Garhanga is a village and rural

commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...

Niger ) , official_languages = , languages_type = National languagesLoi 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 It is located in the

Keita Department Keita is a department of the Tahoua Region in Niger ) , official_languages = , languages_type = National languages

of the

Tahoua Tahoua is a city in Niger and the administrative centre of the Department of Tahoua and the larger Tahoua Region.Tah ...

region. As of 2012, it has a population of 69,712.

Geography

Garhanga lies in the

Sahel The Sahel (; ar, ساحل ' , "coast, shore") is a region in North Africa. It is defined as the ecoclimatic and biogeographic realm of transition between the Sahara to the north and the Sudanian savanna to the south. Having a hot semi-arid c ...

biome. The neighboring municipalities are Keita in the north, Ibrohamane in the northeast, Tabotaki in the east, Deoule in the southeast, Allakaye in the south,

Badaguichiri Badaguichiri is a village and rural commune in Niger ) , official_languages = , languages_type = National languages

in the southwest and

Tamaske Tamaske is a city and rural commune in Niger. It is located in the Keita Department, in the Tahoua Region. Geography Tamaske lies in the Sahel biome in Niger. The neighboring municipalities are Kalfou in the northwest, Keita in the northeast, ...

in the west. The municipality is divided into 40 administrative villages, two traditional villages and 22 hamlets. The main town of the rural community is the administrative village of Garhanga. The varied landforms in the commune consist of plateaus, valleys and their catchments. The average annual rainfall in the municipality was 458.84 millimeters in the period between 1997 and 2006 with an average of 41 rainy days in the year. The rainy season typically lasts from June to September. The once rich wildlife Garhangas has increasingly declined since the 1950s. In the plateaus occasionally grow

acacia ''Acacia'', commonly known as the wattles or acacias, is a large genus of shrubs and trees in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the pea family Fabaceae. Initially, it comprised a group of plant species native to Africa and Australasia. The genus na ...

, ''

Ziziphus mauritiana ''Ziziphus mauritiana'', also known as Indian jujube, Indian plum, Chinese date, Chinese apple, ber, and dunks is a tropical fruit tree species belonging to the family Rhamnaceae. It is often confused with the closely related Chinese jujube (' ...

'', '' Piliostigma reticulatum'' and ''

Balanites aegyptiaca ''Balanites aegyptiaca'' (also known as the Egyptian balsam) is a species of tree, classified as a member of either the Zygophyllaceae or the Balanitaceae. This tree is native to much of Africa and parts of the Middle East. There are many comm ...

''. In the valleys there is dense vegetation. The wild animal population - monkeys, squirrels, rabbits, and guinea fowl - is hurt by a lack of habitat, water shortages and increasing human settlement in the area.

History

Birni Ader (also: Birni n'Ader), today an administrative village in the municipality of Garhanga, was in 1674 named the capital of the province of Ader in the

Sultanate of Agadez The Sultanate of Agadez (also known as Tenere Sultanate of Aïr, Sultanate of Aïr, or Asben") was a Berber kingdom centered in the city of Agadez in the Aïr Mountains, located at the southern edge of the Sahara desert in north-central Niger. I ...

. In the early 19th century, the capital was moved to Illela. The French first created in 1904 the cantons of Keita,

Tahoua Tahoua is a city in Niger and the administrative centre of the Department of Tahoua and the larger Tahoua Region.Tah ...

and Illela. In 1913, the canton of Keita was subdivided into Keita, Tamaské, and Garhanga. Dans les 151 communes rurales Garhanga est le premier commune . Dans la région de tahoua il y a 48 communes est le premier commune de la région de tahoua Garhanga fut d'histoire avant que l'indépendance de Niger.

Demographics

At the 2001 census the commune of Garhanga had a total of 48,270 inhabitants. In the 2012 census, the population had increased to 69,712. In the community reside members of the tribes of

Hausa Hausa may refer to: * Hausa people, an ethnic group of West Africa * Hausa language, spoken in West Africa * Hausa Kingdoms, a historical collection of Hausa city-states * Hausa (horse) or Dongola horse, an African breed of riding horse See also * ...

Tuareg The Tuareg people (; also spelled Twareg or Touareg; endonym: ''Imuhaɣ/Imušaɣ/Imašeɣăn/Imajeɣăn'') are a large Berber ethnic group that principally inhabit the Sahara in a vast area stretching from far southwestern Libya to southern A ...

and

Fulani The Fula, Fulani, or Fulɓe people ( ff, Fulɓe, ; french: Peul, links=no; ha, Fulani or Hilani; pt, Fula, links=no; wo, Pël; bm, Fulaw) are one of the largest ethnic groups in the Sahel and West Africa, widely dispersed across the region. ...

