Yelou

Region

Yelou ( German outdated: Yelu ) is a rural municipality in the department of Gaya in Niger.

Geography

Yelou lies in the large landscape Sudan and to the east by the neighboring state of Nigeria. The neighboring communities in Niger are Dioundiou in the north, Bana, Gaya and Tanda in the south and Farey, Gollé and Sambéra in the West. The municipality is divided into 49 administrative villages, 97 villages and 16 traditional stock. The main town of the rural community is the administrative village Yelou.

History

Yelou was founded by the Hausa subgroup Tyenga that populated the area now departments Gaya in the 17th century. The German explorer Heinrich Barth visited the site in 1853., The French colonial administration made ​​the beginning of the 20th century Yelou a canton. The rural community Yelou was founded in 2002 at a nationwide administrative reform from the Canton Yelou forth.

Population

At the 2001 census Yelou had 45 496 inhabitants. For the year 2010 61.026 inhabitants was calculated.

Policy

In the local elections in July 2004 Moumouni Moussa ( PNDS - Tarayya ) was elected mayor.

Economy and infrastructure

To the east of the municipality of irrigation crop production is operated, the West is part of a zone, prevailing in the rainfed agriculture. In Yelou there are several weekly markets. Market day is Monday in the capital Yelou and in the administrative village Kawaran Debe, Friday in the administrative village Malgorou.

Personalities

• Daouda Malam Wanké (1954-2004), officer and head of state of Niger