# Khombole

> commune of Senegal

**Wikidata**: [Q2277705](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2277705)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khombole)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/khombole

## Summary

Khombole is a commune and city located in the Thiès Department of Senegal, situated at coordinates 14.76286111111111 latitude and -16.690916666666666 longitude. With a population of 20,321 as of the 2023 census, Khombole spans an area of 6.467 square kilometers and sits 18 meters above sea level. The municipality, which has been classified as a commune since 1966, is twinned with Pontedera in Italy and maintains a web presence through sipsenegal.org.

## Key Facts

- **Official Classification**: Commune of Senegal and city, established as a commune in 1966
- **Geographic Location**: Thiès Department, Senegal; coordinates apply to the mairie (town hall)
- **Area**: 6.467 square kilometers
- **Population**: 15,587 (2013 census) → 20,321 (2023 census)
- **Elevation**: 18 meters above sea level
- **Timezone**: UTC−03:00
- **Official Website**: http://www.sipsenegal.org/khombole/
- **Geonames ID**: 2249901
- **GNS Unique Feature ID**: -2269954
- **OpenStreetMap Relation ID**: 13058989
- **Who's on First ID**: 890434605
- **Google Knowledge Graph ID**: /g/121v77wn
- **Wikipedia Availability**: Available in 11 languages (Cebuano, German, English, Persian, Fulah, French, Italian, Dutch, Polish, Swedish, Swahili)
- **Sitelink Count**: 11
- **Twin Town**: Pontedera (Italy)

## FAQs

**What type of administrative entity is Khombole?**
Khombole is classified as both a city and a commune of Senegal, with its status as a commune beginning in 1966. It functions as a municipal unit within the Thiès Department.

**What is the population of Khombole?**
According to census data, Khombole had a population of 15,587 in 2013, which grew to 20,321 by 2023, representing an increase of approximately 4,734 residents over a decade.

**Where exactly is Khombole located?**
Khombole is situated in the Thiès Department of Senegal at latitude 14.76286111111111 and longitude -16.690916666666666, with the town hall (mairie) serving as the reference point for coordinates.

**What is Khombole's relationship with Pontedera?**
Khombole is twinned with Pontedera, an Italian city. This twinning represents a municipal partnership between the two locations.

**What languages is Khombole's Wikipedia page available in?**
The Wikipedia article about Khombole exists in 11 languages: Cebuano, German, English, Persian, Fulah, French, Italian, Dutch, Polish, Swedish, and Swahili.

**What is the area and elevation of Khombole?**
Khombole covers 6.467 square kilometers of land and sits 18 meters above sea level.

## Why It Matters

Khombole represents a significant urban center within Senegal's administrative structure, particularly in the Thiès Region which is one of the country's most populous and economically active areas. As a commune established in 1966, Khombole embodies Senegal's post-independence efforts to modernize local governance and create structured municipal frameworks. The city's population growth—from approximately 15,500 to over 20,300 residents in a decade—reflects broader urbanization trends in Senegal and the country's increasing attractiveness as a destination for internal migration.

The municipality's twinning with Pontedera, Italy, highlights Khombole's international connections and its role in fostering cultural and administrative exchange between West Africa and Europe. This partnership likely facilitates knowledge sharing in areas such as municipal management, economic development, and cultural programming.

Khombole's web presence through its official website demonstrates the municipality's commitment to digital transparency and citizen engagement, providing residents and external stakeholders with access to local government information. The city's inclusion in geographic databases such as Geonames, OpenStreetMap, and Google's Knowledge Graph further establishes its place in global geographic information systems, facilitating everything from logistics to academic research.

## Notable For

- **Population Growth**: Nearly 30% population increase between 2013 and 2023 census periods
- **Multilingual Presence**: Wikipedia articles available in 11 languages reflecting international interest
- **Municipal Twinning**: Formal partnership with Pontedera, Italy, demonstrating cross-cultural administrative connections
- **Digital Infrastructure**: Official municipal website operational at sipsenegal.org
- **Geographic Database Integration**: Listed in major geographic identification systems including Geonames, OpenStreetMap, and Google Knowledge Graph

## Body

### Administrative Status and History

Khombole operates as both a city and a commune within the Republic of Senegal, a West African nation known for its stable democracy and active civil society. The municipality's classification as a commune dates to 1966, placing its establishment firmly within Senegal's post-independence period when the country was consolidating its administrative structures following independence from France in 1960. As a commune, Khombole functions as a territorial collectivity with its own budget, local council, and executive apparatus, typically headed by a mayor and council members elected by local residents.

The city's administrative affiliation places it within Thiès Department, one of Senegal's administrative divisions that serves as an intermediate level between the national government and local municipalities. Thiès Region, which contains the Thiès Department, is situated immediately east of Dakar, the capital city, making Khombole part of the metropolitan sphere of influence surrounding the nation's primary urban center.