. In addition to Islam, traditional religions are still practiced.''Plan de Développement Communal (PDC) 2007–2010. Version provisoire'', p. 15–16

Economy and infrastructure

More than 90% of the population is employed in agriculture.''Plan de Développement Communal (PDC) 2007–2010. Version provisoire'', p. 17–18 The commune is located in a zone in which mainly rainfed agriculture is practiced.''Comprendre l’économie des ménages ruraux au Niger''. Save the Children UK, London 2009
Online-Version
; PDF; 2,6 MB), p. 8. A number of crops are grown in Garhanga, such as the staples

millet Millets () are a highly varied group of small-seeded grasses, widely grown around the world as cereal crops or grains for fodder and human food. Most species generally referred to as millets belong to the tribe Paniceae, but some millets al ...

and

sorghum ''Sorghum'' () is a genus of about 25 species of flowering plants in the grass family (Poaceae). Some of these species are grown as cereals for human consumption and some in pastures for animals. One species is grown for grain, while many othe ...

cowpeas The cowpea (''Vigna unguiculata'') is an annual herbaceous legume from the genus ''Vigna''. Its tolerance for sandy soil and low rainfall have made it an important crop in the semiarid regions across Africa and Asia. It requires very few input ...

peanut The peanut (''Arachis hypogaea''), also known as the groundnut, goober (US), pindar (US) or monkey nut (UK), is a legume crop grown mainly for its edible Seed, seeds. It is widely grown in the tropics and subtropics, important to both small ...

corn Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn (North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. Th ...

okra Okra or Okro (, ), ''Abelmoschus esculentus'', known in many English-speaking countries as ladies' fingers or ochro, is a flowering plant in the mallow family. It has edible green seed pods. The geographical origin of okra is disputed, with su ...

sweet potatoes The sweet potato or sweetpotato (''Ipomoea batatas'') is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the bindweed or morning glory family, Convolvulaceae. Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting tuberous roots are used as a root vegetable. The young sho ...

Catjang Catjang (''Vigna unguiculata'' subsp. ''cylindrica'') is a subspecies of cowpea. The catjang plant is native to Africa, and is an erect densely branched shrubby perennial of Old World tropics. It now grows in other warm regions, as well. In the ...

and

cassava ''Manihot esculenta'', common name, commonly called cassava (), manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America. Although a perennial plant, cassava is extensively ...

. In the valleys, irrigation agriculture for vegetables and

pimento A pimiento or pimento (or cherry pepper) is a variety of large, red, heart-shaped chili pepper (''Capsicum annuum'') that measures 3 to 4 in (7 to 10 cm) long and 2 to 3 in (5 to 7 cm) wide (medium, elongate). Pimientos can have vario ...

is practiced. To the west of the commune there are three aquifers where fruit, especially bananas are cultivated, an important source of income.''Plan de Développement Communal (PDC) 2007–2010. Version provisoire'', p. 19–20 In addition, the fruits of desert dates and jujubes are eaten and gum arabic is obtained. The legumes harvested from acacia and Ana trees serve as fodder. Several factors provide unfavorable conditions for agricultural activities. These include, in particular, the high soil erosion and the uncertainty in the rainfall. Livestock are raised here, such as goats, sheep, cattle, donkeys, horses and camels. In Garhanga there are several craft shops, including tanneries, basket-making workshops, blacksmiths and pottery. Their products are in high demand in the surrounding area due to the remoteness of Garhanga and the lack of organization in the national economy. The retail sector is predominantly managed by women, who trade

peanut oil Peanut oil, also known as groundnut oil or arachis oil, is a vegetable oil derived from peanuts. The oil usually has a mild or neutral flavor but, if made with roasted peanuts, has a stronger peanut flavor and aroma. It is often used in American ...

, utensils, spices and sweets. Labor migration is widespread and is operated rotationally in larger families. There are significant deposits of

gypsum Gypsum is a soft sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate, with the chemical formula . It is widely mined and is used as a fertilizer and as the main constituent in many forms of plaster, blackboard or sidewalk chalk, and drywall. ...

and

lime Lime commonly refers to: * Lime (fruit), a green citrus fruit * Lime (material), inorganic materials containing calcium, usually calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide * Lime (color), a color between yellow and green Lime may also refer to: Botany ...

in the rural community, which are mined in the traditional manner. The main source of energy for the population is firewood and it is used for cooking. Timber needs to be imported to a large extent from the neighboring countries. The predominant form of artificial lighting are kerosene lamps, since a high-voltage line from nearby Nigeria was passed only to the village of Laba. In education, 41 elementary schools and two middle schools are located in Garhanga. The gross enrollment rate in 2006 was 45%, with girls being 35.42%. This number should rise with the construction of additional classrooms. There is a health center in Garhanga but not a single pharmacy. The national road 16 connects Garhanga to the regional capital at

Tahoua Tahoua is a city in Niger and the administrative centre of the Department of Tahoua and the larger Tahoua Region.Tah ...

. For carts, motorcycles and cars, the road condition is generally poor, and it is hardly used in the rainy season. The main form of transportation is donkeys and camels.

References

{{Communes of Niger Communes of Niger