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{{short description|Capital and the largest city of Niger}}{{EngvarB|date=July 2016}}{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2016}}

factoids

{{native name>hattqZarma language>Zarmaٽَمَيْ}}Hausa language>Hausaیَمَیْ}}{{script/Hausawi|یَمَیْ}}Tawallammat Tamajaq>Tawallammatⵏⵉⵎⵢ}}{{script/Arabic|نِيامِيْ}}| nickname = | settlement_type = | motto = position=center|photo1a =Niamey from grand mosque theatre 2006.jpg|photo2a =Rive du Niger, dans Niamey.jpg|photo2b =|photo3a =Niger, Niamey, Place du Temple (ST-31)(3).jpg|photo3b =Zoo du Musée national de Niamey.jpg|photo3c =Niger, Niamey, Kountché Stadium (1).jpg|photo4a =Niger, Niamey, Dunes (19), panorama.jpg|photo5a =|photo5b =|size = 300|spacing = 2|color = #FFFFFF|border = 0}}| image_flag = | flag_size = | image_seal =City_of_Niamey_logo.png| seal_size = | image_shield = | shield_size = | city_logo = | citylogo_size = | image_map = | mapsize = | map_caption = | image_map1 = | mapsize1 = | map_caption1 = | image_dot_map = | dot_mapsize = | dot_map_caption = | dot_x = | dot_y = | pushpin_map = Niger#Africa| pushpin_label_position = | pushpin_map_caption = Location in Niger and Africa| pushpin_relief = yes| pushpin_mapsize = | subdivision_type = CountryNiger}}Regions of Niger>Region| subdivision_name1 = Niamey Urban CommunityCommunes of Niger>Communes Urbaines| subdivision_name2 = 5 Communes| subdivision_type3 = Districts| subdivision_name3 = 44 Districts| subdivision_type4 = Quartiers| subdivision_name4 = 99 Quarters| government_footnotes = | government_type = Appointed district government, elected city council, elected commune and quarter councilsAssane Seydou Sanda-elu-maire-de-la-ville-de-niamey&catid=34:actualites&Itemid=53 Installation du Conseil de ville de Niamey et élection des membres : M. Assane Seydou Sanda, élu maire de la ville de Niamey. Laouali Souleymane, Le Sahel (Niamey). 1 July 2011| leader_title = Governor of Niamey Urban Community| leader_name = | leader_title1 = Mayor| leader_name1 = Assane Seydou Sanda| leader_title2 = | leader_name2 = | leader_title3 = | leader_name3 = | leader_title4 = | leader_name4 = | established_title = | established_date = | established_title2 = | established_date2 = | established_title3 = | established_date3 = | area_magnitude = | unit_pref = | area_footnotes = | area_total_km2 = 239.30| area_land_km2 = | area_water_km2 = | area_total_sq_mi = | area_land_sq_mi = | area_water_sq_mi = | area_water_percent = | area_urban_km2 = | area_urban_sq_mi = | area_metro_km2 = | area_metro_sq_mi = | population_as_of = 2012| population_footnotes = | population_note = Niamey Urban CommunityAUTHOR=NATIONAL STATISTICS INSTITUTE OF NIGER, December 31, 2020, | population_density_km2 = auto| population_metro = | population_density_metro_km2 = | population_urban = | population_density_urban_km2 = | population_density_urban_sq_mi = | population_blank1_title = | population_blank1 = | population_density_blank1_km2 = | population_density_blank1_sq_mi = West Africa Time>WAT| utc_offset = +1| timezone_DST = | utc_offset_DST = 13540203region:NE|display=inline,title}}| elevation_footnotes = | elevation_m = 207| elevation_ft = | postal_code_type = | postal_code = | area_code = 20| blank_name = | blank_info = | blank1_name = | blank1_info = | website = | footnotes = | name = | image_caption = Niamey from grand mosque, Trois Sœurs, Place du Temple, Zoo du Musée national de Niamey, Kountché Stadium, Dunes AUTHOR=NATIONAL STATISTICS INSTITUTE OF NIGER, December 31, 2020, | pop_est_as_of = October 1, 2020}}Niamey ({{IPA-fr|njamɛ}}) is the capital and largest city of Niger. Niamey lies on the Niger River, primarily situated on the east bank. Niamey's population was counted as 1,026,848 as of the 2012 census. As of 2017, population projections show the capital district growing at a slower rate than the country as a whole, which has the world's highest fertility rate.WEB,weblink Niger: Regions, Departments, Communes, Cities, Localities and Municipal Arrondissements - Population Statistics in Maps and Charts, citypopulation.de, The city is located in a pearl millet growing region, while manufacturing industries include bricks, ceramic goods, cement, and weaving.{{cn|date=February 2022}}

