IN THE FIRST PLACE, THE ROLE OF SMALL TOWNS WITHIN THE URBAN NETWORK IS ANALYZED, AS WELL AS THE NATURE OF THE LINKS BETWEEN THEM AND THEIR "HINTERLAND". THEREFORE, IN THE FIRST PART, DEALS WITH THE FOLLOWING ISSUES : THE STUDY OF THE SPACIAL PATTERN OF SMALL AGGLOMERATIONS IN WEST AFRICA AND THE MODALITIES BY WICH THEY MULTIPLY ; THE ROLE OF SMALL TOWNS IN THE EVOLUTION OF THE URBAN NETWORKS OF GHANA, TOGO AN NIGER ; AND, FINALLY, THE REGIONAL AND LOCAL FUNCTIONS OF THE SEVEN SETTLEMENTS CHOSEN FOR STUDY. IN THE SECOND PLACE, A FUNCTIONAL MODEL OF THE SOCIAL-SPACIAL SYSTEM OF THE WEST AFRICAN SMALL TOWNS IS DEVELOPED. AN ANALYSIS OF THE SPACIAL, DEMOGRAPHICAL, POLITICAL AND ECONOMICAL PROCESSES TAKING PLACE IN THE SEVEN SMALL TOWNS MAKES IT POSSIBLE TO ELABORATE THIS MODEL AND GO BEYOND LOCAL PARTICULARITIES.