Niamey -> Intro

Intro

 

Niamey is the capital city of the Republic of Niger and the department of Tillaberi. Located along the banks of the Niger River, Niamey, is the country's largest city with a population of 665 918. It is the administrative, cultural and economic centre. Niamey was a small town when the French colonised the area in the late 19th century. It became the capital of Niger in 1926. The population gradually increased, from about 3,000 in 1930 to around 800,000 in 2000. The major cause of the increase has been in-migration during droughts. The city specialises in growing peanuts and its main manufactures are bricks, ceramic goods, cement and weaving.