History

{{see also|Timeline of Niamey}} Probably, Niamey originated in the 18th century as a cluster of small villages (Gaweye, Kalley, Maourey, Zongo and Foulani Koira).Geels, Jolijn, (2006) Bradt Travel Guide - Niger, pgs. 93-113 Niamey was of little importance until the French developed it as a colonial centre in the late 1890s. The town, then with an estimated population of some 1,800, was chosen as the capital of the newly created Military Territory of Niger in 1905, however, the capital was shifted to the more established city of Zinder in 1912. Zinder's proximity to the Nigerian border and distance from French-controlled ports prompted the French to move the capital back to Niamey in 1926, by which time the city had some 3,000 inhabitants. A series of devastating droughts prompted influx from the countryside into the city, leading to significant population growth, and by 1945 the population was about 8,000.Prior to 1926-27 the Upper Volta-Niger border ran along the Niger river, meaning that Niamey lay directly on the boundary.{{citation |url=https://fall.fsulawrc.com/collection/LimitsinSeas/IBS146.pdf |title=International Boundary Study No. 146 – Burkina Faso-Niger Boundary |date=18 November 1974 |access-date=5 November 2019}}(File:Niger, Niamey, Place du Liptako-Gourma (2).jpg|thumb|Place du Liptako-Gourma)At the time of independence in 1960 the population had grown to around 30,000.Britannica, Niamey, britannica.com, USA, accessed on July 7, 2019 The period from 1970 to 1988 was one in which the economy of Niger boomed, driven by revenue from the uranium mines at Arlit. As a result, the population of Niamey grew from 108,000 to 398,365 inhabitants and the city expanded from {{cvt|1367|ha|acre}} in 1970 to {{cvt|4400|ha|acre}} by 1977, in the process annexing peripheral villages such as Lazaret.BOOK,weblink Villes et organisation de l'espace en Afrique, 30–31, Jérôme, Aloko-N'Guessan, Amadou, Diallo, Kokou Henri, Motcho, Karthala Editions, 2010, 978-2-8111-0339-2, Continuing droughts also caused many rural Nigeriens to move to the growing city.In 1992 Niamey and its immediate hinterland were split off from Niamey Region to form the much smaller Niamey Capital District, enclaved within the new Tillabéri Region.According to Statsoid {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090724154849weblink |date=2009-07-24 }}: "~1992: Tillabéry Region split from Niamey (whose FIPS code was NG05 before the change). Status of Niamey changed from Region to capital district."On April 9, 1999, Niger President Ibrahim Baré Maïnassara was ambushed, shot and killed during Nigerien coup d'état by soldiers, reportedly members of the Presidential Guard at the Diori Hamani International Airport as he was going to board a helicopter.By some estimates, the population had reached 700,000 in 2000. In 2011, government press estimated the total urban population at over 1.5 million. A major cause of the increase has been in migration for work and during droughts, as well as a high birth rate. This last factor means that demographically a majority of the city's citizens are young people.On 13 April 2024, hundreds rallied in the Niamey to demand the withdrawal of the US military from the north, after the capital’s military announced to withdraw from a military agreement with the US.NEWS, Niger protesters demand US troop withdrawal, 13 April 2024,weblink DW,weblink 13 April 2024, 14 April 2024,

Geography

(File:Pont de l'amitié Chine-Niger - Niamey from the Sky.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The Friendship Bridge)The Niamey region straddles between the Liptako, corresponding to the northern extremity of the East ridge of Man, and the south-western edge of the Iullemmeden basin.JOURNAL, 2016-11-01, Monitoring of Urban Growth and its Related Environmental Impacts: Niamey Case Study (Niger), Energy Procedia, en, 97, 37–43, 10.1016/j.egypro.2016.10.014, 1876-6102, free, Perotti, Luigi, Dino, Giovanna Antonella, Lasagna, Manuela, Moussa, Konaté, Spadafora, Francesco, Yadji, Guero, Dan-Badjo, Abdourahamane Tankari, De Luca, Domenico A., 2318/1627824, free, Covering an area of over {{cvt|250|km2}}, the metropolitan area sits atop two plateaux reaching {{cvt|218|m}} in altitude, bisected by the Niger River. At Niamey, the river, running almost straight SSE from Gao, Mali, makes a series of wide bends. The city grew on the east ("left bank") of the river as it meanders from west to east flow to run almost directly south. A series of marshy islands begin at Niamey and extend south in the river.{{cn|date=February 2022}}The vast majority of the population and government and commercial buildings are located on the eastern bank of the river. The very centre of the centre contains a number of wide boulevards linking roundabouts. Two bridges connect the two sides - the Kennedy Bridge and the Friendship Bridge. The western bank area consists mainly of residential areas such as Gaweye, Saguia, Lamorde, Saga, and Karadje, as well as Abdou Moumouni University.{{cn|date=February 2022}}

