Aderbissinat
Encyclopedia
Aderbissinat is a town and commune in central Niger
. It lies in the Sahel
, the semi-arid, sparsely populated zone between the Sahara Desert to the north and the millet
-growing savannah to the south. Raising goats, camels, and cattle is the traditional livelihood for people in this region, which gets only a few weeks of rain per year. However, recurrent drought since the 1970s has caused the starvation of many animals. This has forced many previously nomadic and semi-nomadic people to settle in and around Aderbissinat and other Sahelian towns.
Aderbissinat is ethnically and linguistically mixed, with residents of Hausa
, Tuareg, and Arab
origin. Nomadic Fula
cattle-herders also come into town regularly to sell their wares. Although isolated, the town lies on a major trans-Saharan route
linking Algeria
to Nigeria
. The nearest cities are Agadez
to the north and Zinder
to the south.
The mayor of Aderbissinat is Mohamed Echika, who has supported the Niger Project SNHM into the investigations into a new sauropod dinosaur
Spinophorosaurus nigerensis. Mr Echika has also been a guest of honour at the Tribunal de las Aguas in Valencia, Spain in 2005, which has since become safeguarded by UNESCO.
Niger
Niger , officially named the Republic of Niger, is a landlocked country in Western Africa, named after the Niger River. It borders Nigeria and Benin to the south, Burkina Faso and Mali to the west, Algeria and Libya to the north and Chad to the east...
. It lies in the Sahel
Sahel Region
Sahel is one of Burkina Faso's 13 administrative regions. It was created on 2 July 2001 and had a population of 808,928 in 2006. The region's capital is Dori. Four provinces make up the region - Oudalan, Séno, Soum, and Yagha....
, the semi-arid, sparsely populated zone between the Sahara Desert to the north and the millet
Millet
The millets are a group of small-seeded species of cereal crops or grains, widely grown around the world for food and fodder. They do not form a taxonomic group, but rather a functional or agronomic one. Their essential similarities are that they are small-seeded grasses grown in difficult...
-growing savannah to the south. Raising goats, camels, and cattle is the traditional livelihood for people in this region, which gets only a few weeks of rain per year. However, recurrent drought since the 1970s has caused the starvation of many animals. This has forced many previously nomadic and semi-nomadic people to settle in and around Aderbissinat and other Sahelian towns.
Aderbissinat is ethnically and linguistically mixed, with residents of Hausa
Hausa people
The Hausa are one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa. They are a Sahelian people chiefly located in northern Nigeria and southeastern Niger, but having significant numbers living in regions of Cameroon, Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire, Chad and Sudan...
, Tuareg, and Arab
Diffa Arabs
Diffa Arabs is the Nigerien name given to Arab nomadic tribespeople living in eastern Niger, mostly in the Diffa Region...
origin. Nomadic Fula
Fula people
Fula people or Fulani or Fulbe are an ethnic group spread over many countries, predominantly in West Africa, but found also in Central Africa and Sudanese North Africa...
cattle-herders also come into town regularly to sell their wares. Although isolated, the town lies on a major trans-Saharan route
Trans-Saharan trade
Trans-Saharan trade requires travel across the Sahara to reach sub-Saharan Africa. While existing from prehistoric times, the peak of trade extended from the 8th century until the late 16th century.- Increasing desertification and economic incentive :...
linking Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
to Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
. The nearest cities are Agadez
Agadez
-Sources:* Aboubacar Adamou. "Agadez et sa région. Contribution à l'étude du Sahel et du Sahara nigériens", Études nigériennes, n°44, , 358 p.* Julien Brachet. Migrations transsahariennes. Vers un désert cosmopolite et morcelé . Paris: Le Croquant, , 324 p. ISBN : 978-2-91496865-2.*. Saudi Aaramco...
to the north and Zinder
Zinder
Zinder is the second largest city in Niger, with a population of 170,574 by 2005 was estimated to be over 200,000...
to the south.
The mayor of Aderbissinat is Mohamed Echika, who has supported the Niger Project SNHM into the investigations into a new sauropod dinosaur
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
Spinophorosaurus nigerensis. Mr Echika has also been a guest of honour at the Tribunal de las Aguas in Valencia, Spain in 2005, which has since become safeguarded by UNESCO.