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Niger


 
By the Niger River
Lonely tree in a wadi in the "Dunes of Niamey"-area, west of Niamey.
Image: Vincent van Zeijst

 
Location map of Niger. Where in Africa is Niger?
Location map of Niger. Click for a map illustrating the geography of Niger.
 
Niger Flag
Flag of Niger



Niger in brief

Destination Niger, a country profile of the landlocked nation in West Africa, that covers the southern edge of the Sahara in the north and a stretch of the Sahel in the south. The country is one of the world's least-developed nations. Niger borders Libya and Algeria to the north, Benin and Nigeria to the south, Burkina Faso to the southwest, Mali to the west, and Chad to the east.

Before France incorporated the region into its colonial possessions in Africa at the beginning of the 20th century, the area was the subject of conflicts between various African kingdoms and tribes.

With an area of 1,267,000 km², Niger is more than twice the size of (Metropolitan) France, or almost twice the size of the U.S. state of Texas. Regions of the Sahara Desert cover the northern two-thirds of the country's territory, such as the Ténéré and Talak deserts and the dune sea of the Erg of Bilma. The southern part of the country consists mainly of the savannah of the Sahel. Most people of Niger are living in the southern part of the country.

Niger has a population of 26 million people (est. 2024); it is the country with the highest total fertility rate (7,6 children each woman). Capital and largest city is Niamey, spoken languages are French (official) and West African languages such as Hausa, Zarma, Songhai and half a dozen other languages. 95% of Niger's population are Muslims.


Niger | Republic of Niger | Republique du Niger


Background:

Despite the fact that the country has some of the world's largest uranium deposits, Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world, a landlocked Sub-Saharan nation, whose economy centers on subsistence crops and livestock.
Niger suffered austere military rule for much of its post-independence history. Not until 1993, 33 years after independence from France, did Niger hold its first free and open elections. A 1995 peace accord ended a five-year revolt by Tuareg tribes, who accused the government of failing to deliver on promised economic aid. Coups in 1996 and 1999 were followed by the creation of a National Reconciliation Council that effected a transition to civilian rule in December 1999.

On 26 July 2023, the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland, a military junta which took control of Niger's government, dissolved all government institutions, and rules by decree.
Source: CIA The World Factbook and others.
 

 


Country Profile


Official Name:
Republique du Niger
short form: Niger
int'l long form: Republic of Niger

ISO Country Code: ne, NER

Time:
Local Time = UTC +1h
Actual Time: Tue-Feb-11  20:45

Country Calling Code: +227

Capital City: Niamey (pop. approx. 1.5 million)

Other Cities: Tahoua, Maradi, Zinder, Diffa, Dosso, Arlit, and Agadez.


...show more


 

 


Official Sites of Niger


National Assembly of Niger building in Niamey, Niger
The building of the National-Assembly of Niger in Niamey, the country's capital city.
Image: Vincent van Zeijst


Political system
Stricken by military rule, coups, political instability, and a Tuareg rebellion, Niger returned to civilian rule in 2011. Then, the country became a semi-presidential republic.

Today, the political landscape has been shaped by the July 2023 military coup that ousted President Mohamed Bazoum. he National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland assumed control of all government institutions and rules by decree. The military junta, led by General Abdourahamane Tiani, has clamped down on opposition voices, with significant restrictions on press freedom and multiple arrests of former officials. With the withdrawal of U.S. and French troops in response to the junta's rule, international alliances are shifting, and China has shown interest in expanding its economic and military influence in the region.

Since the military coup, many official government websites have been shut down or are no longer updated.


Government
Note: External links will open in a new browser window.

Government of Niger
Official Portal of the Government of Niger.

Assemblée nationale du Niger
The National Assembly of Niger (dead link).

Ministre des Affaires Etrangères
Niger's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.


Diplomatic Missions

Mission permanente du Niger auprès de l'Organisation des Nations Unies
Marginal site of the representation of Niger to the UN.
The United Nations Development Programme in Niger
The information on this UNDP Niger site is not very up-to-date (in French).
Ambassade du Niger
The Embassy of Niger in France.
Embassy of Niger to the United States of America
Niger's representation to the US.

