Tibiri | |
|---|---|
Commune and town | |
.jpg) Landscape | |
  Tibiri Location in Niger | |
| Coordinates:13°33′50″N7°02′58″E / 13.56389°N 7.04944°E /13.56389; 7.04944 | |
| Country |  Niger |
| Region | Maradi |
| Department | Guidan Roumdji |
| Area | |
• Commune and town | 347.5 sq mi (900.1 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,150 ft (350 m) |
| Population (2012 census) | |
• Commune and town | 125,806 |
| • Density | 362.0/sq mi (139.8/km2) |
| • Urban | 25,513 |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (WAT) |
TibiriListenⓘ is a town and urbancommune inNiger.[1] As of 2012, it had a population of 125,806.[2] It is the seat of theSultan ofGobir.
Tibiri is located in the greaterSudan region and borders the neighboring state ofNigeria to the southwest. The neighboring communities in Niger areChadakori andGuidan Sori in the north,Maradi andSaé Saboua in the east andSafo andSarkin Yamma in the south-east.
The municipality of Tibiri consists of an urban and a rural municipal area. The urban municipal area is divided into four neighbourhoods. These are called Bara, Goumar, Sarkin Fawa and Tibiri. The settlements in the rural municipal area consist of 136 villages, 3 hamlets and 31 camps.[3]
Tibiri was founded in 1836 under the ruler Mayaki as the new capital of the Gobir State, replacing its old capitalAlkalawa, founded in the 18th century in present-day Nigeria. In 1899, the FrenchVoulet-Chanoine mission reached the city. A few years later, Tibiri came under French rule. The office of the traditional ruler of Gobir continued to exist, even after Niger's independence, although it was increasingly limited to purely representative functions. As a result, Tibiri's political significance was lost during the colonial period, but the town's outstanding cultural importance for theHausa remained.[4]
Until 1972, only the major cities ofNiamey,Maradi,Tahoua andZinder had the status of an independent municipality in Niger. In that year, Tibiri was elevated to the status of a municipality at the same time as six other Nigerien towns.[5]
Every year, a large traditional religious ceremony of regional importance takes place at a seasonal lake twelve kilometres east of Tibiri.[6] The sights in Tibiri include the chefferie traditionnelle, which is the seat of the sultan, and the palace of the ruler of Gobir.
Tibiri's location in the Sudan region creates favourable conditions for agriculture by Nigerien standards. More than 90% of the population practises traditional agriculture.Millet andsorghum are grown for self-sufficiency.Peas,peanuts,sorrel andsesame, on the other hand, are mainly cultivated for commercial purposes. Livestock farming includespoultry,cattle,donkeys,horses,camels,sheep andgoats. Of particular economic and cultural importance is a robust red-haired goat species (chèvre rousse de Maradi) bred mainly in Tibiri.