Malanville
Encyclopedia
Malanville is a city, arrondissement
and commune
in the Alibori Department
of northeastern Benin
, located across the River Niger from Niger
. It is known as a centre of cross-border trade
and has a major market
. Malanville is also a centre for rice
-growing. The commune covers an area of 3016 square kilometres and as of 2002 had a population of 101,628 people. As of 2007 the estimated population of town of Malanville is 39,192.
. It is connected to Niger via a bridge over the Niger River
.
It resides approximately 35 km down the Niger River from Karimama which it is indirectly connected to via road. The terrain and climate therefore resemble those of desert regions arid, lots of sunlight, little water.
Communally, Malanville is bounded to the north by Niger
, the south by Kandi
and Ségbana
, to the west by Karimama and to the east by Nigeria
.
, Guénè
, Mandécali
and Tomboutou
. They contain 20 villages and 12 urban districts.
, onions, groundnut
s and tomato
es.The tourism sector is growing as the shared border with Niger allows visitors to experience National Park W, a game reserve with elephants, giraffe, etc. Services such as hotels and restaurants are starting to develop due to greater levels of tourism.
Arrondissements of Benin
The Arrondissements of Benin refer to the third-level administrative units of Benin, after Departments and communes. In turn they contain villages and may often have several quartiers or city districts/urban neighborhoods:...
and commune
Communes of Benin
The departments of Benin are subdivided into 77 communes, which in turn are divided into arrondissements and finally into villages or city districts. Prior to 1999 provinces were broken down into 84 districts, titled either urban or rural...
in the Alibori Department
Alibori Department
Alibori is the largest and northernmost départements of Benin, with an area of 25,683 km² and a population of 355,950 . The department is subdivided into 6 communes, each centered at one of the principal towns: Banikoara, Gogounou, Kandi, Karimama, Malanville, and Ségbana. The department borders...
of northeastern Benin
Benin
Benin , officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It borders Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east and Burkina Faso and Niger to the north. Its small southern coastline on the Bight of Benin is where a majority of the population is located...
, located across the River Niger from Niger
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 is known as a centre of cross-border trade
Border trade
Border trade, in general, refers to the flow of goods and services across theinternational borders between jurisdictions. In this sense, it is a part of normal legal tradethat flows through standard export/import frameworks of nations...
and has a major market
Market
A market is one of many varieties of systems, institutions, procedures, social relations and infrastructures whereby parties engage in exchange. While parties may exchange goods and services by barter, most markets rely on sellers offering their goods or services in exchange for money from buyers...
. Malanville is also a centre for rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
-growing. The commune covers an area of 3016 square kilometres and as of 2002 had a population of 101,628 people. As of 2007 the estimated population of town of Malanville is 39,192.
History
Malanville has an extremely diverse population consisting of a large Muslim community, large Christian community, French speakers and speakers of local languages, as well as several practitioners of local religions. The cuisine is a mixture of African and European. Despite the differences that exist between these groups, they live side-by-side in peace and share public and private sector responsibilities.Geography
Malanville is located in Bénin's northern region, along the Bénin/Niger border, located 733 kilometres from CotonouCotonou
-Demographics:*1979: 320,348 *1992: 536,827 *2002: 665,100 *2005: 690,584 The main languages spoken in Cotonou include the Fon language, Aja language, Yoruba language and French.-Transport:...
. It is connected to Niger via a bridge over the Niger River
Niger River
The Niger River is the principal river of western Africa, extending about . Its drainage basin is in area. Its source is in the Guinea Highlands in southeastern Guinea...
.
It resides approximately 35 km down the Niger River from Karimama which it is indirectly connected to via road. The terrain and climate therefore resemble those of desert regions arid, lots of sunlight, little water.
Communally, Malanville is bounded to the north by Niger
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...
, the south by Kandi
Kandi
Kandi is a town, arrondissement and commune in the Alibori Department of eastern Benin. Originally a market town, Kandi is now primarily a farming centre. It lies on the nation's main north-south highway, 650 km from Cotonou and 325 miles north of Porto-Novo. The town is the capital of...
and Ségbana
Ségbana
Ségbana is a town, arrondissement and commune located in the Alibori Department of Benin.The commune covers an area of 4471 square kilometres and as of 2002 had a population of 52,639 people.-Geography:...
, to the west by Karimama and to the east by 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...
.
Administrative divisions
Malanville is subdivided into 5 arrondissements; Malanville, GarouGarou, Benin
Garou is a town and arrondissement in the Alibori Department of northeastern Benin. It is an administrative division under the jurisdiction of the commune of Malanville. According to the population census conducted by the Institut National de la Statistique Benin on February 15, 2002, the...
, Guénè
Guénè
Guénè is a town and arrondissement in the Alibori Department of northeastern Benin. It is an administrative division under the jurisdiction of the commune of Malanville. According to the population census conducted by the Institut National de la Statistique Benin on February 15, 2002, the...
, Mandécali
Mandécali
Mandécali or Mandékali or Madékali is a town and arrondissement in the Alibori Department of northeastern Benin. It is an administrative division under the jurisdiction of the commune of Malanville. According to the population census conducted by the Institut National de la Statistique Benin on...
and Tomboutou
Tomboutou
Tomboutou or Toumboutou or Toumbouctou is a town and arrondissement in the Alibori Department of northeastern Benin. It is an administrative division under the jurisdiction of the commune of Malanville. According to the population census conducted by the Institut National de la Statistique Benin on...
. They contain 20 villages and 12 urban districts.
Economy
The population of Malanville engages primarily in agricultural activities, followed by trade, transportation and handicrafts. The main crops grown are riceRice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
, onions, groundnut
Groundnut
Groundnut can mean:* Seeds that ripen underground, of the following plants, all in the Faboideae subfamily of the legumes:** Arachis villosulicarpa** Bambara groundnut** Hausa groundnut** Peanut* Roots and tubers:** Apios americana...
s and tomato
Tomato
The word "tomato" may refer to the plant or the edible, typically red, fruit which it bears. Originating in South America, the tomato was spread around the world following the Spanish colonization of the Americas, and its many varieties are now widely grown, often in greenhouses in cooler...
es.The tourism sector is growing as the shared border with Niger allows visitors to experience National Park W, a game reserve with elephants, giraffe, etc. Services such as hotels and restaurants are starting to develop due to greater levels of tourism.