloum et du Rip", Avant-propos par Charles Becker et Victor Martin. Publié dans le Bulletin de l’Institut Fondamental d'Afrique Noire (IFAN), pp 10-13 Like the Fatick Region, the entire Thiès Region is strongly Serer and one of the most important of Serer country.Encyclopædia Britannica, inc, "The New Encyclopædia Britannica, Volume 29", ed : 13, Encyclopædia Britannica, 2003, p 855-6, It is also where many of the Serer sacred and historical sites are found. The area is well represented by the Cangin, a sub-group of the Serers, who had a fierce reputation for protecting their country from outsiders in precolonial times as well as during the colonial-era (see Timeline of Serer history and Serer medieval history).
Geographically, the region partially overlaps with the precolonial Kingdoms of Cayor and Baol. Djibril Diop, "Décentralisation et gouvernance locale au Sénégal". Quelle pertinence pour le développement local ?, Paris, L'Harmattan, 2006, p. 69 The Kingdom of Baol was ruled by the Joof family for several centuries until c 1549. During the colonial-era, its development was supported by the railway line - the Dakar-Saint-Louis railway in the late nineteenth century, and then with the Dakar-Niger railway. Thus Administratively, it is one of the oldest in the country.
Administrative divisions Thiès region is divided into 3 departments (départements), 14 communes (soon 15 communes in 2023), 12 arrondissements, 32 communautés rurales and 3 communes d'arrondissement.
Departments The region is divided Decree n°2002-166 of 21 February 2002 fixant le ressort territorial et le chef lieu des régions et des départements into 3 departments as follows': M'bour département Thiès département Tivaoune département
Communes In M'bour département: Ville d'Akon (planned) M'bour Joal-Fadiouth Nguékhokh Ngaparou Popenguine-Ndayane Saly Somone Thiadiaye
In Thiès département: Kayar Khombole Pout
In Tivaouane département: Tivaouane Mboro Meckhe
Arrondissements In M'bour département: Fissel Séssène Sindia
In Thiès département: Thiès Nord Thiès Sud Keur Moussa Notto Thiénaba
In Tivaouane département: Méouane Médina Dakhar Niakhène Pambal
Communautés rurales
In M'bour département: Fissel Ndiaganiao Nguéniène Sandiara Séssène Malicounda Diass Sindia
In Thiès département: Diender Geudj Fandène Keur Moussa Notto Tassette Ndiayène Sirah Thiénaba Ngoudiane Touba Toul
In Tivaouane département: Méouane Taïba Ndiaye Darou-Khoudoss Koul Mérina Dakhar Pékesse Nbayène Ngandiouf Niakhène Thilmakha Chérif Lo Mont Rolland Notto Gouye Diama Pambal Pire Gourèye
In 2003, the rural population was 769,884, Source : PEPAM grouped in 31 villages, in communautés rurales.
Notable residents
Maurice Ndour (born 1992), basketball player for Pallacanestro Brescia of the Lega Basket Serie A.
References
External links List of administrative divisions in Senegal Map of Thies region Site on Thiès