COUNTRY IN PERSPECTIVE, NIGER
2017, DEFENSE LANGUAGE INSTITUTE FOREIGN LANGUAGE CENTER
Geography
Introduction
Niger is a landlocked republic, nearly twice the size of Texas, located on the edge
of the southern Sahara Desert in West Africa. Niger shares borders with Algeria and
Libya to the north, Chad to the east, Nigeria and Benin to the south, Burkina Faso to
the southwest, and Mali to the west. The capital, Niamey, is the largest city in the
country; it is located in southwestern Niger, on the banks of the Niger River, which
marks part of the Benin-Niger border.
The Republic of Niger is comprised of seven states. The largest state is Agadez, covering
the arid north and center of the country. The state of Diffa in the southeast shares a border with Nigeria and Chad. The states that share a border with Nigeria in the south
are Zinder, Maradi, Tahoua, Dosso, and Tillaberi, where Niamey, the capital, is located.
Niger is one of the hottest and driest countries in the world. The Sahara, the Sahel,
and the Ténéré deserts dominate two-thirds of Niger, and the other third of the
country is savannah. The north and west are mostly vast expanses of sand. Only 2% of
the country is forestland. Approximately 12% of the land is arable, some of it located
near Lake Chad in the southeastern corner of the country and some by the Niger River
in the southwest.4 A mere 0.1% of the country’s land is used for permanent crops.
Drought has routinely destroyed agricultural output for much of the past 70 years.
Niger has suffered significant food and water shortages. Regional warfare and forced
migrations have greatly exacerbated these crises, as refugees and displaced persons
from Nigeria, Mali, and Libya have sought refuge in Niger...
Climate
Niger is one of the hottest countries in
the world. The climate is defined by
geography: the Sahara Desert in the north,
the Sahel to the south, and the savannah
in the southwest. The seasons are divided
into a short rainy season and a dry period.
The temperature range is greatest in the
northeast. The rainy season lasts roughly
from June to October, and most rainfall
occurs between July and August. The high
temperatures of the Sahara cause the
rainfall to evaporate before it reaches the
ground. The cold season is from December to February.
Average temperatures vary
drastically from one region to another. Temperatures near 40ºC (104ºF) are common
in the hottest summer days in the capital of Niamey. Temperatures in the northern
regions are brutally hot, often reach 40ºC (104ºF) in the daytime and plummet to 12ºC
(54ºF) during the coldest months.52 The average annual rainfall is less than 2.5 cm (1
in) in Niger’s northern desert. Precipitation in the mountains is often 10 times higher
than in the deserts; in the southern savannahs, annual totals of 56–86 cm (22–34 in)
are common.
The harmattan winds, which blow southwestward from the Sahara toward the equator,
create dust storms that reduce visibility to near zero and make living conditions on
the southern edge of the desert unbearable. The winds usually arrive before the rainy
season...
Major Cities
There are few populous cities in Niger. Niamey, the capital and the country’s
socioeconomic center, is the only city with over a million people. Only five other
cities have a population of over 100,000. Niger is projected to have a population of
over 50 million by 2050...
History
Introduction
Before the European colonial era, Niger was the location of some of Africa’s most
powerful empires. The Hausa controlled southern Niger for centuries before falling
to the Songhai, who pushed northward from their original base near Lake Chad. In
the late 16th century, Moroccan invaders defeated the Songhai. After the invaders
left, the Songhai Empire was no longer a viable state. In the years that followed,
the Kanem-Bornu Empire brought the former Songhai lands under its control. Islamic
jihads led by the Peuhl tribes, which had long pressured the Kanem-Bornu and Songhai
empires, eradicated the few remaining Songhai in the late 19th century—just before
the arrival of the French. From the 11th century to the present day, the Tuareg have
dominated the deserts of northern Niger.
At the end of the 19th century, French colonial forces seized the lands that now
comprise Niger from the Peuhl and the Tuareg. The Tuareg refused to acknowledge
French control and took up arms from 1916 to 1919 in a failed attempt to reassert
their independence. In 1922, Niger became a French colony. The French colonial
administrators, who were frustrated by the failure to find exploitable natural resources
in the new colony, largely neglected Niger’s development.
