Diffa is a city of 48,000 people (2011) in Southern Niger. Diffa sits on the north bank of the Komadougou Yobe river; the river's seasonal floodplain lies immediately to the south and east. Much of the riverbank is lined with gardens and small allotments which grow the town's well-known red peppers.
The town is bisected in an arc by the Route Nationale 1 road; the eastern part of town is centred on the Grand Marché, which also acts as the transport hub for the city.
Diffa has a hot climate with a wet and dry season.
Diffa marks the eastern end of the paved section of Route Nationale 1, the main east-west highway across Niger, although the section between Zinder and Diffa is only partially paved in places. RN1 continues north to N'guigmi more than 100 km. Maïné-Soroa, the other major town of the Region, lies less than 100 km to the west of Diffa. The border with Nigeria, at the Nigerian town of Duji, is 5.5 km to the south of Diffa.
Primary administrative division