Fatick | |
|---|---|
Town andcommune | |
  Fatick | |
| Coordinates:14°20′0″N16°24′25″W / 14.33333°N 16.40694°W /14.33333; -16.40694 | |
| Country |  Senegal |
| Region | Fatick Region |
| Area | |
• Town andcommune | 16.01 km2 (6.18 sq mi) |
| Population (2023 census)[1] | |
• Town andcommune | 39,361 |
| • Density | 2,500/km2 (6,400/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+0 (GMT) |
Fatick (French pronunciation:[fatik];Wolof:Fatik;Serer:Fatik)[2][3] is a town and urban commune inSenegal, located betweenM'bour andKaolack and inhabited by theSerer people. Its 2023 population was at 39,361.[1]It is the capital of theFatick Region and theFatick Department.
Its name (Fatick), includingits region anddepartment take their names from one of theSerer maternal clans (Fatik)—which derives from theSerer termFati Ubadik ("we have more to go").[4] The name is also spelledPatik following its pronunciation which is the same as the Fatik matriclan. The 15th centuryKing of Sine Wasilla Faye named it after his father's matriclan. His father was a member of the Patik matriclan.
The city has several ancient sites classified as historical monuments and added to theWorld heritage list.[5] There is also the site ofMind Ngo Mindiss, located in theSine River, where libations and offerings are made, the site ofNdiobaye, where traditional ceremonies takes place, and Ndeb Jab, which houses a sacred tree atNdiaye-Ndiaye. These sites are sacred places inSerer religion.[6] TheXooy ceremony (orKhoy), performed by the Serer high priests and priestesses (theSaltigues), takes place at Fatick once a year.[7]
Fatick is located "in the savanna belt of the West AfricanSahel, a sandy arid region south of theSahara desert."[8] The nearest towns are Nerane, Pourham, Mbirk Pourham and Tok.Dakar, the capital of Senegal, is located 155 km away.
UnderKöppen-Geiger climate classification system, it has ahot semi-arid climate (BSh).
| Climate data for Fatick (1991–2020) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 34.2 (93.6) | 36.3 (97.3) | 38.4 (101.1) | 39.3 (102.7) | 38.8 (101.8) | 36.7 (98.1) | 34.5 (94.1) | 33.1 (91.6) | 33.1 (91.6) | 35.5 (95.9) | 36.7 (98.1) | 34.8 (94.6) | 36.0 (96.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 16.7 (62.1) | 18.3 (64.9) | 19.6 (67.3) | 20.5 (68.9) | 21.9 (71.4) | 24.1 (75.4) | 24.9 (76.8) | 24.7 (76.5) | 24.5 (76.1) | 24.1 (75.4) | 20.3 (68.5) | 17.7 (63.9) | 21.4 (70.5) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 9.4 (48.9) | 11.9 (53.4) | 14.0 (57.2) | 15.2 (59.4) | 16.5 (61.7) | 18.4 (65.1) | 20.4 (68.7) | 20.0 (68.0) | 20.4 (68.7) | 18.0 (64.4) | 14.0 (57.2) | 9.4 (48.9) | 9.4 (48.9) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 2.0 (0.08) | 1.1 (0.04) | 0.1 (0.00) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.4 (0.02) | 24.6 (0.97) | 116.0 (4.57) | 239.8 (9.44) | 177.7 (7.00) | 41.4 (1.63) | 0.4 (0.02) | 1.1 (0.04) | 604.6 (23.80) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 1.0 mm) | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 1.6 | 7.1 | 12.6 | 11.2 | 3.5 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 36.8 |
| Source:NOAA[9] | |||||||||||||
In thecensuses of 1988 and 2002, the estimate population figures were 18,416 and 23,149 respectively. In 2007, according to official estimates, the population was 24,855.
Since the peanut trade is losing momentum,salt marshes are the main local resource.
