Niamey

Niamey is the capital city of the African country of Niger. It is Niger's largest city. The city is on the Niger River. Niamey is the administrative, cultural and economic center of the country.

Niamey
Niamey at night
Location in Niger
Coordinates: 13°30′54″N 02°07′03″E
Country	Niger
Region	Niamey Urban Community
Communes Urbaines	5 Communes
Districts	44 Districts
Quartiers	99 Quarters
Government
• Type	Appointed district government, elected city council, elected commune and quarter councils[1]
Area
• Total	239.30 km2 (92.39 sq mi)
Elevation	207 m (679 ft)
Population  (2012)
• Total	1,026,848[2]
• Estimate  (October 1, 2020)	1,334,984[3]
	Niamey Urban Community
Time zone	UTC+1 (WAT)
Area code	20

The city is in a pearl millet growing region. Manufacturing industries in the city include bricks, ceramic goods, cement and weaving.

History

Niamey was probably founded during the 18th century. It was of little importance until the French created a colonial post there in the 1890s. The city grew quickly after that happened. In 1926, it became the capital of Niger. The number of people grew slowly from about 3,000 people in 1930 to around 30,000 in 1960, 250,000 in 1980 and 675,000 in 2002. The major cause of the increase has been immigration during droughts.

Things to see

Things to see in the city include the Niger National Museum. The museum includes a zoo, a museum of vernacular architecture, a craft centre, and displays including dinosaur skeletons and the Tree of Ténéré. The city also has American, French and Nigerien cultural centres, two major markets, and a traditional wrestling arena .

The city is the site of Diori Hamani International Airport, the National School of Administration, and Abdou Moumouni University of Niamey.