The Colony of Niger () was a
French colonial possession covering much of the territory of the modern West African state of
Niger
)
, official_languages =
, languages_type = National languages[Mali
Mali (; ), officially the Republic of Mali,, , ff, 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞥆𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 𞤃𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭, Renndaandi Maali, italics=no, ar, جمهورية مالي, Jumhūriyyāt Mālī is a landlocked country in West Africa. Mal ...](_blank)
,
Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso (, ; , ff, 𞤄𞤵𞤪𞤳𞤭𞤲𞤢 𞤊𞤢𞤧𞤮, italic=no) is a landlocked country in West Africa with an area of , bordered by Mali to the northwest, Niger to the northeast, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to ...
and
Chad. It existed in various forms from 1900 to 1960 but was titled the ''Colonie du Niger'' only from 1922 to 1960.
Military territory
While French took control of some of the areas of modern Niger began in the 1890s, a formal Zinder Military Territory was formed on 23 July 1900. This military territory only governed what is modern southern Niger, with only nominal rule east of
Zinder
Zinder (locally, ''Damagaram''), formerly also spelled Sinder, is the third largest city in Niger, with a population of 170,574 (2001 census); or north of
Tanout
Tanout is a town in southern Niger. It is in Zinder Region, Tanout Department, north of the city of Zinder. It is the administrative capital of Tanout Department.
History
Since 1987, the Eden Foundation, an NGO aiming at providing trees for "d ...
. Its Commandant was based at the village of
Sorbo-Haoussa near
Niamey
Niamey () is the capital and largest city of Niger. Niamey lies on the Niger River, primarily situated on the east bank. Niamey's population was counted as 1,026,848 as of the 2012 census. As of 2017, population projections show the capital dis ...
, where the headquarters was moved in 1903. Administratively, it was part of the
Senegambia and Niger Colony from 1902 to 1904 and
Upper Senegal and Niger
Upper Senegal and Niger () was a colony in French West Africa, created on 21 October 1904 from colonial Senegambia and Niger by the decree "For the Reorganisation of the general government of French West Africa".
At its creation, the "Colony o ...
colony from 1904 to 1911. While commanded by officers of the French
Troupes de marine
The (TDM, ) is a corps of the French Army that includes several specialities: infantry, artillery, armoured, airborne, engineering, and transmissions (Signals).
Despite its name, it forms part of the Army, not the Navy. Intended for amphibi ...
, its budget and administration was dependent on the Lieutenant Governor at
Kayes
Kayes ( Bambara: ߞߊߦߌ tr. ''Kayi'', Soninké: ''Xaayi'') is a city in western Mali on the Sénégal River with a population of 127,368 at the 2009 census. Kayes is the capital of the administrative region of the same name. The name "Kayes ...
(latter
Bamako
Bamako ( bm, ߓߡߊ߬ߞߐ߬ ''Bàmakɔ̌'', ff, 𞤄𞤢𞤥𞤢𞤳𞤮 ''Bamako'') is the capital and largest city of Mali, with a 2009 population of 1,810,366 and an estimated 2022 population of 2.81 million. It is located on the Niger Rive ...
), and military decision making—as well as contact with authorities in the
Metropole
A metropole (from the Greek ''metropolis'' for "mother city") is the homeland, central territory or the state exercising power over a colonial empire.
From the 19th century, the English term ''metropole'' was mainly used in the scope of ...
or other colonies was through the Governor General in Dakar.
[Colin Newbury. The formation of the government general of French West Africa. Journal of African history, vol.1, no.1 (1960), pp.111–128.] The area also appears on French maps as the "''Third Military Territory''". On 22 June 1910 the territory was renamed
Niger Military Territory, and included parts of modern northeast Mali (
Gao
Gao , or Gawgaw/Kawkaw, is a city in Mali and the capital of the Gao Region. The city is located on the River Niger, east-southeast of Timbuktu on the left bank at the junction with the Tilemsi valley.
For much of its history Gao was an impor ...
Cercle) and Northern Chad (
Tibesti
The Tibesti Mountains are a mountain range in the central Sahara, primarily located in the extreme north of Chad, with a small portion located in southern Libya. The highest peak in the range, Emi Koussi, lies to the south at a height of and ...
Cercle). On 21 June 1911 the Cercle of
Gao
Gao , or Gawgaw/Kawkaw, is a city in Mali and the capital of the Gao Region. The city is located on the River Niger, east-southeast of Timbuktu on the left bank at the junction with the Tilemsi valley.
