Point of Sangomar

The Point of Sangomar is a sand spit located on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Saloum Delta, which marks the end of the Petite Côte west of Senegal.

Long threatened by coastal erosion, the fragile cord was again broken by a tidal wave in 1987, giving birth to the island of Sangomar.

[3] Parallel to the phenomenon of erosion occurs a process of sedimentation: the extremity of the new Southern Island of Sangomar increases by 100 m per annum to the south and, on the opposite bank, the outskirts of the villages of Niodior [fr] and Dionewar are silting considerably, reducing traffic of vessels and contributing to the isolation of populations.

[1] All these phenomena are closely followed by a body established with the support of UNESCO in 1984, the multidisciplinary team that studies coastal ecosystems (EPEEC).

[1] The Point of Sangomar has also been long described by navigators and hydrographers because of its bar[4] and because of its strategic location downstream of the port of Kaolack, an important production center for peanuts and salt.

To consolidate the French position, as in Rufisque (Cayor), Saly (Baol), Kaolack (Saloum) and Joal-Fadiouth (Kingdom of Sine), a fort was built at Sangomar.