Thionck Essyl is a town in Ziguinchor

Ziguinchor Region

Ziguinchor is a region of Senegal . The region is also referred to historically and popularly as Basse Casamance.-Departments:Ziguinchor region is divided into 3 departments:*Bignona...

, Senegal

Senegal

Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...

, located 65 km north-west of the region capital

Ziguinchor

Ziguinchor is the capital of the Ziguinchor Region, and the chief town of the Casamance area of Senegal, lying at the mouth of the Casamance River. It has a population of over 230,000...

.

History

The origins of the town are connected to the kingdom of Mof-Ewi, when it was populated by defectors

Defection

In politics, a defector is a person who gives up allegiance to one state or political entity in exchange for allegiance to another. More broadly, it involves abandoning a person, cause or doctrine to whom or to which one is bound by some tie, as of allegiance or duty.This term is also applied,...

 from Guinea-Bissau

Guinea-Bissau

The Republic of Guinea-Bissau is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Senegal to the north, and Guinea to the south and east, with the Atlantic Ocean to its west....

. Long considered the largest village in Senegal, the village was urbanized

Urbanization

Urbanization, urbanisation or urban drift is the physical growth of urban areas as a result of global change. The United Nations projected that half of the world's population would live in urban areas at the end of 2008....

 in 1990.

Administration

Thionck Essyl is part of the arrondissement

Arrondissements of Senegal

The departments of Senegal are subdivided into arrondissements. As of 2007 there were 92. The arrondissements are listed below, by department:-Bakel:*Bala Arrondissement*Diawara Arrondissement*Goudiry Arrondissement*Kidira Arrondissement-Bambey:...

 of Tendouck

Tendouck Arrondissement

Tendouck Arrondissement is an arrondissement of the Bignona Department in the Ziguinchor Region of Senegal.-Subdivisions:The arrondissement is divided administratively into rural communities and in turn into villages....

 in Bignona

Bignona Department

Bignona Department is one of the departments of Senegal, located in the Ziguinchor Region.- Subdivisions :The department is divided administratively into four arrondissements,...

, Ziguinchor.

Geography

The nearest towns are Hilol, Mantat, Etouta, Mlomp

Mlomp

Mlomp is a rural community and village in the Ziguinchor Region of Senegal in the Casamance, situated approximately south-west of Ziguinchor.As of 2000 it had a population of 7,628, rising to around 8,500 in 2006...

, Tendouck, and Djimande.

View map to locate Thionck Essyl

Population

The population is primarily Jola

Jola people

The Jola are an ethnic group found in Senegal , The Gambia, and Guinea-Bissau. There are great numbers on the Atlantic coast between the southern banks of the Gambia River, the Casamance region of Senegal and the northern part of Guinea-Bissau...

. Some sources suggest that more than 10000 people live in Thionck Essyl, however the census of 2002 stated that the town's population was only 8006 living in 1021 households. According to official estimates, the population was supposed to reach 8507 by the end of 2007.. According to PEPAM (Water and Sanitation Program for the Millennium), however, there are currently 6954 people and 968 households in Thionck Essyl.

Economy

The borders of the town do not lend themselves to easy growth. The town hospital is not very functional because it lacks qualified staff. There is a high school in the town.

External links

Maps, weather and airports for Tionk Essil Thionck Essyl on the PEPAM website Les Amis de Thionck Essyl