For much of its history Gao was an impor ...
ceded to
French Sudan, and throughout the late nineteen-teens, efforts were made to establish permanent French posts in the north and east, in
Bilma
Bilma is an oasis town and commune in north east Niger with, as of the 2012 census, a total population of 4,016 people.
It lies protected from the desert dunes under the Kaouar Cliffs and is the largest town along the Kaouar escarpment. It ...
,
N'guigmi
N'guigmi is a city and Commune of fifteen thousand in the easternmost part of Niger, very near to Lake Chad – lying on its shore until the lake retreated. It is a crossroads for the traditional camel caravans of the Toureg and for traders p ...
and elsewhere. In 1911, the headquarters of the territory was moved to
Zinder
Zinder (locally, ''Damagaram''), formerly also spelled Sinder, is the third largest city in Niger, with a population of 170,574 (2001 census); , reflecting both the relative peacefulness of the west of the territory, and the fear of incursion from the
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
to the South and the
Italians
, flag =
, flag_caption = The national flag of Italy
, population =
, regions = Italy 55,551,000
, region1 = Brazil
, pop1 = 25–33 million
, ref1 =
, region2 ...
from
Libya
Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Suda ...
. Despite this, French control of the northern and eastern areas remained minimal. Along with
Mauritania, Niger remained the only part of
French West Africa to remain under military rule.
Civilian colonial rule
On 13 October 1922 the civilian Colony of Niger took control of most of southern and western areas, with a lieutenant governor reporting to the
Governor General
Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy ...
of
French West Africa. The 1919 creation of
French Upper Volta
Upper Volta (french: Haute-Volta) was a colony of French West Africa established in 1919 in the territory occupied by present-day Burkina Faso. It was formed from territories that had been part of the colonies of Upper Senegal and Niger and th ...
as a civil colony removed the areas of modern Niger west of the
Niger River
The Niger River ( ; ) is the main river of West Africa, extending about . Its drainage basin is in area. Its source is in the Guinea Highlands in south-eastern Guinea near the Sierra Leone border. It runs in a crescent shape through ...
.
[See the photo of the 1927 map a]
Don d’ouvrages aux Archives nationales
from the French Embassy at Niamey, showing the outline of Niger colonie and military territories. In 1926, the capitol was moved again to
Niamey
Niamey () is the capital and largest city of Niger. Niamey lies on the Niger River, primarily situated on the east bank. Niamey's population was counted as 1,026,848 as of the 2012 census. As of 2017, population projections show the capital dis ...
from
Zinder
Zinder (locally, ''Damagaram''), formerly also spelled Sinder, is the third largest city in Niger, with a population of 170,574 (2001 census); . In 1930,
Tibesti
The Tibesti Mountains are a mountain range in the central Sahara, primarily located in the extreme north of Chad, with a small portion located in southern Libya. The highest peak in the range, Emi Koussi, lies to the south at a height of and ...
Cercle ceded to
Chad Colony in
French Equatorial Africa
French Equatorial Africa (french: link=no, Afrique-Équatoriale française), or the AEF, was the federation of French colonial possessions in Equatorial Africa, extending northwards from the Congo River into the Sahel, and comprising what are ...
, and in 1932, the colony of
French Upper Volta
Upper Volta (french: Haute-Volta) was a colony of French West Africa established in 1919 in the territory occupied by present-day Burkina Faso. It was formed from territories that had been part of the colonies of Upper Senegal and Niger and th ...
was divided amongst its neighbors, with the Cercles of
Dori and
Fada N'gourma
Fada N'gourma, also written Fada-Ngourma or Noungu, is a city and an important market town in eastern Burkina Faso, lying east of Ouagadougou, in the Gourmantché area. It is the capital of the East region and of Gourma province. It is known fo ...
ceded to Niger Colony.
World War II
Niger Colony officials, unlike neighboring
Chad, remained loyal to the French
Vichy government
Vichy France (french: Régime de Vichy; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), officially the French State ('), was the fascist French state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II. Officially independent, but with half of its terr ...
after 1940, and thus closed its southern border (to
Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
) and eastern border until 1944.
Decolonization
On 31 December 1946 the Military Territories of
N'Guigmi
N'guigmi is a city and Commune of fifteen thousand in the easternmost part of Niger, very near to Lake Chad – lying on its shore until the lake retreated. It is a crossroads for the traditional camel caravans of the Toureg and for traders p ...
and
Agadez
Agadez ( Air Tamajeq: ⴰⴶⴰⴷⴰⵣ, ''Agadaz''), formerly spelled Agadès, is the fifth largest city in Niger, with a population of 110,497 based on the 2012 census. The capital of Agadez Region, it lies in the Sahara desert, and is also ...
were ceded to Niger Colony, leaving only
Bilma
Bilma is an oasis town and commune in north east Niger with, as of the 2012 census, a total population of 4,016 people.
