Dosso is one of the eight

Regions of Niger Niger is divided into eight regions (French: ''régions;'' singular''région)'', each of which is named after its capital. Current regions *Additionally, the national capital, Niamey, comprises a special capital district. Current administrati ...

. The region has an area of , with a population of 2,078,339 as of 2011.

History

The region of Dosso is the historic centre of the Dosso Kingdom, which had its capital at Dosso. Today the palace of the Sultanate of Dosso remains as a symbol of the aristocratic ruling class of the kingdom. The region was traditionally populated by

Zarma people The Zarma people are an ethnic group predominantly found in westernmost Niger. They are also found in significant numbers in the adjacent areas of Nigeria and Benin, along with smaller numbers in Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, and Sudan. ...

who are believed to have migrated from the Lake Débo area of what is now

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. Mali ...

during the time of the

Songhai Empire The Songhai Empire (also transliterated as Songhay) was a state that dominated the western Sahel/Sudan in the 15th and 16th century. At its peak, it was one of the largest states in African history. The state is known by its historiographical ...

Geography

Dosso border

Tahoua Region Tahoua is one of eight Regions of Niger. The capital of the region is the commune of Tahoua. The region covers 106,677 km². Geography Tahoua borders Agadez Region to the northeast, Maradi Region to the southeast, Nigeria's Sokoto State to t ...

to the northeast,

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 ...

to the southeast (specifically

Sokoto State Sokoto State (Hausa: Jihar Sokoto Fula: Leydi Sokoto 𞤤𞤫𞤴𞤣𞤭 𞤧𞤮𞥅𞤳𞤮𞥅𞤼𞤮𞥅) is one of the 36 states of Nigeria, located in the extreme northwest of the country on the national border with the Republic of the N ...

and

Kebbi State Kebbi state ( ha, Jihar Kebbi; Fulfulde: Leydi Kebbi 𞤤𞤫𞤴𞤣𞤭 𞤳𞤫𞤦𞥆𞤭) is a state in the northwestern Nigeria, Kebbi state is bordered east and north of Sokoto and Zamfara states, and to the south by Niger state while ...

Benin Benin ( , ; french: Bénin , ff, Benen), officially the Republic of Benin (french: République du Bénin), and formerly Dahomey, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the north ...

(

Alibori Department Alibori is the largest and northernmost department (French: ''département'') of Benin. Externally the department borders the countries of Burkina Faso, Niger, and Nigeria, and internally the departments of Atakora and Borgou. The department o ...

) to the southwest, and

Tillabéri Region Tillabéri (var. ''Tillabéry'') is one of the eight Regions of Niger; the capital of the Region is Tillabéri. Tillabéri Region was created in 1992, when Niamey Region was split, with Niamey and its immediate hinterland becoming a new ''capital ...

to the northwest. The region's border with Benin is formed by the

river Niger 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 Mali, ...

. Part of the

Dallol Bosso The Dallol Bosso ( Zarma: Boboye) is one of two major seasonal river valleys in southwest Niger. The Dallol Bosso valley runs from the Azawagh area in the Sahara west and south through the Dosso Region where it reaches the Niger River valley. H ...

valley runs through the region; part of this area is protected as the Dosso Reserve, and contain some of the last remaining herds of

West African giraffe The West African giraffe (''Giraffa camelopardalis peralta''), Niger giraffe or Nigerien giraffe is a subspecies of the giraffe distinguished by its light colored spots. It is found in the Sahel of West Africa. In the 19th century it ranged fr ...

.Geels, Jolijn, (2006) ''Bradt Travel Guide - Niger'', pgs. 133-42

Settlements

Dosso is the regional capital; other major settlements include

Birni N'Gaouré Birni N'Gaouré (or Birnin Gaouré) is a town located in the Dosso Region in southwest Niger. A town of over ten thousand, it is the departmental seat of Boboye Department, and is the main town of the fertile farming region in which it is locat ...

Dioundiou Dioundiou is a village and rural commune in the Dioundiou Department of the Dosso Region of Niger ) , official_languages = , languages_type = National languages

Dogondoutchi Dongondoutchi ("High Hill", also nicknamed Doutchi) is a commune in Niger. It is located about 300 km east of the capital Niamey and 40 km from the Nigerian border. It lies on national route 1 which links the capital to the towns of ...

Falmey Falmey is a village and rural commune in the Falmey Department of the Dosso Region of Niger ) , official_languages = , languages_type = National languages

, Gaya,

Loga Loga may refer to: People * Bob Loga (1940–1996), American stock car racing official * (1859-1911), Prussian politician * Iarlaithe mac Loga, also known as Saint Jarlath * Ignacy Loga-Sowiński (1914–1992), Polish trade union activist and po ...

and

Tibiri (Doutchi) Tibiri (Doutchi) is a village and rural commune in the Tibiri Department of the Dosso Region of Niger ) , official_languages = , languages_type = National languages

Administrative subdivisions

Dosso was divided into 5 Departments ( Boboye Department,

Dogondoutchi Department Dogondoutchi is a department of the Dosso Region in Niger. Its capital lies at the city of Dogondoutchi Dongondoutchi ("High Hill", also nicknamed Doutchi) is a commune in Niger. It is located about 300 km east of the capital Niamey a ...

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

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

and

Loga Department Loga is a department of the Dosso Region in Niger. Its capital lies at the city of Loga Loga may refer to: People * Bob Loga (1940–1996), American stock car racing official * (1859-1911), Prussian politician * Iarlaithe mac Loga, also known ...

), but the number of departments was increased to 8 with the new departments being Doutchi Department, Falmi Department, and Tibiri Department. The division into 5 urban administrative divisions (communes urbaines) and 38 rural administrative divisions (communes rurales), 1 province, 15 cantons and 3 nomadic grouping was left unchanged.

Demographics

Like most regions of Niger, the population of the region of Dosso has rapidly grown since independence. From 693,207 in 1977, its population increased to 1,018,895 by 1988, and to 1,479,095 by 2001. Dosso region has the third highest population density (61.4 inhabitants/km²), below that of Niamey and Maradi regions.Dosso in Numbers 2011
Statistics on Dosso Region (retrieved on 7/22/2014). Most people live in rural areas, with only 10.4% of the population residing in urban areas. Other demographic statistics are similar to the national averages. The main ethnolinguistic groups are the

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. ...

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 Alg ...

and Zarma (also referred to as 'Djerma'). The region is also a major centre of the

Maouri The Maouri people are an ethnic group in western Africa. They are one of the major ethnic groups of Niger, and are concentrated around the ''Dallol Maouri'' (Maouri Valley) of the Niger River, extending from Matankari, near Niamey, to Gaya. They ...

, a Hausa sub-group who have retained their traditional animist belief.

References

{{Authority control Regions of Niger