Agadez Region

Agadez Region
Region

Location within Niger
Coordinates: 17°0′N 8°0′E / 17.000°N 8.000°E / 17.000; 8.000Coordinates: 17°0′N 8°0′E / 17.000°N 8.000°E / 17.000; 8.000
Country  Niger
Capital Agadez
Area
  Total 667,799 km2 (257,839 sq mi)
Population (2012 census[1])
  Total 487,620
  Density 0.73/km2 (1.9/sq mi)
Time zone West Africa Time (UTC+1)

Agadez is an administrative Region in Niger. At 667,799 square kilometres (257,839 sq mi), Agadez is the largest subdivision in Africa. The capital of the department is Agadez.

Description and people

The Agadez Region represents 52% of the total area of Niger, the largest of its seven regions. Despite its size, Agadez is sparsely populated. Its 321,639 inhabitants account for only 2.9% of the total population of Niger with a population density of 0.19 inhabitants per square kilometre (0.5/sq mi). The region includes the vast Ténéré portion of the Sahara Desert, dune seas like the Erg of Bilma, and the mountains of the Aïr. Much of its population comprises nomadic or semi-nomadic peoples including the Tuareg, Toubou, Wadoobe Fula. There are populations of settled Kanuri (in the east), Hausa, and Songhay in the towns and oasies.

Economy

Traversed for centuries by the Trans Saharan trade, the oasis towns of the Aïr and the eastern Kaouar Cliffs are known for their gardens, salt manufacture, and date cultivation. In the late 1990s, tourism became a large industry here, and the uranium town of Arlit provides some 20% of the foreign exchange for the country. Tuareg insurgencies against the Niger government in the 1990s and mid 2000s and drought in the 1970s, 80s, and 2002 have led to humanitarian crises and damaged the region's economy.

Subdivisions

Agadez is divided into three Departments and one Commune.

Administrative Subdivisions
Commune Size Population
Agadez ....... 78 289 inhabitants
Department Size Population Chief Town Cantons
Arlit 216 774 km2 98 170 inhabitants Arlit
Bilma 296 279 km217 080 inhabitants Bilma Bilma, Djado, Fachi, Kawar
Tchirozérine 154 746 km2118 068 inhabitants Tchirozérine

Borders

Agadez has the following foreign borders, including Niger's only borders with Libya and Algeria:

Domestically, it borders the following departments:

See also

References

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Wednesday, September 30, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.