It lies protected from the desert dunes under the Kaouar Cliffs and is the largest town along the Kaouar escarpment. It ...
Cercle as the last military-run section of modern Niger. This area in the far north east only came under French civilian administration in 1956.
In 1947,
French Upper Volta
Upper Volta (french: Haute-Volta) was a colony of French West Africa established in 1919 in the territory occupied by present-day Burkina Faso. It was formed from territories that had been part of the colonies of Upper Senegal and Niger and th ...
was reconstituted, and the Cercles of
Dori and
Fada N'Gourma
Fada N'gourma, also written Fada-Ngourma or Noungu, is a city and an important market town in eastern Burkina Faso, lying east of Ouagadougou, in the Gourmantché area. It is the capital of the East region and of Gourma province. It is known fo ...
ceded to Upper Volta Colony. While there were minor border changes after 1947, the modern borders of Niger were roughly established with this change.
Following the 1956
Loi Cadre
The ''loi-cadre'' (Reform Act) was a French legal reform passed by the French National Assembly on 23 June 1956, named after Overseas minister Gaston Defferre. It marked a turning point in relations between France and its overseas empire. Under p ...
, rudiments of internal rule were created with the
Territorial Assembly of Niger elected by popular vote, but holding only advisory and administrative powers. In 1958 the
French Community succeed the
French Union
The French Union () was a political entity created by the French Fourth Republic to replace the old French colonial empire system, colloquially known as the " French Empire" (). It was the formal end of the "indigenous" () status of French subj ...
. On 25 August 1958 the Lieutenant Governor became
High Commissioner of Niger
High may refer to:
Science and technology
* Height
* High (atmospheric), a high-pressure area
* High (computability), a quality of a Turing degree, in computability theory
* High (tectonics), in geology an area where relative tectonic uplift to ...
, but remained Head of State of a quasi-independent state which controlled some purely internal administration.
The
Constitution of 25 February 1959 was ratified by the
Constituent Assembly of Niger, a body created for this purpose from the
Territorial Assembly of Niger elected in December 1958. On 12 March 1959 the Constituent Assembly became the
Legislative Assembly of Niger, with the head of government,
Hamani Diori
Hamani Diori (6 June 1916 – 23 April 1989) was the first President of the Republic of Niger. He was appointed to that office in 1960, when Niger gained independence. Although corruption was a common feature of his administration, he gained in ...
, retaining the title of
President of the Council. Nominal executive powers were vested in the Assembly, with the constitution establishing elements, such as the
Flag of Niger, the
National anthem of Niger and the
Coat of Arms of Niger
The coat of arms of Niger shows a trophy of four national flags, in the colors orange, white, and green. In the middle, the state seal is arranged. On a green or gold shield the four golden symbols are shown. In the middle, there is a sun, to ...
, along with language on naming of political bodies, rights and powers which have been retained in subsequent texts.
Following the
Algerian War and the collapse of the
French Fourth Republic
The French Fourth Republic (french: Quatrième république française) was the republican government of France from 27 October 1946 to 4 October 1958, governed by the fourth republican constitution. It was in many ways a revival of the Third Re ...
, the colonies of the French Union became fully independent in 1960. Niger ratified its first fully independent constitution on 8 November 1960, and
Jean Colombani stepped down as High Commissioner on 10 November 1960.
See also
*
Niger
)
, official_languages =
, languages_type = National languages[History of Niger
This is the history of the Niger. See also the history of Africa and the history of West Africa.
Pre-historic Niger
Humans have lived in what is now the Niger from the earliest of times. 2 to 3.5 million-year-old Australopithecus bahrelghaza ...](_blank)
*
List of colonial governors of Niger
This is a List of Colonial Heads of Niger for the period of French Colonial rule. While French control of some of the areas of modern Niger began in the 1890s, a formal Military Territory of Zinder was formed on 23 July 1900. Full independence fro ...
Notes
References
Niger: Rulers.org Accessed 2009-04-15.
*
{{coord missing, Niger
History of Niger
French West Africa
Former colonies in Africa
Former French colonies
French colonisation in Africa
French Union
1922 establishments in Africa
1960 disestablishments in Africa
1922 establishments in the French colonial empire
1960 disestablishments in the French colonial empire
20th century in Niger
France–Niger relations
States and territories established in 1922
States and territories disestablished in 1960