Thiès

Thiès
Thiès
	Toun
	Thies - ceety centre
	Thiès
	Coordinates: 14°50′N 17°06′W / 14.833°N 17.100°W
Kintra	Senegal
Region	Thiès Region
Time zone	UTC 0 (GMT)

Thiès (pronooncit “chess"; Wolof: Cès) is the third lairgest ceety in Senegal wi a population offeecially estimatit at 320,000 in 2005. It lies 60 km east o Dakar on the N2 road an at the junction o railway lines tae Dakar, Bamako an St-Louis. It is the caipital o Thiès Region an is a major industrial ceety.

History

Afore colonization, the Thiès Plateau wis a woodit frontier atween the kinricks o Cayor an Baol inhabitit bi the None, an ethnic sub-group o the Sereer. The Sereer None still inhabit the Thiès-None neighborhuid o the sooth-wast ceety the day.

The plateau acquired strategic importance when the French embarked upon an expansionist colonial policy. A military post wis creatit in 1864 an the military hae marked the ceety’s development iver syne; it is hame tae a major military base.

Transport

At first a simple rail stop, or "escale", on the Dakar-Saint Louis line (completit in 1885) Thiès became a rail junction wi the Dakar-Niger line (built 1906-1923). The naitional netwirk o pavit roads creatit efter WWII likewise converged on Thiès, which thus commands nearly aw access tae the Cap-Vert Peninsula (Dakar an Rufisque).

The railways brocht commercial development an migrant laborers, includin Bambara frae eastren regions o Senegal an frae Mali. The rail wirkers o Thiès played a key role in the immergence o Senegal’s labor muivement. Their strikes in 1937 an again in 1947-48 an aa marked the development o the unthirldom muivement athort French Wast Africae.

Economy

Thiès is best kent for its tapestry-makin industry, an exclusive factory haein been set up in 1966, producin wirk designed bi Senegal’s top airtists. The famous Birds o Paradise tapestry wis manufactured in Thiès. The ceety an aa contains a polytechnic schuil.

As the transportation hub o a productive agricultural hinterland: rice, peanuts, manioc, millet, an fruit, the ceety is a leadin fermstockin-tradin an meat-packin center. It haes rail yards an repair shops, an alumina phosphate deposits are wirked at nearbi Palo an Taïba.

The day, Thiès is developin increasingly as an extension o the congestit Cap-Vert Peninsula. It is attractin industrial investments (electrical an mechanical ingineerin) an there are plans tae link it tae Dakar bi heich-gate an commuter train.

Ither attractions in Thiès include a museum, an airtisanal an crafts veelage an a few remains o auld fortifications.