Niger embassies abroad
List of Niger embassies abroad.


Statistics
Institut National de la Statistique du Niger
National Instiute for Statistics (in French).


 

 


 


Maps from Niger



Niger Map
Map of Niger (click map to enlarge)
Image: © nationsonline.org


Maps

Map of Niger
Political Map of Niger.

Administrative Map of Niger
Map of Nigerien administrative divisions.

Google Earth Google Earth Niger
Searchable map/satellite view of Niger.
Google Earth Google Earth Niamey
Searchable map/satellite view of Niger's capital city.


Political Map of West Africa
Map with countries of West Africa..

Political Map of Africa
The 54 countries of Africa.

Map of Africa
A Relief Map of Africa.


 

 


News of Niger



Niger Newsstand

Online News from Niger


Agence Nigérienne de Presse
ANP is a news agency based in Niamey.


ActuNiger
Niger news website.

Journal du Niger
French-language news website.

L'Autre Republicain
Niger news (in French).

Le Sahel
State-run newspapers with news from Niger (in French).

L'enquêteur Niger
Niger daily.

Niger Express
French-language news from Niger.

Niger Inter
Niger news in French.

TamTamInfo
With news and information on Niger (in French).


TV
Tele-Sahel
State-run broadcaster with outdated website.


International News sources
Aljazeera - Niger
Aljazeera with Niger related news.

jeuneafrique
Paris based French-language pan-African weekly news magazine.

Liberation
French daily with news from Niger.

Nigerdiaspora
Belgium based French-language news site that focuses on current affairs, politics and society.

Sahelien
French and English-language news site, based in Bamako, Mali, with news related to the Sahel. 

 

 


Arts & Culture of Niger


A young Wodaabe girl shyly assesses the participants of the Gerewol courtship festival.
A young Wodaabe girl assesses the participants of the Gerewol courtship festival.
Image: Dan Lundberg


Arts & Culture



Culture of Niger
Wikipedia article about the various cultures of multi-ethnic state.

Cure Salee
Wikipedia article about the "Festival of the Nomads", a yearly gathering of Tuareg and Wodaabe peoples in the town of In-Gall in northern Niger.

Article about the Ceremonies of the Wodaabe
by Cultural Survival.

Guérewol
Wikipedia article about the annual courtship ritual competition among the Wodaabe Fula people of Niger.

Niger: Art in the Desert
Google Arts & Culture: Contemporary Artists from Niger.

Friends of Niger
Initiate and/or support activities related to Niger.

African football in Niger.
Like in many African nations, football (soccer) is the most popular sport in Niger.
Image: Gustave Deghilage 

 

 


 


Business & Economy of Niger


Rice fields near Niamey, Niger
Rice fields near Niamey, Niger. According to World Bank data, the agricultural sector accounts for about 40% of the country's gross domestic product.
Image: Gustave Deghilage


Niger sits on some of the world's largest uranium deposits, but is one of the "Heavily Indebted Poor Countries" (HIPC). The country is among the world's biggest producers of uranium and has deposits of oil, coal, gold, iron, nickel, copper and phosphate that are being extracted. But Niger's economy is still based on subsistence agriculture, like crops and livestock, and the export of raw commodities. According to World Bank data, the agricultural sector accounts for about 40% of the country's gross domestic product.

Economy of Niger
Wikipedia article about the economy of Niger.


Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO)
Central Bank of Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal, and Togo.

Union Économique et Monétaire Ouest Africaine (UEMOA)
West African Economic and Monetary Union (in French)

IZF.net, le portail de la Zone Franc CFA
Information about business and investment in the African countries within the monetary system of the Franc Zone - CFA. (in French)


CCINIGER – Chambre de Commerce et d l'Industrie du NIGER

Official website of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Niger.

Investir au Niger
Investment conditions and opportunities in Niger (in French).

Uranium Mining
COMINAK
COMINAK (Compagnie minière d'Akokan) is a national uranium mining company of Niger.

SOMAÏR
SOMAIR (Société des Mines de l'Air) is a national uranium mining company of Niger in the mining area of its northern zone.

IMOURAREN mine
The Imouraren mine is one of the largest uranium reserves in Niger.

