town and minor port, east of Dakar at the southeastern end of the Cape Verde Peninsula, Senegal. Its proximity to Dakar, Senegal's capital, has spurred the development of some light industry, including textile, oil, lime, and cement works. There are natural gas deposits nearby. Rufisque is a busy transport hub on the Dakar-Niger and Dakar–Saint-Louis railways. Rufisque is home to several marketplaces and an artisan village, and there are beaches nearby. Pop. (2004 est.) 151,618.