Climate

The climate is hot and semi-arid (Köppen climate classification BSh), with an expected rainfall of between {{cvt|500|mm|in}} and {{cvt|750|mm|in}} a year, mostly beginning with a few storms in May, then a transition to a rainy season, usually lasting from sometime in June to early September, when the rains taper off rather quickly. Most of the rainfall is from late June to mid-September. There is practically no rain from October to April. Niamey is remarkably hot throughout the year. In fact, it is one of the world's hottest major cities. Average monthly high temperatures reach {{cvt|38|°C}} four months out of the year and in no month do average high temperatures fall below {{cvt|32|°C}}. During the dry season, particularly from November through February, nights are generally cool. Average nighttime lows between November and February range from {{cvt|14|-|18|°C}}.{{Weather box|width=auto|location=Niamey, Niger (1961–1990, extremes: 1961–2015)|metric first=yes|single line=yes|Jan record high C=38.2|Feb record high C=44.0|Mar record high C=45.0|Apr record high C=46.1|May record high C=45.1|Jun record high C=43.5|Jul record high C=41.0|Aug record high C=39.6|Sep record high C=41.8|Oct record high C=41.2|Nov record high C=40.7|Dec record high C=40.0|Jan high C=32.5|Feb high C=35.7|Mar high C=39.1|Apr high C=40.9|May high C=40.2|Jun high C=37.2|Jul high C=34.0|Aug high C=33.0|Sep high C=34.4|Oct high C=37.8|Nov high C=36.2|Dec high C=33.3|year high C=36.2|Jan mean C=24.3|Feb mean C=27.3|Mar mean C=30.9|Apr mean C=33.8|May mean C=34.0|Jun mean C=31.5|Jul mean C=29.0|Aug mean C=27.9|Sep mean C=29.0|Oct mean C=30.8|Nov mean C=27.9|Dec mean C=25.0|year mean C=29.3|Jan low C=16.1|Feb low C=19.0|Mar low C=22.9|Apr low C=26.5|May low C=27.7|Jun low C=25.7|Jul low C=24.1|Aug low C=23.2|Sep low C=23.6|Oct low C=24.2|Nov low C=19.5|Dec low C=16.7|year low C=22.4|Jan record low C=12.6|Feb record low C=14.3|Mar record low C=18.0|Apr record low C=21.6|May record low C=22.6|Jun record low C=20.5|Jul record low C=20.0|Aug record low C=20.2|Sep record low C=20.3|Oct record low C=15.8|Nov record low C=13.0|Dec record low C=12.6|precipitation colour=green|Jan precipitation mm=0.0|Feb precipitation mm=0.0|Mar precipitation mm=3.9|Apr precipitation mm=5.7|May precipitation mm=34.7|Jun precipitation mm=68.8|Jul precipitation mm=154.3|Aug precipitation mm=170.8|Sep precipitation mm=92.2|Oct precipitation mm=9.7|Nov precipitation mm=0.7|Dec precipitation mm=0.0|unit precipitation days=1.0 mm|Jan precipitation days=0.0|Feb precipitation days=0.0|Mar precipitation days=0.2|Apr precipitation days=0.8|May precipitation days=2.9|Jun precipitation days=5.9|Jul precipitation days=9.9|Aug precipitation days=12.2|Sep precipitation days=7.4|Oct precipitation days=1.6|Nov precipitation days=0.1|Dec precipitation days=0.0|humidity colour=green|Jan humidity=22|Feb humidity=17|Mar humidity=18|Apr humidity=27|May humidity=42|Jun humidity=55|Jul humidity=67|Aug humidity=74|Sep humidity=73|Oct humidity=53|Nov humidity=34|Dec humidity=27|Jan sun=280|Feb sun=264|Mar sun=264|Apr sun=251|May sun=257|Jun sun=251|Jul sun=238|Aug sun=203|Sep sun=228|Oct sun=285|Nov sun=285|Dec sun=276Deutscher WetterdienstHTTP://WWW.DWD.DE/DWD/KLIMA/BERATUNG/AK/AK_610520_KT.PDF PUBLISHER=FEDERAL MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT AND DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE, 14 June 2016, Danish Meteorological InstituteHTTP://WWW.DMI.DK/DMI/TR01-17.PDF PUBLISHER=MINISTRY OF ENERGY, UTILITIES AND CLIMATE URL-STATUS=UNFIT ARCHIVE-DATE=16 JANUARY 2013, }}

