December 18th 1958 is commemorated in the Republic of 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...

 as Republic Day, the national holiday.

Importance of date

Although not the date of formal, complete independence from France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

, December 18 marks the founding of the Republic and creation of the Presidency of the Republic of Niger, following the constitutional changes of the French Fifth Republic

French Fifth Republic

The Fifth Republic is the fifth and current republican constitution of France, introduced on 4 October 1958. The Fifth Republic emerged from the collapse of the French Fourth Republic, replacing the prior parliamentary government with a semi-presidential system...

, and the elections of 4 December 1958 held across The French Colonial possessions

French colonial empire

The French colonial empire was the set of territories outside Europe that were under French rule primarily from the 17th century to the late 1960s. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the colonial empire of France was the second-largest in the world behind the British Empire. The French colonial empire...

. Nigeriens consider this date to be the founding of their national institutions. Between December 18th, 1958 and August 3rd, 1960, Niger remained a semi-autonomous Republic with in the French Community

French Community

The French Community was an association of states known in French simply as La Communauté. In 1958 it replaced the French Union, which had itself succeeded the French colonial empire in 1946....

.

Commemoration

Since 1958, the 18th has been an historic anniversary, widely commemorated, but not a national festival. In 2005, the government of the Fifth Republic of Niger declared the 18th a national holiday, in conjunction with the August 3rd Independence Day

Independence Day (Niger)

Independence Day in the Republic of Niger is commemorated on August 3, marking the nation's independence from France in 1960. Since 1975, it is also Arbor Day, as trees are planted across the nation to aid the fight against desertification....

.

The 18th is celebrated in Niger with official festivals and appearances of political leaders, as well as public parties and festivities. It is a Public Holiday

Public holidays in Niger

The government and people of Niger observe twelve official public holidays. These include international commemorations, the commemoration of important dates in the history of Niger, and religious holidays. Both Christian and Muslim holidays are observed as official public holidays...

, in which government offices and many businesses close. The 50th anniversary celebrations were held in 2008, centered not in the capitol, but in the regional center of Tillabéry, and surrounded by sports, musical and arts competitions, the opening of new buildings, a National Youth Festival, and other public festivities. Since the beginning of this national festival in 2006, the official commemorations have always taken place at Regional capitals

Regions of Mali

||Mali is divided into eight regions and one capital district. Each of the regions bears the name of its principal city. The regions are divided into 49 cercles. The cercles and the capital district are divided into 703 communes....

. 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...

 was chosen for 2006 (the 48th anniversary) and Tahoua

Tahoua

Tahoua is a city in Niger and the administrative center of the Department of Tahoua and the larger Tahoua Region. It has a population of 99,900 . The city is primarily a market town for the surrounding agricultural area, and a meeting place for the Tuareg people from the north and the Fulani people...

 for 2007. The National Youth Festival, previously held at other dates, has been tied to the new Holiday.

See also

• History of Niger
  History of Niger
  This is the history of Niger. See also the history of Africa and the history of West Africa.-Pre-historic Niger:Humans have lived in what is now Niger from the earliest times...
  
  
• Public holidays in Niger
  Public holidays in Niger
  The government and people of Niger observe twelve official public holidays. These include international commemorations, the commemoration of important dates in the history of Niger, and religious holidays. Both Christian and Muslim holidays are observed as official public holidays...
  
  
• Republic Day
  Republic Day
  Republic Day is the name of a holiday in several countries to commemorate the day when they became republics.-1 January in the Republic of Slovakia:This was the day of creation of the Republic of Slovakia. A national holiday since 1993...
  
  in other countries such as Ghana,Niger Republic day is commemorated in the embassy mostly by students associations. The event start by speeches by the ambassador and then the secretary general on matters related to general interest. it is then followed by a diner gala where people enjoy in a get together.