Cape Verde , CapePeninsulaFrench Presqu’île du Cap Vert,promontory along the coast of peninsula in west-central Senegal that is the westernmost part of continental Africa. It is point of the African continent. Formed by a combination of volcanic offshore islands and a land bridge produced by coastal currents, it projects into the Atlantic Ocean, bending back to the southeast at its tip. Exposure to southwesterly winds contributes to Cape Verde’s seasonal verdant appearance, in contrast to the undulating yellow dunes to the north. The cape is the site of modern day Dakar, the capital of Senegal, and its immediate suburbs.

The peninsula is shaped like a triangle (about 9 miles [15 km] per side), with the base of the triangle roughly along the north and its apex on the south, the site of the seaport of Dakar

, capital of Senegal

. Near Pointe des Almadies, the northwestern tip of the cape, lies Dakar’s international airport, famous as a transatlantic ferrying point during World War II. Twin volcanic cones, the Deux Mamelles (

“Two Teats”


See also Cape Verde Peninsula.

The peninsula embraces a bay and an excellent natural harbour in the southwest.
