Regions of Niger

Niger
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Niger is divided into 7 Regions (French: régions; singular – région). Each department's capital is the same as its name.

Current regions

• Additionally, the national capital, Niamey, comprises a capital district.

Current administrative structure

The 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 (population 13 million), and are governed by the Department, whereas Communes have (since 1999) elected councils and mayors. Additional semi-autonomous sub-divisions include Sultanates, Provinces and Tributaries (tribus).^[2] 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.^[3]

Restructuring

Prior to the devolution program on 1999-2006, these Regions were styled Departments. Confusingly, the next level down (Arrondissements) were renamed Departments.^[4]]

1992 division

Tillabéri department was created in 1992, when Niamey Region (then called "department") was split, with the area immediately outside Niamey renamed as the capital district.^[5]

Historical evolution

Prior to independence, Niger was divided into sixteen Cercles as second level administration 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

• Departments of Niger
• Communes of Niger
• Geography of Niger
• ISO 3166-2:NE for the region codes under the ISO 3166-2 standard.
• List of FIPS region codes (M-O) for the department codes under the FIPS 10-4 standard.

References

Regions and Departments of Niger Capital: Niamey in Niamey Capital District Agadez Region Arlit Department Bilma Department Tchirozerine Department Diffa Region Diffa Department Mainé-Soroa Department N'guigmi Department Dosso Region Boboye Department Dogondoutchi Department Dosso Department Gaya Department Loga Department Maradi Region Aguie Department Dakoro Department Guidan Roumdji Department Madarounfa Department Mayahi Department Tessaoua Department Tahoua Region Abalak Department Birni-N'Konni Department Bouza Department Illela Department Keita Department Madaoua Department Tahoua Department Tchintabaraden Department Tillabéri Region Filingue Department Kollo Department Ouallam Department Say Department Téra Department Tillabéri Department Zinder Region Goure Department Magaria Department Matameye Department Mirriah Department Tanout Department