### Geographic Characteristics

Khombole occupies a land area of 6.467 square kilometers, positioning it as a moderately sized municipality within the Thiès Department. The city's coordinates—14.76286111111111° latitude and -16.690916666666666° longitude—place it in the semi-arid Sahel region that characterizes much of northern Senegal, though Thiès Region receives slightly more rainfall than areas further north.

The municipality sits at an elevation of 18 meters above sea level, characteristic of the gently rolling terrain that characterizes much of Senegal's interior coastal plain. This relatively low elevation places Khombole within the watershed areas that drain toward the Atlantic Ocean, though the city itself is situated inland from the coast.

The reference point for Khombole's coordinates is the mairie, or town hall, which serves as the symbolic and administrative center of the municipality. This practice of using municipal administrative buildings as coordinate reference points is common in geographic databases, providing a standardized location for municipalities where the town hall typically represents the population center.

### Demographics and Population

Population data for Khombole reveals significant growth over the past decade. The 2013 census recorded 15,587 residents, while the 2023 census documented 20,321 inhabitants—a substantial increase of 4,734 people, representing approximately 30% growth over ten years. This demographic expansion reflects broader urbanization patterns occurring throughout Senegal, where rural-to-urban migration and natural population increase are driving rapid growth in secondary cities and municipalities.

The population figures derive from official census counts, which in Senegal are conducted by the National Agency for Statistics and Demography (ANSD). Census methodology typically involves door-to-door enumeration within defined geographic boundaries, with population counts attributed to the municipality where individuals reside rather than where they work or conduct daily activities.

### International Connections

Khombole maintains a twinning relationship with Pontedera, an Italian city located in the Tuscany region. Municipal twinning—also known as sister city relationships—typically involves formal agreements between local governments to promote cultural exchange, economic cooperation, and mutual learning between communities in different countries.

The twinning with Pontedera places Khombole within a network of international municipal partnerships that characterize Franco-African and Italian-African local government cooperation. Such relationships often involve exchanges in areas including municipal administration, education, culture, and economic development. While the specific programs and activities of the Khombole-Pontedera partnership are not detailed in the source material, twinning relationships of this nature typically include cultural events, educational exchanges, and potentially economic partnerships.

### Digital Presence and Information Systems

Khombole maintains an official web presence through http://www.sipsenegal.org/khombole/, representing the municipality's digital interface with residents, businesses, and external stakeholders. Municipal websites in Senegal typically provide information about local government services, administrative procedures, community news, and contact information for municipal authorities.

The city's inclusion in major geographic information systems reflects its recognized status within global databases. The Geonames ID 2249901 and GNS Unique Feature ID -2269954 provide standardized geographic identifiers used by mapping services, research databases, and geographic information systems worldwide. The OpenStreetMap Relation ID 13058989 indicates Khombole's presence in the collaborative mapping project, allowing detailed geographic representation contributed by volunteers globally.

The Google Knowledge Graph ID /g/121v77wn enables Khombole's appearance in Google's knowledge panels, which provide quick informational summaries when users search for the city in Google's search engine. This digital presence facilitates discoverability for researchers, potential visitors, businesses, and others seeking information about the municipality.

### Wikipedia and Multilingual Coverage

Khombole's Wikipedia presence spans 11 language editions, indicating international interest in the municipality beyond French-speaking West Africa. The available language editions include Cebuano, German, English, Persian, Fulah, French, Italian, Dutch, Polish, Swedish, and Swahili.

The presence of Fulah (also known as Fulani or Fulfulde) among the Wikipedia languages is particularly notable, as Fulah is a major language spoken across Senegal, particularly in rural areas and among pastoral communities. The inclusion of Swahili reflects the broader Bantu language influence in East Africa, while the remaining European languages—German, English, French, Italian, Dutch, Polish, and Swedish—represent the primary languages of Europe's major nations, many of which maintain historical connections to Africa through colonial relationships or contemporary development partnerships.

The sitelink count of 11 corresponds to the number of Wikipedia language editions containing articles about Khombole, providing a quantitative measure of the city's international digital visibility.

### Temporal Context

Khombole operates in the UTC−03:00 timezone, which is unusual for West Africa. Most of Senegal operates on UTC+00:00 (Greenwich Mean Time), with some seasonal adjustments during daylight saving time. The UTC−03:00 designation in the source material may reflect a specific historical period, a particular data source's convention, or potentially an error in timezone attribution, as no West African countries currently maintain a UTC−03:00 offset. This temporal detail warrants verification from primary sources.

The commune's establishment date of 1966 places Khombole within the wave of municipal creation that characterized Senegal's administrative development following independence. The 1960s and 1970s saw significant expansion of commune designations throughout Senegal, part of a broader effort to decentralize governance and create locally responsive administrative structures.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.citypopulation.de/de/senegal/mun/admin/)