Niger — map and facts

About Niger

Niger is a landlocked country in West Africa, with Niamey as its capital and largest city. The country has a population of approximately 25 million people, making it one of the most populous Sahelian nations, though it covers a vast area of around 1.267 million square kilometres, ranking it among the largest countries on the continent. Niger is a republic with a presidential system of government, though it has experienced repeated military coups, most recently in July 2023 when the elected president Mohamed Bazoum was overthrown. The economy is heavily dependent on subsistence agriculture, livestock, and uranium mining — Niger holds some of the world's largest uranium reserves. Despite its mineral wealth, Niger consistently ranks among the lowest countries on the Human Development Index. French is the official language, while Hausa, Zarma, and Tamasheq are widely spoken. Islam is the predominant religion, observed by more than 90 percent of the population. The country faces severe challenges including food insecurity, rapid population growth, and persistent jihadist insurgency along its borders.

Geography and Landscape

Niger is dominated by the Sahara Desert in its northern two-thirds, while the southern belt falls within the semi-arid Sahel zone, where most of the population lives and agriculture is possible. The Air Mountains in the north rise dramatically from the surrounding desert plateau, reaching 2,022 metres at Mont Idoukal-n-Taghès. The Niger River flows through the south-western corner of the country, providing vital water for irrigation and sustaining the fertile Tillabéri and Dosso regions. Lake Chad, shared with Nigeria, Chad, and Cameroon, lies to the south-east and has shrunk dramatically in recent decades due to climate change and agricultural extraction. The Ténéré Desert, occupying the north-eastern interior, is one of the largest sub-regions of the Sahara and is famous for its vast ergs — seas of sand dunes. Temperatures in the Saharan zones regularly exceed 45°C in summer. Annual rainfall in the capital averages around 560 millimetres, nearly all falling between June and September during the short West African monsoon season.

History

Niger's territory has been home to successive empires and kingdoms. The Songhai Empire, centred on the Niger River bend at Gao, controlled much of the region from the 15th to 16th centuries, reaching its height under Askia Muhammad in the early 1500s. The Hausa city-states and the Bornu Empire also exercised authority over parts of present-day Niger before the arrival of European powers. French colonial penetration began in the 1890s, and the territory was formally incorporated into French West Africa in 1922 as the Colony of Niger. Independence was achieved on 3 August 1960, with Hamani Diori as first president. Political history since independence has been turbulent, marked by four military coups in 1974, 1996, 1999, and 2010. Democratic governance made notable progress during the 2010s, and in 2021 Mahamane Ousmane became the first president to succeed another democratically elected president. However, the coup of July 2023 reversed these democratic gains, and Niger joined a bloc of Sahel juntas alongside Mali and Burkina Faso.