Bilma

---

title: "Bilma" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["communes-of-niger", "sahara", "oases-of-niger", "tuareg", "oasis-towns"] topic_path: "general/communes-of-niger" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bilma" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]

Field	Value
official_name	Bilma
native_name
settlement_type	Commune
image_map	Erg of bilma.png
mapsize	325px
dot_x
pushpin_map	Niger
pushpin_label_position
pushpin_mapsize	300
subdivision_type	Country
subdivision_name	Niger
subdivision_type1	Region
subdivision_name1	Agadez Region
subdivision_type2	Department
subdivision_name2	Bilma Department
subdivision_type3	Commune
subdivision_name3	Bilma
leader_title1
established_title
established_title2
established_title3
unit_pref
area_total_km2
area_land_km2
population_as_of	2012 census
population_total	4016
coordinates
elevation_footnotes
elevation_m	358
elevation_ft	1175
postal_code_type
::

|official_name =Bilma |other_name = |native_name =
|nickname = |settlement_type =Commune |motto = |image_skyline = |imagesize = |image_caption = |image_flag = |flag_size = |image_seal = |seal_size = |image_shield = |shield_size = |city_logo = |citylogo_size = |image_map =Erg of bilma.png |mapsize =325px |map_caption = |image_map1 = |mapsize1 = |map_caption1 = |image_dot_map = |dot_mapsize = |dot_map_caption = |dot_x = |dot_y = |pushpin_map = Niger |pushpin_label_position = |pushpin_map_caption = |pushpin_mapsize =300 |subdivision_type = Country |subdivision_name = Niger |subdivision_type1 = Region |subdivision_name1 = Agadez Region |subdivision_type2 = Department |subdivision_name2 = Bilma Department |subdivision_type3 = Commune |subdivision_name3 = Bilma |subdivision_type4 = |subdivision_name4 = |government_footnotes = |government_type = |leader_title = |leader_name = |leader_title1 =
|leader_name1 = |leader_title2 = |leader_name2 = |leader_title3 = |leader_name3 = |leader_title4 = |leader_name4 = |established_title =
|established_date = |established_title2 =
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|established_date3 = |area_magnitude = |unit_pref = |area_footnotes = |area_total_km2 = |area_land_km2 = |area_water_km2 = |area_total_sq_mi = |area_land_sq_mi = |area_water_sq_mi = |area_water_percent = |area_urban_km2 = |area_urban_sq_mi = |area_metro_km2 = |area_metro_sq_mi = |population_as_of = 2012 census |population_footnotes = |population_note = |population_total = 4016 |population_density_km2 = |population_density_sq_mi = |population_metro = |population_density_metro_km2 = |population_density_metro_sq_mi = |population_urban = |population_density_urban_km2 = |population_density_urban_sq_mi = |population_blank1_title = |population_blank1 = |population_density_blank1_km2 = |population_density_blank1_sq_mi = |timezone = |utc_offset = |timezone_DST = |utc_offset_DST = |coordinates = |elevation_footnotes =
|elevation_m = 358 |elevation_ft = 1175 |postal_code_type =
|postal_code = |area_code = |blank_name = |blank_info = |blank1_name = |blank1_info = |website = |footnotes =

Bilma is an oasis town and commune in north east Niger with, as of the 2012 census, a total population of 4,016 people.

It lies protected from the desert dunes under the Kaouar Cliffs and is the largest town along the Kaouar escarpment. It is known for its gardens, for salt and natron production through evaporation ponds, date cultivation, and as the destination of one of the last Saharan caravan routes (the Azalai, from Agadez).

Population

Its population is mostly Kanuri, with smaller Toubou, Tuareg, and Hausa populations, the last being a reminder of Bilma's role as a key stop in the Trans Saharan trade.

Administration and economy

Bilma is the administrative seat of the Bilma Department, covering some 260000 sqmi of north eastern Niger. While it continues to produce salt in large natron salt pans, and this salt is still sold for livestock use throughout west Africa, tourism (based out of Agadez and the Aïr Mountains some 350 mi to the west) is of growing importance.

Climate

Bilma features a hot desert climate (Köppen climate classification BWh). The town lies deep in the heart of the Sahara Desert, more precisely in the Ténéré, a hyper-arid desert region lying over northeastern Niger and western Chad, and as such is extremely dry, averaging only 12.7 mm of measurable precipitation annually. Bilma is also hot during the "winter" months and extremely hot during the summer months and for prolonged periods of time. Average high temperatures in "winter" months surpass 27 C, and exceed 40 C from April to September inclusively, peaking at 44 C in June. The record high temperature is 48.2 C on June 23, 2010.

Bilma had the country's lowest ever recorded temperature, −2.4 °C (27.7 °F), on 13 January 1995.{{cite web |url=https://geographic.org/global_weather/weather_data_2.php?month=01&year=1995&id=610170-99999&path=weather_stations/594560_649609/610170-99999.txt&name=Bilma&country=Niger |title=Weather data: Niger, Bilma, 1995, January |work=Historical Global Weather |author=Geographic.org |access-date=2020-07-25}}

The sunshine duration is extremely high year-round with some 4,000 hours of bright sunshine annually.

|location = Bilma, Niger (2006–2010) |metric first = Yes |single line = yes |Jan high C = 27.7 |Feb high C = 31.9 |Mar high C = 35.3 |Apr high C = 40.6 |May high C = 42.9 |Jun high C = 44.1 |Jul high C = 43.0 |Aug high C = 42.1 |Sep high C = 41.8 |Oct high C = 39.1 |Nov high C = 33.1 |Dec high C = 28.7 |year high C = |Jan mean C = 18.2 |Feb mean C = 21.7 |Mar mean C = 24.9 |Apr mean C = 30.4 |May mean C = 33.5 |Jun mean C = 34.7 |Jul mean C = 34.3 |Aug mean C = 34.4 |Sep mean C = 32.7 |Oct mean C = 29.3 |Nov mean C = 22.7 |Dec mean C = 18.5 |year mean C = |Jan low C = 8.7 |Feb low C = 11.4 |Mar low C = 14.5 |Apr low C = 20.1 |May low C = 24.1 |Jun low C = 25.3 |Jul low C = 25.5 |Aug low C = 26.6 |Sep low C = 23.6 |Oct low C = 19.5 |Nov low C = 12.2 |Dec low C = 8.3 |year low C = |Jan precipitation inch = 0.00 |Feb precipitation inch = 0.00 |Mar precipitation inch = 0.00 |Apr precipitation inch = 0.00 |May precipitation inch = 0.00 |Jun precipitation inch = 0.00 |Jul precipitation inch = 0.10 |Aug precipitation inch = 0.30 |Sep precipitation inch = 0.10 |Oct precipitation inch = 0.00 |Nov precipitation inch = 0.00 |Dec precipitation inch = 0.00 |year precipitation inch = 0.50 |source 1 = Niger Climatology |date=April 2012 ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/07/Oasis-Bilma.jpg" caption="The Oasis at Bilma, with the Kaouar escarpment in the background."] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/62/Bilma-Saline-85.jpg" caption="The saline pans at Bilma."] ::

History

The poet Abu Ishaq Ibrahim al-Kanemi was born in Bilma in the 12th century.

During French Colonial rule, Bilma was the site of a major—if isolated—military post at Fort Dromard. After independence, the isolation of Bilma made it the destination for disgraced officials under the authoritarian regime of Seyni Kountché, and a prison was built there by the government. Political leaders were held there in the 1980s, such as Sanoussi Tambari Djakou, today president of the PNA-AL, a Nigerien political party.

In 1989, UTA Flight 772 crashed into the desert near the town after a bomb exploded on board, killing all 170 people aboard.

References

Sources

References

2. "Annuaires_Statistiques". [[Institut National de la Statistique du Niger]].
3. Lovejoy, Paul E.. (1986). "Salt of the Desert Sun: A History of Salt Production and Trade in the Central Sudan". Cambridge University Press.
4. . (July 16, 2010). ["Dr. Jeff Masters' WunderBlog"](http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/comment.html?entrynum=1544). *Wayback Machine*.
5. "Troisieme Communication Nationale A La Conference Des Parties De La Conventioncadre Des Nations Unies Sur Les Changements Climatiques".
6. "Niger Climatology". Stats-Niger.

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