city, south-central Niger. The country's second largest city, it was the capital of a Muslim dynasty established in the 18th century, which freed itself from the sovereignty of Bornu in the mid-19th century. The city was occupied by French troops in 1899, and it served as the capital of the former French colony of Niger (in French West Africa) from 1922 to 1926.

Zinder lies in the centre of an important peanut- (groundnut-) producing region and is a major processing centre and market, with a peanut-processing mill, a millet-flour mill, a tannery, and a thermoelectric-power plant. The city is situated at the border of regions populated by sedentary Hausa farmers and nomadic Fulani. Zinder lies at the crossroads of the main east-west road through Niger and the north-south route from Agadez to Kano, Nigeria. It has an airport. Pop. (2001) 170,575.