Kaédi Explained

Kaédi
Native Name:Arabic: كيهيدي
Settlement Type:Commune and town
Pushpin Map:Mauritania
Pushpin Label Position:bottom
Pushpin Mapsize:300
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Mauritania
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Type1:Region
Subdivision Name: Mauritania
Subdivision Name1:Gorgol
Leader Title:Mayor
Leader Name:Demba Samba N'Diaye (2023)
Population As Of:2013 census
Population Footnotes:[1]
Population Total:49152
Population Metro:121726
Population Density Km2:auto
Coordinates:16.1506°N -13.5056°W
Elevation M:23

Kaédi (Arabic: كيهيدي) is the largest city and administrative center of the Gorgol Region of Southern Mauritania, located on the border with Senegal. It is approximately 435 km from Mauritania's capital, Nouakchott.

Overview

The city sits within the "Chemama" Riverine zone along the north bank of the River Senegal where it connects with the Gorgol River. This region is one of the few areas of settled agriculture in the country. Culturally, the city is among the most diverse in Mauritania, consisting of ethnic "White Moors" (Arabic: البيضان) and "Black Moors" (Arabic: السودان), as well as Pulaar, and Soninke communities.

It is known as a market town, a medical center, and a center for local farmers. The market reflects the sub-Saharan culture of neighboring Senegal somewhat more than the Moorish-Arabic culture found further north in the country.

Most of the architecture consists of brown, flat-roofed buildings, undistinguished except that most are surrounded by "dutch brick" enclosures. The one exception is the unusual architecture of the Kaédi Regional Hospital, which was constructed in 1989 and features multiple beehive-style domes. The award-winning architecture was designed by the Association for the Development of Traditional African Urbanism and Architecture (ADAUA), which aims to develop indigenous African urban architectural designs using local materials and technologies.[2]

See also

Notes and References

  1. http://www.gazetteer.de/wg.php?x=1255729858&men=gcis&lng=fr&des=gamelan&geo=-145&srt=npan&col=abcdefghinoq&msz=1500 Mauritania : The largest cities with population statistics
  2. Web site: AKDN . KAEDI REGIONAL HOSPITAL . the.akdn.