▁the ▁extreme ▁western ▁point ▁of ▁Africa , ▁at ▁the ▁cross road ▁of ▁the ▁major ▁sea - lan es ▁linking ▁Europe ▁to ▁South ▁America , ▁makes ▁it ▁a ▁natural ▁port ▁of ▁call ▁for ▁sh ipping ▁companies . ▁ ▁Near by ▁over ▁ 1 0 ▁km ▁west ▁of ▁the ▁port ▁is ▁Les ▁Mam elles ▁L ighth ouse ▁( also ▁the ▁O u ak am ▁L ighth ouse ) ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁port ▁maintain s ▁together ▁with ▁its ▁be a cons . ▁ ▁History ▁▁ ▁Led ▁by ▁Captain ▁Pro t et , ▁French ▁troops ▁took ▁possession ▁of ▁the ▁Sen eg al ese ▁coast ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 7 . ▁Work ▁began ▁on ▁the ▁port ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 2 ▁and ▁it ▁was ▁inaugur ated ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 6 . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 8 8 0 s ▁up ▁to ▁the ▁Great ▁De pression ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 3 0 s ▁( th ought ▁did ▁not ▁fully ▁affected ▁in land ▁in ▁Sen eg al ), ▁its ▁ship ▁traffic ▁volume ▁was ▁high , ▁it ▁was ▁used ▁as ▁a ▁ref uel ing ▁station ▁for ▁ships ▁with ▁coal , ▁especially ▁military ▁ones , ▁up ▁to ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century , ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁ships ▁were ▁French , ▁other ▁ships ▁came ▁there . ▁ ▁Sh ip ▁volume ▁was ▁always ▁higher ▁than ▁the ▁port ▁of ▁Mind elo ▁( see ▁also ▁Porto ▁Grande ▁Bay ) ▁in ▁Portuguese ▁Cape ▁Ver de , ▁the ▁closest ▁other ▁major ▁port ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁and