Senegal sits at the westernmost point of the African continent and has been a crossroads of trans-Saharan trade, Islamic scholarship, and Atlantic commerce for over a millennium. Wolof, a Niger-Congo language of the Atlantic branch, emerged as the dominant tongue of the Wolof Empire (circa 14th–19th centuries) and today functions as the undisputed everyday lingua franca of Dakar and most urban centres, understood by roughly 90% of the population even though only 43% speak it as a mother tongue. French was introduced by colonial administration centred on Saint-Louis and later Dakar, which served as the capital of French West Africa. Senegal gained independence in 1960 and has retained French as its sole official language, though successive governments have debated elevating Wolof. Other significant languages include Pulaar (Fula), Serer, and Mandinka. The country is noted for its tradition of teranga (hospitality), a concept expressed most fully in Wolof.