Orano in Niger
Orano, the French multinational nuclear fuel cycle corporation is represented in Niger through its three subsidiaries SOMAÏR, COMINAK and IMOURAREN.


DN/ITIE-Niger
Information about the extractive industries in Niger, oil, gas, gold and uranium.

Oriba Petrolium
Niger's gas stations.

SONIDEP
Nigerien oil and gas exploration and production company.


Niger Télécoms
Niger Telecoms is the national telephone and telecommunications provider in Niger.


Transportation

Niger Airlines
The flag carrier of Niger.

Diori Hamani International Airport

Diori Hamani International is Niger's capital airport.


Société de Transport Moderne (STM)
Niger bus travel.


Fishermen on the Niger River in the fertile south of the country
Fishermen on the Niger River in the fertile south of the country.
Image: Guillaume Colin & Pauline Penot 
 

 


 


Tourism in Niger



The Great Mosque in the historic center of Agadez
The Great Mosque in the historic center of the Sahara desert city of Agadez, Niger; it the tallest mud-brick structure in the world.
Image: Vincent van Zeijst


Destination Niger - Travel and Tour Guides



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Discover Niger, one of the hottest countries in the world: Niamey, Agadez, Sahel, Djado Plateau, Mont Bagzane, Aïr Massif, Timia Oasis, Ténéré Dunes, River Niger, Tahoua Region, W National Park and Zinder.


Découvrir le Niger
Discover Niger, some tourist information by the Embassy of Niger to the United States.

Agadez Tourisme Sarl
Tourism site of a Agadez based tour operator.

Aïr Voyages Niger
Travel and tourism information with a gallery for Niger by this Agadez based tour operator (in French).

Wikivoyage Logo Wikivoyage: Niger
Some Niger travel information by Wikivoyage.

Niger Travel Advisory
Niger travel advisory from the US Department of State.


, Niger
A Wodaabe boy.
Image: Dan Lundberg
 

 

 


 


UNESCO World Heritage Sites


Agadez, Niger
Kids playing in the historic center of Agadez.
Image: SMMIMAGES
 

UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Niger
There are three UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Niger, one cultural and two natural sites. Additionally, 19 properties are listed in UNESCO's Tentative List for Niger, an inventory of those properties which each state party intends to consider for nomination. (see the List of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Niger).

The following links lead to a detailed description of the respective World Heritage Site at UNESCO.


World Heritage Site Historic Centre of Agadez
The desert city of Agadez is known as one of the gateways to the Sahara. The city developed in the 15th and 16th centuries when the Sultanate of Aïr was established. The urban center in central Niger in the Sahara was an important crossroads of the caravan trade. The historic center of the market town is characterized by ancient mudbrick architecture.

World Heritage Site Air And Ténéré Natural Reserves
The Air And Ténéré natural reserves are the largest protected area in Africa, covering some 7.7 million hectares, although the sanctuary itself covers only one-sixth of this area. The site covers the eastern half of the volcanic rock mass of the Aïr Mountains and the western sections of the Ténéré Desert. The reserves are characterized by an extraordinary diversity of landscapes, plant species and wildlife.

World Heritage Site W National Park (W Transborder Park)
The W National Park and its transnational extension (Benin, Burkina Faso) W-Arly-Pendjari Complex is a region of intact Sudano-Sahelian savannah. It includes the largest and most important continuum of terrestrial, semi-aquatic and aquatic ecosystems in the West African savannah belt.


Bends in the River Niger
The W National Park is a large national park in West Africa that stretches around the W-shaped bends of the Niger River.
Image: Júlio Reis (NASA Image)

 

 


Education in Niger



Education in Niger: The way to school
On the way to school.
Image: Gustave Deghilage



African Development University
A.D.U. is a bilingual (French and English) institution and the first non-profit university located in Niamey, Niger.

Abdou Moumouni University
Formerly the University of Niamey, is the largest and only public university in Niger, located in Niamey.

André-Salifou University
The André-Salifou University is located in Zinder; it is one of the eight public universities in Niger.

Université Islamique au Niger
The Islamic University of Niger in Say, a city 60 km southeast of Niamey.

Maryam Abacha American University of Niger
Private university and the first bilingual University in West Africa, located in Maradi, Niger.

