Soumpi

Soumpi lies in the lake country west of the Niger bend, where channels and seasonal floods feed a chain of shallow basins. The nearby waters are part of the inland delta, whose lakes expand and contract with the river’s annual rise. Fishing, cultivation and grazing have long brought different communities to these shores. Farther north, the land becomes increasingly dry as the Sahel gives way to the Sahara, contrasting sharply with the watered lowlands beside the river.