Following various forms of autonomy within the French Republic, Niger attained
independence on 3 August 1960. Since that time, it has struggled to establish a lasting
democratic republic. The Tuareg have repeatedly rebelled against the government in
Niamey. On numerous occasions, the military has removed elected civilian governments
from power. Between 1999 and 2009, President Mamadou Tandja brought some stability
to the country, only to be deposed in a military coup in 2010. In 2011, Mahamadou
Issoufou, an opposition figure during Tandja’s rule, was elected president. In 2016,
Issoufou was re-elected for a second term in a landslide.
Economy
Introduction
Niger’s economy is vulnerable to regional and domestic security issues and climate
factors. Furthermore, with the highest total fertility rate in the world – averaging
seven children per woman – a very low literacy rate, and a poverty rate around 50%,
Niger is one of the poorest nations in the world. Out of 188 countries and territories
listed on the U.N. Human Development Index of 2016, Niger’s position is at 187.
Most of Niger’s economy is informal and relies on subsistence agriculture and uranium
mining. The financial system occupies a small portion of the formal economy, but it is underdeveloped and weak. Outdated and inefficient regulations reinforced by
corruption impede employment growth, commercial operations, and investments.
As of 2014, foreign aid accounts for 40% of the Niger’s annual budget.6 The most
important donors are France, the European Union, the World Bank, the International
Monetary Fund; and several United Nations agencies such as UNDP, UNICEF, FAO, WFP,
and UNFPA. Other donors include Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Canada, and Saudi
Arabia. The United States is a major donor, pledging more than USD 120 million in
economic assistance to Niger in 2017.
The violence perpetrated by Boko Haram and the decline in the price of uranium and
oil have put Niger at risk of reversing positive economic developments, which were
the result of increased agricultural production and public investment projects.
Despite weak industrialization and entrepreneurship, Niger has experienced steady
economic growth in recent years. This economic growth is expected to remain strong
through 2018.12 The official unemployment rate is 2.63%...
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All of Niger is
one time zone at GMT+1,
with no Daylight Savings time.
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Niger News
Present-day Niger originated from the nomadic peoples of the Saharan north and the agriculturalists of the south. The Taureg kingdom of Takedda was one of the largest kingdoms in the north and played a prominent role in regional trade in the 14th century. In the south, the primary ethnic groups were the Songhai-Zarma in the west, the Hausa in the center, and the Kanuri in the east. When European colonizers arrived in the 19th century, the region was an assemblage of disparate local kingdoms.
In the late 19th century, the British and French agreed to partition the middle regions of the Niger River, and France began its conquest of what would become the colony of Niger. France experienced determined local resistance - particularly during the Tuareg uprising (1916-1917) - but established a colonial administration in 1922.
After achieving independence from France in 1960, Niger experienced single-party or military rule until 1991 when political pressure forced General Ali SAIBOU to allow multiparty elections. Political infighting and democratic backsliding led to coups in 1996 and 1999. In December of that year, military officers restored democratic rule and held elections that brought Mamadou TANDJA to power. TANDJA was reelected in 2004 and spearheaded a 2009 constitutional amendment allowing him to extend his presidential term. In February 2010, military officers led another coup that deposed TANDJA. ISSOUFOU Mahamadou was elected in April 2011 and reelected in early 2016. In February 2021, BAZOUM Mohammed won the presidential election, marking Niger’s first transition from one democratically elected president to another.
Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world with minimal government services and insufficient funds to develop its resource base. It is ranked last in the world on the UN Development Programme's Human Development Index. The largely agrarian and subsistence-based economy is frequently disrupted by extended droughts common to the Sahel region of Africa. The Nigerien Government continues its attempts to diversify the economy through increased oil production and mining projects. In addition, Niger is facing increased security concerns on its borders from various external threats including insecurity in Libya, spillover from the conflict and terrorism in Mali, and violent extremism in northeastern Nigeria.
CIA World Factbook: Niger
Area of Niger:
1.267 million sq km
slightly less than twice the size of Texas
Population of Niger:
25,396,840 2023 | 11,360,538 (2004)
Languages of Niger:
French official, Hausa, Djerma
Niger Capital:
Niamey
NIAMEY WEATHER
Niger Reference Articles and Links
Wikipedia: Niger - History of Niger
BBC Country Profile: Niger
US State Department: Niger Profile
Maps of Niger
Historic Maps of Africa
1885 Map of Africa
WikiTravel: Niger
US State Dept Niger Travel
Niger News Websites
ABYZ: Niger News Links
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