Universities in Niger
Wikipedia's list of universities in Niger.
 
 

 


Environment & Nature



People at the Guelta of Timia, Niger, a guelta is a water reservoir that forms within rock formations in the Sahara and the Arabian Desert.
The Guelta of Timia, Niger, a guelta is a water reservoir that forms within rock formations in the Sahara and the Arabian Desert.
Image: Jacques Taberlet

Ministre de l'Environnement et de la Lutte contre la Désertification
Niger's Ministry for the Environment and the Fight against Desertification.


Climate Change Knowledge Portal: Niger
Information for Niger's climate zones.

Institut de Recherche pour le Developpement IRD au Niger
The IRD is a French development research institute working in the fields of climatology, hydrology, nature conservation, soil erosion, sociology and anthropology.

The  Reference Centre for Applications of Meteorology  and Climate for Sustainable Development of Africa
ACMAD's mission is the provision of weather and climate information and  for the promotion of sustainable development of Africa in the fields of agriculture, water resources, health, public safety and renewable energy.
 

 


Niger History



History
Ancient rock engravings showing herds of giraffes, ibex and other animals in the southern Sahara and Niger..
Image: Dan Lundberg


History of Niger
Wikipedia article: History of Niger.

History of West Africa
Wikipedia entry: History of West Africa.

History of Niger | Events, People, Dates
Encyclopædia Britannica article about Niger's history.

Timeline: Niger
A chronology of key events in Niger's history.


Timeline: What has happened in Niger since the coup?
Al Jazeera article about the time following the 26 July 2023 coup.
 

 


Indigenous People of Niger



A group of Tuareg at the annual Bianou Août festival in Agadez.
A group of Tuareg at the annual Bianou Août festival in Agadez.
Image: Barke11


Ethnic groups in Niger
Niger's main ethnic groups are Hausa 56%, Djerma 22%, Fula 8.5%, Tuareg 8%, Beri Beri (Kanuri) 4.3%.

Hausa people
Wikipedia article about the Hausa people, a culturally homogeneous people who live mainly in the Sahel and the barren savannah regions of southern Niger and northern Nigeria.

Tuareg people
Wikipedia article about the Tuareg, the nomadic pastoralist Berber tribes in the Sahara.

Tuareg | People & History
Encyclopædia Britannica article about the nomadic people's culture and history.

Tuareg in Niger
Information about the Tuareg people in Niger by Minority Rights Group.

Article about the Ceremonies of the Wodaabe
by Cultural Survival.

Zarma people
Wikipedia article about the Zarma (Djerma) people, an ethnic group mainly found in westernmost Niger.

 

 


Additional Information


Selected country profiles of Niger published by international organizations.


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Amnesty International: Niger
Amnesty International is a non-governmental organization focused on human rights.

BBC Country Profile: Niger
Niger country profile by the British public service broadcaster.

BTI Transformation Index Niger
Niger Country Report 2020 by Bertelsmann Stiftung.

Economist Intelligence Unit: Niger
Niger country profile by the Economist Intelligence Unit.

Freedom House Niger
A country profile by the U.S. government-funded non-profit organization whose goal is to promote liberal democracies worldwide.

FAO: Niger
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in Niger.

GlobalEDGE: Niger
Niger business ranking by the Global business knowledge portal.

The Heritage Foundation: Niger
Index of Economic Freedom by The Heritage Foundation, an American conservative think tank.

Human Rights Watch: Niger
HRW conducts research and advocacy on human rights.

OEC: Niger
The Observatory of Economic Complexity provides the latest international trade data.

Reporters Without Borders: Niger
RSF (Reporters sans frontières) is an international NGO that defends and promotes media freedom.

Wikipedia: Niger
Wikipedia's Niger page in many languages.

Worldbank Data: Niger
World Development Indicators database.

The World Factbook -- Niger
CIA World Factbook Niger Page.
 
 

 



 
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Benin | Burkina Faso | Cape Verde | Côte d'Ivoire | Gambia | Ghana | Guinea | Guinea-Bissau
Liberia | Mali | Mauritania | Niger | Nigeria | Senegal | Sierra Leone | Togo