User:Tucoxn/Louga-expanded

Louga (sometimes spelled Luga) is a city in northwestern Senegal. It is the capital of the Louga Region and the Louga Department. The city has a population of 67,154 (1994 est.).

Louga is a cattle market centre and has road and rail links with the port city of Saint-Louis to the north and Dakar, via Thiès, to the south. The area surrounding Louga is at the northern limits of Senegal's peanut- (groundnut-) growing area and is inhabited by the Fulani, who are generally pastoral nomads, and the Wolof, who are sedentary farmers.

History
Some controversy exists regarding the exact origins of Louga. A fact that is certain, however, is that its early history includes a fortress built in 1883 by the French colonial authorities to counter attacks from Tiédos, Senegalese warriors who resisted Islamization, Christianization, and colonization.

Shortly after its founding, the town of Louga became the regional capitol for the French French colonial administration. As a result, the town attracted an increasingle large population of muslims, who moved from nearby villages to escape persecution by the Tiédos.

By 1887, Louga had one thousand inhabitants who were largely engaged in agriculture, livestock and trade. On 18 January 1887, the perimeter road of Louga was was laid out, making way for urban planning and reorganization to meet the challenges of a growing regional capitol. Louga's first urban subdivision was defined in 1894. By the end of the 1800s, Louga had begun to show the features of a Senegalese urban center and play a role in the economic and social life of the region, also known as Ndiambour. At this period, Louga looked like many other colonial African cities&mdash;the trappings of urbanity could be found in its city center but outlying areas were disadvantaged.

In 1900, Louga grew considerably in size and importance with the construction of the Marbath or livestock market.

=moving resources section= 

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

Twin Towns

 * Millau, France