Diantchandou

Region

Dantchandou is a rural municipality in the department of co-location in Niger.

Alternative spellings of the name are Dantiandou and Diantchandou. Historical names of the municipality loud Fakara and Fameye.

Geography

Dantchandou situated in a hilly plateau in the Sahel. The municipality is traversed in a north-south direction from a feeder of Wadi Dallol Bosso. The neighboring municipalities are Tagazar in the north, Koygolo in the east, in the southeast Harikanassou, Kouré in the south and Hamdallaye in the West. The municipality is divided into 37 administrative villages, hamlets and twelve three camps. The main town of the country church is the administrative village Dantchandou.

The average annual rainfall is around 400 millimeters. The rainy season lasts from June to September and the dry season from October to June. The vegetation in the municipality area is characterized by shrubs, grasses and isolated trees. In Dantchandou grow Ana trees, Arabic gum acacia, Niembäume and Wüstendatteln, the shrubs Guiera senegalensis, long threads, Acacia seyal and Verek Acacia and grass species such as Andropogon gayanus and Cenchrus biflorus. The once rich fauna has been greatly reduced by Wildererei and bushfires. Occasionally pull West African Giraffes through the borders to the neighboring community Kouré where they have their main settlement area.

History

The first village in present-day municipality was founded by a Zarma called Guilleyni in the first half of the 19th century. At this time the area was still covered by a dense forest, soon the human reclaiming land fell victim. A standing in the services Guilleynis hunter discovered in the pursuit of a wounded giraffe a source in which the village was built Dantchandou. Among the first settlers were among Zarma, which soon nachfolgten more Zarma from Koygolo, Fulani and Hausa, and finally Tuareg from Mali.

After the arrival of the French village Dantchandou to the main town of a canton, which was alternately referred to as Dantchandou, Fakara or Fameye was. Fakara and Fameye are names of the plateau on the right bank of the Dallol Bosso. As part of a nationwide administrative reform during 2002, from the Canton Fakara the rural community Dantchandou out, while further south outside the territory of the historic canton Fakara the Nigerien rural community Fakara was created.

Population

At the 2001 census Dantchandou had 24,948 inhabitants. For the year 2010 34.832 inhabitants were calculated. 98% of the population belong to the ethnic group of the Zarma. In addition, minorities of nomadic Fulani and Hausa and Tuareg living in the community. The inhabitants of Dantchandou are mostly Islamic as in all of Niger. There are 13 Friday mosques in the municipality.

Economy and infrastructure

The population of Dantchandou lives mainly from agriculture. Among the grown foods include millet, cowpea, sorghum, sesame and peanuts. The second most important economic sector is livestock, especially sheep, goats and cattle. It occurs in the form of transhumance, which is operated by the Fulbe, or by sedentary farmers. The craft plays only a minor economic role in Dantchandou. Especially the women of the community operate vegetables cultivation and processing of agricultural products. However, trade with these products designed to be difficult, since there are only two weekly markets in the entire municipality. These are located in the administrative villages Dantchandou and Wankama. The on low incomes lead to rural-urban migration and seasonal migrations in the capital and in neighboring countries.

The barely existing road network contributes significantly to the economic and infrastructural isolation of the community. A 24 km long street in poor condition connects the main town of Dantchandou with the capital of the neighboring community Kouré where it meets the National Road 1. In addition, 25 crosses the municipality a small section of the National Road. The municipality operates its own radio station called Fakara guinda in the main town. Besides still take griots the role of public information dissemination.

The education system is under-developed, among other things due to low enrollment rates. Also, health care is deficient. The nearest hospital is located in the capital Niamey. There is in most parts of the municipality abundant groundwater resources. The water supply is, however, in many places affected by seasonal variations and poor water quality. The main source of energy of the households is firewood, which increases the risk of desertification due to deforestation.