Demographics

File:Niamey SPOT 1101.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Niamey seen from Spot SatelliteSpot Satellite{{historical populations|11=1977|12=242,973|13=1988|14=397,437|15=2001|16=725,030|17=2012|18=1,026,848|align=right|20=1,324,700|19=2020|1901|600|10=129,209|9=1970|8=57,548|7=1960|6=24,370|5=1950|4=3,000|1930|source=WEB, Niger: Regions, Cities & Urban Centers - Population Statistics, Maps, Charts, Weather and Web Information,weblink 2020-10-24, www.citypopulation.de, WEB, Niamey Population 2020 (Demographics, Maps, Graphs),weblink 2020-10-24, worldpopulationreview.com, }}Niamey's population has grown rapidly since independence - the droughts of the early 1970s and 1980s, along with the economic crisis of the early 1980s, have propelled an exodus of rural inhabitants to Niger's largest city. Its population increased gradually, from about 3,000 in 1930 to about 30,000 in 1960, rising to 250,000 in 1980 and, according to the official statistics, to 800,000 in 2000. Under the military government of General Seyni Kountché, there were strict controls on residency and the government would regularly round up and "deport" those without permits back to their villages.Patrick Gilliard, and Laurent Pédenon "Rues de Niamey, espace et territoires de la mendicité" Politique africaine, Paris (October 1996) no.63 pp. 51–60. The growing freedoms of the late 1980s and 1990s, along with the Tuareg Rebellion of the 1990s and famine in the 2000s, have reinforced this process of internal migration, with large informal settlements appearing on the outskirts of the city. Noticeable in the city's centre since the 1980s are groups of poor, young, or handicapped beggars.{{citation needed|date=November 2019}} Within the richer or more trafficked neighbourhoods, these beggars have in fact formed a well-regulated hierarchical system in which beggars garner sadaka according to cultural and religious norms.In the 1990s, the capital district population growth rate was lower than the torrid national rate, suggesting large rural migration (urbanization) was negligible in Niger, there is an undercount, and/or the government's forced urban to rural deportations were effective.

Culture and architecture

(File:Niger, Niamey, Rue NB-26 (2).jpg|thumb|Niamey marketplace)File:Zoo du Musée national de Niamey.jpg|thumb|200px|Niger National MuseumNiger National MuseumA major attraction in the city is the Niger National Museum, which incorporates a zoo, a museum of vernacular architecture, a craft centre, and exhibits including dinosaur skeletons and the Tree of Ténéré. Other places of interest include the American, French and Nigerien cultural centres, seven major market centres (including the large Niamey Grand Market), a traditional wrestling arena, and a horse racing track. Most of the colourful pottery sold in Niamey is hand made in the nearby village of Boubon.{{citation needed|date=November 2019}}In December 2005, it was the host of the Jeux de la Francophonie.

Places of worship

Niger being a predominantly Muslim country, mosques are the most common places of worship, with the Grande Mosquée being the largest in the city. There are also various Christian churches, most notably Our Lady of Perpetual Help Cathedral, the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Niamey, and the Cathedral de Maourey.J. Gordon Melton, Martin Baumann, Religions of the World: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Beliefs and Practices, ABC-CLIO, USA, 2010, p. 2103

Governance

Administration

Niamey makes up a special capital district of Niger, which is surrounded by the Region of Tillabéri.(File:Old Presidential Palace in Niamey - Mapillary (1zunKARfz0wkJExHFVEFng).jpg|thumb|200px|Old presidential palace)The city of Niamey itself is governed as an autonomous first-level administrative block, the Niamey Urban Community (Fr. Communauté Urbaine de Niamey, or CUN). It includes five Urban Communes, divided into 44 "Districts" and 99 "Quartiers", including formerly independent towns. It is a co-equal first division subdivision with the seven Regions of Niger. The Niamey Urban Community includes an administration and Governor appointed by national leaders. Like the rest of Niger, Niamey has seen a decentralisation of governance since 2000. Government Ordinance n°2010–56 and Presidential Decree n°2010-679 of September 2010 mandated an elected City Council for the city of Niamey, subsumed under the CUN. This excludes some outlying areas of the CUN. Forty-five councillors are popularly elected and in turn elect the Mayor of the City of Niamey. In July 2011, the first Mayor under the new system, Oumarou Dogari Moumouni, was installed by the Governor of the CUN Mrs. Aïchatou Boulama Kané and the City Council. The City Council and Mayor have limited roles compared to the CUN Governor. Niamey has a third layer of government in the Commune system. Each Commune elects its own council, and outside major cities, these function like independent cities. Niamey and other major cities have been, since the advent of decentralisation, developing co-ordination of Commune governments in large cities made up of multiple Communes.Under this devolution processHaut Commissariat à la Réforme Administrative: loi N°2002-016 bis du 11 une 2002. formalised in the 1999 Constitution of Niger, the CUN contains five urban communes, which are further divided into 99 quarters ("Quartiers") with elected boards.

