| Thionck Essyl | |
| Other Name: | Tionk Essil |
| Settlement Type: | Town and commune |
| Total Type: | Town and commune |
| Pushpin Map: | Senegal |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | Senegal |
| Subdivision Type1: | Region |
| Subdivision Name1: | Ziguinchor |
| Subdivision Type2: | Department |
| Subdivision Name2: | Bignona |
| Leader Name: | Amadou Sadio |
| Unit Pref: | metric |
| Area Total Km2: | 5.802 |
| Elevation M: | 16 |
| Population As Of: | 2023 census |
| Population Footnotes: | [1] |
| Population Total: | 8961 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Utc Offset: | ±00:00 |
| Coordinates: | 12.7856°N -16.5217°W |
Thionck Essyl (also called Tionk Essil) is a small town and urban commune in Ziguinchor, Senegal, located 65 km north-west of the region capital.
The name of the town means "cook remaining crouched."[2]
The origins of the town are connected to the kingdom of Mof-Ewi, when it was populated by defectors from Guinea-Bissau. Long considered the largest village in Senegal,[3] the village was urbanized in 1990.
Thionck Essyl is part of the arrondissement of Tendouck in Bignona, Ziguinchor.
The nearest towns are Hilol, Mantat, Etouta, Mlomp, Tendouck, and Djimande.
The population is primarily Jola. Some sources[4] 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.[5] According to official estimates, the population was supposed to reach 8507 by the end of 2007.[6] According to PEPAM (Water and Sanitation Program for the Millennium), however, there are currently 6954 people and 968 households in Thionck Essyl.[7]
The borders of the town do not lend themselves to easy growth. The town hospital is not very functional because of the law budget, there remains 2 doctors, of the more than 10 there were. There is a high school in the town.
Cooperation has been established with medical doctors from Barcelona.