Niger is divided into seven regions (French: régions; singular – région), each of which is named after its capital. Additionally, the national capital, Niamey, comprises a capital district.[1]

Current regions

A clickable map of Niger exhibiting its seven regions.
A clickable map of Niger exhibiting its seven regions.
Region Area
(km2)[2]		 Population
(2012 census)		 Population

(2020 estimate)

Agadez 667,799 487,620 687,540
Diffa 156,906 593,821 837,290
Dosso 33,850 2,037,713 2,873,180
Maradi 41,796 3,402,094 4,796,950
Niamey* 402 1,026,848 1,447,860
Tahoua 113,371 3,328,365 4,692,990
Tillabéri 97,251 2,722,842 3,839,210
Zinder 155,778 3,539,764 4,991,070

*capital district.

Current administrative structure

Each of Niger's regions are subdivided into departments and communes. As of 2005, there were 36 départements, divided into 265 communes, 122 cantons and 81 groupements. The latter two categories cover all areas not covered by urban communes (population over 10000) or rural communes (total population 13 million), and are governed by the department, whereas communes have had elected councils and mayors since 1999. Additional semi-autonomous subdivisions include sultanates, provinces and tributaries (tribus).[3] The Nigerien government estimates there are an additional 17000 villages administered by rural communes, while there are a number of quartiers (boroughs or neighborhoods) administered by urban communes.[4]

Restructuring

Prior to the devolution program of 1999–2006, the regions were styled as departments. The current departments used to be called arrondissements.[5]]

1992 division

The department of Tillabéri was created in 1992, when Niamey Region (then called "department") was split, with the areas immediately outside Niamey renamed as the capital district.[6]

Historical evolution

Prior to independence, Niger was divided into sixteen cercles as second-level administrative divisions: Agadez, Birni N'Konni, Dogondoutchi, Dosso, Filingué, Gouré, Madaoua, Magaria, Maradi, N'Guigmi, Niamey, Tahoua, Téra, Tessaoua, Tillabéry, and Zinder. Their capitals had the same names as the cercle.

After independence, the 31 December 1961 Law of territorial organization created 31 circonscriptions. The 16 colonial cercles continued to exist, and served as a level of division above these circonscriptions. Four cercles (Dogondoutchi, Filingué, N'Guigmi, and Téra) had only one circonscription. The Law of August 14, 1964 then reorganized the country into seven departments, adopting the French second-level administration naming system, in contrast to neighbor Mali, which retained the colonial cercles and regions.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Niger". The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. 19 December 2023. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  2. ↑ Niger at GeoHive Archived 2015-04-20 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ↑ Loi 2001-23, Article 6
  4. ↑ GOUVERNEMENT DE LA RÉPUBLIQUE DU NIGER. APPUI À LA MISE EN ŒUVRE DU NEPAD–PDDAA, TCP/NER/2908 (I) (NEPAD Ref. 05/24 F), Volume IV de VI : PROFIL DE PROJET D’INVESTISSEMENT BANCABLE, Programme national de développement des infrastructures rurales (PNDIR) Government of the Republic of Niger, 24 April 2005, hosted bt the FAO.
  5. ↑
  6. ↑ According to Statoids Archived 2009-07-24 at the Wayback Machine: "~1992: Tillabéry Region/department split from Niamey (whose FIPS code was NG05 before the change). Status of Niamey changed from department to capital district."
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