Communes and quarters

The CUN includes 99 quarters:{{in lang|fr}} Adamou Abdoulaye. Parcours migratoire des citadins et problème du logement à Niamey {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706212443weblink |date=6 July 2011 }}. Département de Géographie, Faculté des Lettres et Sciences Humaines, Université Abdou Moumouni de Niamey (2005).{|class="wikitable sortable"! style="width:100px;"|Commune! style="width:100px;"|Quarters! style="width:50px;"|Map! style="width:100px;"|City map with the 5 communesCommune I (Niamey)>Niamey I|20 Quarters50px)(File:Niamey (district map).png|300px)Commune II (Niamey)>Niamey II|17 Quarters50px)Commune III (Niamey)>Niamey III|17 Quarters50px)Commune IV (Niamey)>Niamey IV|17 Quarters50px)Commune V (Niamey)>Niamey V|28 Quarters50px)The CUN includes land where there were formerly several surrounding towns and villages which the city of Niamey has now annexed. These include Soudouré, Lamordé, Gamkallé, Yantala, and Gaweye.The CUN covers a territory of {{cvt|239.30|km2}},FAO (2003), Section VI or 0.02% of the nation's territory.Amadou Oumarou. Etat et contexte de la fourniture des services publics dans la commune urbaine de Say {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111003214230weblink |date=3 October 2011 }}. LASDEL – Laboratoire d'études et recherches sur les dynamiques Sociales et le développement local, Niamey, Niger. (April 2007)Until 1998, all of greater Niamey was part of Tillabéri Region, which prior to 1992 was named the Niamey Department. The CUN remains surrounded on all sides by Tillabéri Region.BOOK, Decalo, Samuel, Historical Dictionary of the Niger (3rd ed.), Scarecrow Press, Boston & Folkestone, 1997, 0-8108-3136-8, pp. 225–227

Transport

File:Niameyairport 2005 crop.JPG|thumb|right|250px|Niamey airport ]]Niamey is served by the Diori Hamani International Airport, located 12 km southeast of the city and is crossed by the RN1 highway. Niamey railway station, officially inaugurated in April 2014, is the first one built in Niger.{{in lang|fr}} "Inauguration of the first train station in Niamey" (Radio France Internationale)"A 80 Year-long Wait: Niger Gets its First Train Station" (Global Voices Online) Boats are also used to travel the Niger River.

Education

The city is the site of the National School of Administration, Abdou Moumouni University, the Higher Institute of Mining, Industry and Geology which lies on the right bank of the river, and many institutes (Centre Numérique de Niamey, IRD, ICRISAT, Hydrologic Institute, etc.) Niamey hosts the African Centre of Meteorological Application for Development.WEB,weblink African Centre of Meteorological Application for Development (ACMAD) - PreventionWeb.net, www.preventionweb.net, April 2009,

Notable people

• BombinoNEWS,weblink Bombino, sur des notes bleues, 21 September 2023,
• Lucien Bouchardeau
• Samira Sabou

References

{{Reflist}}

Bibliography

{{See also|Timeline of Niamey#Bibliography|l1=Bibliography of the history of Niamey}}

• BOOK, Decalo, Samuel, Historical Dictionary of the Niger (3rd ed.), Scarecrow Press, Boston & Folkestone, 1997, 0-8108-3136-8,
• BOOK, Geels, Jolijn, Niger, Bradt UK / Globe Pequot Press, Chalfont St Peter, Bucks / Guilford, CT, 2006, 978-1-84162-152-4,

External links

{{Commons category|Niamey}}

• {{Wikivoyage-inline}}
• Niger Assemblee Nationale official website
• {{curlie|Regional/Africa/Niger|Niger}}

{{Niamey}}{{Regions and departments of Niger}}{{Communes of Niger}}{{List of African capitals}}{{Niger River}}{{Authority control}}