Zinder
Zinder | |
|---|---|
 Zinder Main Road | |
  Zinder | |
| Coordinates:13°48′19″N8°59′18″E/ 13.80528°N 8.98833°E | |
| Country |  Niger |
| Region | Zinder |
| Department | Matameye |
| capital ofDamagaram | 1736 |
| Elevation | 479 m (1,572 ft) |
| Population (2012) | |
| • Total | 235,605[1] |
| Time zone | UTC+1 |
Zinder(locally,Damagaram), formerly also spelledSinder,is the third largest city inNiger,with a population of 235,605 as by the 2012 census.[2]It is situated 861 km (535 mi) east of the capitalNiameyand 240 km (150 mi) north of the Nigerian city ofKano.
History
[edit]Early history
[edit]
Zinder was originally the site of the smallHausavillage of Zengou.[3]The town grew dramatically in importance following the arrival ofKanuriaristocrats in 1736, who built a new fortified quarter called Birni to the south and declared the town of Zinder as the capital of theSultanate of Damagaramin 1736.[3]Thereafter Zinder became an important centre of theTrans-Saharan tradeand a major hub for trade south throughKanoand east toBornu.[4]The sultanate remained nominally subject to theBorno Empireuntil the reign of Sultan Tanimoune Dan Souleymane in the mid-to-late 19th century, who declared independence and initiated a phase of vigorous expansion.[3]
Europeans began exploring the region in the 19th century, beginning with German explorerHeinrich Barth,who stayed in Zinder in 1851, and later theFrenchexplorerMarius Gabriel Cazemajou,who was killed in the city in 1897.[3]It was then, after a brief resistance, occupied in July 1899 by Lt. Pallier of theVoulet-Chanoine mission.The French barracks was calledFort Cazemajou[4]and it served as the capital of the Niger Military Territory upon its creation in 1911. In 1926, following fears of Hausa revolts and improving relations with theDjermaof the west, the capital was transferred back to the village ofNiamey.[3]
Upon Niger's independence from France, the town's fort was renamed for Sultane Tanimoune.
Recent history
[edit]In 2003, telecommunications companyCeltelarrived in Zinder, building a mobile phone tower and selling prepaid phone cards to residents. This arrival of the mobile phone drastically changed the predominant modes of communication in the city, allowing traders to have a faster and more affordable means of communicating with buyers and sellers. This is an example of how cellular towers in the developing world have begun to transform the market.[5]
In September 2024, theZinder Mosque,one of Niger's oldest mosques and a significant cultural and religious site in the city, collapsed due to intense rainfall.[6]
Geography
[edit]
The centre of Zinder consists of three main areas: in the north isZengou or Zango,the oldTuaregsuburb,[4]is known for itsvernacular architecture,and in the south liesBirni,the oldHausatown, which is home to Zinder Great Mosque, Fort Tanimoune and the Sultan's Palace, as well as a museum.Sabon Gari(the new town), lies between Birni and Zengou, and is the commercial centre, known for its large market (theGrand Marché). The city now sprawls to the north and west, extending to the Karkada section, in the north; other neighbourhoods include Garin Mallam and Gawon Kollia.
The city has many distinctive granite rocks which can result in standing water during the rainy season,[clarification needed]though the city has a long history of water shortages. Recently water was piped by a Chinese-owned company from the north to provide water to most of the city, however, this problem is likely to continue due to expected population growth.[citation needed]
The city is divided into 5 urban municipalities:Zinder I,Zinder II,Zinder III,Zinder IVandZinder V.[7]
Demographics
[edit]| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | 53,914 | — |
| 1988 | 119,827 | +122.3% |
| 2001 | 170,575 | +42.4% |
| 2012 | 235,605 | +38.1% |
| source:[8] | ||
The population of Zinder City has quadrupled from around 50,000 inhabitants in 1977 to over 200,000 people in 2012.
