Time Zone |
America/Chicago |
Standard Time GMT / UTC |
UTC-6 |
Daylight Saving Time |
UTC-5 |
Time Zone |
Africa/Niamey |
Standard Time GMT / UTC |
UTC+1 |
Daylight Saving Time |
Daylight saving time is not observed in the current region. |
Located in the western part of the U.S. state of Illinois, Macomb is the county seat of McDonough County, about 160 kilometers southwest of the city of Peoria and about 240 kilometers northwest of St. Louis. This small city of about 18,000 people is centered around Western Illinois University (WIU), which was founded in 1899 and infuses the area with a strong academic atmosphere, with a student body that makes up about a quarter of the city's population. With a history dating back to the 1830s, Macomb grew gradually with the opening of the railroad in the mid-to-late 1800s, and retains a number of late 19th-century architectural features to this day. Economically, in addition to the university-driven higher education, healthcare and service industries, agriculture and small-scale manufacturing in the surrounding area are important pillars. The community is quiet and friendly, hosting annual events such as the Malcolm Arts Festival, and combining the simplicity of a small Midwestern town with the energy of a college town, making it an ideal place to study and live.
Diffa, the capital of the Diffa region in southeastern Niger, is located on the southern edge of the Sahara Desert and shares a border with Nigeria, making it one of the most important border cities in Niger. The city is located in the lower Niger River basin around the climate of the tropical desert climate, hot and dry throughout the year, the average annual precipitation is less than 300 millimeters. The economy is based on agriculture and animal husbandry, and the surrounding areas are rich in millet, sorghum and livestock. Diffa, as a regional trade center, undertakes the function of cross-border trade with neighboring countries, such as Nigeria, and is especially famous for the trade of livestock, agricultural products and handicrafts. The city is culturally diverse, with Hausa, Tuareg and Kanuri ethnic groups living in the area, and is unique in its crafts such as traditional leather weaving and silversmithing. Despite infrastructural challenges, Diffa remains an important economic and cultural node in the south-east of the Niger, thanks to its strategic location and rich cultural heritage.