Given that the larger, northern portion of the country is part of the Sahara Desert, most of the cities and towns of Niger are along its southern border.

Larger cities in Niger are also communes, which are administrative subdivisions of the nation, which are classified as either urban or rural communes. Smaller neighborhoods and towns in Niger are known as quarters or villages, depending on whether they are urban or rural.

Major cities in Niger include Niamey, Zinder, Maradi, Tahoua, Agadez, Arlit, Birni N'Konni, Dosso, Gaya, and Tessaoua, ranging in population from nearly a million to just over forty thousand people.

Nearly five times larger than any other city in Nigeria, Niamey is the capital city. Situated along the banks of the Niger River, near the Burkina Faso border, the city has grown as droughts, political unrest, and economic opportunities brought people to the capital, which is also the country's economic and cultural center. Unfortunately, a significant portion of the growth has been in squatters camps and informal settlements, as the city's growth has exceeded its development.

Located east of Maradi in the mid-southern part of the country, near the Nigerian border, Zinder is the second largest city in Niger. Zinder was the capital of French Niger during early colonial times, but the capital was moved to Niamey in 1926 to escape political unrest around Zinder. The city is also known as Damagaram, as it served as the capital city for the Sultanate of that name. Zinder is about one-fifth the size of Niamey.

Niger's third largest city, Maradi, is west of Zinder, and also near the Nigerian border. It was built along the banks of a seasonal stream. Floods destroyed the city in 1945, and it was rebuilt on higher ground.

Tahoua is northwest of Maradi and northeast of Niamey, in southern Niger. Recently, a Chinese company built a paved road connecting Tahoua with the capital.

Agadez is the largest city in central Niger and one of the few urban centers in the larger desert portion of Niger. Founded before the 14th century, Agadez was the most important city for the Tuareg, and the capital of one of the Tuareg-Berber federations.

Situated north of Agadez, between the Sahara Desert and the eastern part of the Air Mountains, Arlit is south of the Algerian border, and has grown around the uranium mining industry, operated by a French mining company. The town was built to house mine workers and others associated with the enterprise. In recent years, Arlit has become a target for Tuareg militants and Islamic terrorists, who have kidnapped foreigners from the town.

Birni N'Konni is in southern Niger, just north of Illela, Nigeria, and is considered to be a center for smuggling between the two countries, as the some of the suburbs of Birni N'Konni are in Nigeria.

The city of Dosso is in southwestern Niger, southeast of its capital city of Niamey. Dosso is the seat of the Dosso kingdom, a pre-colonial state that continues in a ceremonial role.

Located within the Dosso region of Niger, southeast of Niarney and southwest of Birni N'Konni, Gaya is situated along the banks of the Niger River, near the country's boundary with Benin and Nigeria. A bridge connects Gaya with Malanville, Benin.

East-northeast of Maradi and west of Zinder, Tessaoua is in the Maradi Region of Niger, situated on a historical trade route between Agadez, Niger, and Kano, Nigeria. More significant for today, Tessaoua is about halfway between Maradi and Zinder.

Topics related to a city or town in Niger is appropriate for this category. This might be a municipal government website or a site representing a school, religious institution, organization, business or individual in that town. If subcategories exist for a specific city has been created, the site should be submitted to that, more specific, category.

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