Niamey , the capital of Niger , is a lively fairly modern city of around , on the banks of the Niger River in the Tillaberi region in the far southwest of the country. It is the administrative, cultural and economic centre of the country and hence generally offers good facilities for travellers, both budget and upmarket. The comparably fertile area around Niamey has been inhabited for millennia by tribes like the Gurma also found in Burkina Faso, but the founders of the village would be the Maouri, who settled on an island called Neni Goungou facing the current Niamey in the late nineteenth century, before coming to settle on the left bank of the river.
In , the invading French found the village a suitable location for a military base and in the city, located in a stable region, became the capital of the Territoire Militaire du Niger Military Territory of Niger. Niamey was inhabited by about people in when missionaries arrived in the village and increased to nearly 2, after the arrival of the French and its estabnlishment as the national capital.
In , the capital was transferred to the newly-stable and more hospitable location at Zinder. However, tensions grew with the British colony of Nigeria very close to Zinder and in the status of capital was transferred back to Niamey.
By the time Niger became an independent colony in , the city ballooned to 30, people. Niamey is the largest city in Niger with a population of , by Niamey has a hot and generally dry desert climate with a short rainy season from June to September when there can be severe thunderstorms with occasional flooding.
Rains can be unpredictable though and sometimes the rainy season means just a few showers now and then. As with much of West Africa, poor infrastructure leads to frequent flooding and miserable roads during the wet season, so it is best to avoid travel to Niamey from June-September especially if travelling to nearby countries which receive even more rain.
