Sand, gold and mercury

This article analyses the urbanising effects of the gold rush, using the example of the Sahara in general and northern Niger in particular. After a brief overview of the interest and particularities of this case study, we provide a typology of the urban effects produced by gold mining, situating them within the different phases characteristic of gold rushes. In doing so, this analysis shows the developmental nature and the variety of urban figures produced by the gold rush. The localisation of these urban figures, as well as the rhythm of their emergence, development, and disappearance, follow complex and shifting logics.