Transport
[edit]Zinder Airport(code: ZND) is located a few kilometres southwest of the town.[9]
Economy
[edit]The economy of the city is still largely based on the agricultural activities of the surroundings. Today, the city counts four officially recognised industries: Tannerie Malam Yaro (leather tanning), Gidan Alkaki (cake production), Sahara Sahel Foods (processing ofnon-wood forest produce) andSORAZ(petrol refinery located 50km North of the city). The latter is Niger Republic's first oil refinery, and was commissioned in November 2011.[10]
Education
[edit]- André-Salifou University(2010)
Climatic
[edit]The temperature rarely drops below 54°F or rises above 108°F. The climate is dry, with short summers and pleasant winters.[11][12]
| Climate data forZinder Airport(1961–1990) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean maximum °C (°F) | 34.3 (93.7) |
37.6 (99.7) |
40.8 (105.4) |
42.5 (108.5) |
42.8 (109.0) |
41.9 (107.4) |
38.7 (101.7) |
36.4 (97.5) |
38.5 (101.3) |
39.3 (102.7) |
36.9 (98.4) |
35.0 (95.0) |
42.8 (109.0) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 29.3 (84.7) |
32.5 (90.5) |
36.3 (97.3) |
39.7 (103.5) |
40.6 (105.1) |
38.1 (100.6) |
34.9 (94.8) |
32.7 (90.9) |
35.5 (95.9) |
37.1 (98.8) |
33.7 (92.7) |
— | 36.2 (97.2) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 21.9 (71.4) |
24.8 (76.6) |
28.8 (83.8) |
32.3 (90.1) |
33.3 (91.9) |
31.9 (89.4) |
29.2 (84.6) |
27.8 (82.0) |
29.4 (84.9) |
30.0 (86.0) |
26.0 (78.8) |
22.9 (73.2) |
28.2 (82.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 14.7 (58.5) |
17.1 (62.8) |
21.4 (70.5) |
25.0 (77.0) |
26.6 (79.9) |
25.6 (78.1) |
23.7 (74.7) |
23.2 (73.8) |
23.7 (74.7) |
22.9 (73.2) |
18.6 (65.5) |
15.4 (59.7) |
21.5 (70.7) |
| Mean minimum °C (°F) | 10.6 (51.1) |
12.4 (54.3) |
15.8 (60.4) |
20.3 (68.5) |
22.1 (71.8) |
21.2 (70.2) |
19.6 (67.3) |
19.3 (66.7) |
20.1 (68.2) |
19.1 (66.4) |
14.2 (57.6) |
11.5 (52.7) |
10.6 (51.1) |
| Averageprecipitationmm (inches) | 0.0 (0.0) |
0.1 (0.00) |
0.5 (0.02) |
1.0 (0.04) |
14.8 (0.58) |
39.2 (1.54) |
128.6 (5.06) |
168.1 (6.62) |
53.5 (2.11) |
5.0 (0.20) |
0.2 (0.01) |
0.0 (0.0) |
411.2 (16.19) |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 291.4 | 268.8 | 275.9 | 270.0 | 297.6 | 288.0 | 269.7 | 257.3 | 267.0 | 291.4 | 291.0 | 291.4 | 3,358 |
| Mean dailysunshine hours | 9.4 | 9.6 | 8.9 | 9.0 | 9.6 | 9.6 | 8.7 | 8.3 | 8.9 | 9.4 | 9.7 | 9.4 | 9.2 |
| Source:NOAA[13] | |||||||||||||
Notable residents
[edit]- Moussa Hamadou Djingarey(born 1973), film director
Gallery
[edit]-
Zinder city center -
Dolé Market in Zinder -
TraditionalHausa architecturein Zinder -
Zinder University -
Many buildings in the town are decorated with traditional symbols -
The Grand Mosque in Zinder
References
[edit]- ^"Niger: Regions, Cities & Urban Centers - Population Statistics, Maps, Charts, Weather and Web Information".
- ^"Niger: Regions, Cities & Urban Centers - Population Statistics, Maps, Charts, Weather and Web Information".
- ^abcdeGeels, Jolijn, (2006)Bradt Travel Guide - Niger,pgs. 213-26
- ^abc"Chisholm, Hugh,ed. (1911)..Encyclopædia Britannica.Vol. 28 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 985.
- ^Saylor, Michael (2012).The Mobile Wave: How Mobile Intelligence Will Change Everything.Perseus Books/Vanguard Press. p. 191.ISBN978-1593157203.
- ^"Historic mosque in Niger destroyed by torrential rains".TRT World.4 September 2024.Retrieved16 September2024.
- ^Loi n° 2002-014 du 11 JUIN 2002 portant création des communes et fixant le nom de leurs chefs-lieux.Includes list of 213 communes rurales and seats, 52 Communes urbaines and seats
- ^Niger: Administrative Division population statistics
- ^Zinder (ZND) Niger: world-airport-codes.com
- ^Schritt, Jannik; Schareika, Nikolaus (2018)."Crude Moves: Oil, Power and Politics in Niger".Africa Spectrum.53(2).Retrieved21 May2024.
- ^"Zinder Climate, Weather By Month, Average Temperature (Niger) - Weather Spark".weatherspark.com.Retrieved14 October2023.
- ^"Zinder, NE Climate Zone, Monthly Weather Averages and Historical Data".weatherandclimate.com.Retrieved14 October2023.
- ^"Station Name: ZINDER AERO"(TXT).National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.Retrieved30 August2024.
Bibliography
[edit]- James Decalo. Historical Dictionary of Niger. Scarecrow Press/ Metuchen. NJ – London (1979)ISBN0-8108-1229-0
- Finn Fuglestad. A History of Niger: 1850–1960. Cambridge University Press (1983)ISBN0-521-25268-7
- Jolijn Geels. Niger. Bradt UK/ Globe Pequot Press USA (2006)ISBN978-1-84162-152-4
External links
[edit]
Zindertravel guide from Wikivoyage
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