Niamey

Abstract

Niamey. — Young town generated by a small and pluriethnic village setting up on Niger river sides, Niamey definitive capital of Niger since 1924 is surely a town of great schemes which development has been particularly spectacular from 1960. Its population of 1730 inhabitants in 1931 might be estimated 175 000 to day. All Niger ethnic-groups and a lot of others african ethnic-groups live in this sahelian capital, in which under twenty old's are more than the half of the population. Setting up for a long time on the left side of Niger river, Niamey includes some peripheral villages and spreads on the right side of the river after the building of a bridge. Standard model of colonial towns, Niamey shows side to side spontaneous districts, an european district, «le plateau», and traditionnal ones generally clay-built, separate by the dry valley of the river Gunti-yéna. From its numerous fonctions, the economical ones are surely the more dynamical due to the good geographical, potitical and administrative situation.