Niger Table of Contents Niger Table of Contents Introduction & Quick Facts Land Relief Drainage and soils Climate Plant and animal life Settlement patterns People Linguistic groups Ethnic groups Religious groups Demographic trends Economy Agriculture, forestry, and fishing Resources and power Manufacturing Trade Transportation Government and society Constitutional framework Local government Education Health and welfare Cultural life History Early cultures Colonial administration Independence and conflict 2009 constitutional crisis Military coup and return to civilian rule References & Edit History Facts & Stats Images For Students Niger summary Quizzes Countries & Their Features Geography Fun Facts You Name It! Countries of the World Africa’s Physical Features Read Next 8 Amazing Physical Features of Africa 7 Amazing Historical Sites in Africa How Do Deserts Form? Discover 12 Influencers Throughout History How Did Alexander the Great Really Die? Are the Middle East and the Near East the Same Thing? 10 Greatest Baseball Players of All Time 5 Unbelievable Facts About Christopher Columbus How Fast Is the World’s Fastest Human? The Sun Was Eaten: 6 Ways Cultures Have Explained Eclipses Home Geography & Travel Countries of the World Geography & Travel Niger Actions Cite verified Cite While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Select Citation Style MLA APA Chicago Manual of Style Copy Citation Share Share Share to social media Facebook Twitter URL https://www.britannica.com/place/Niger Give Feedback External Websites Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. External Websites globalEDGE - Niger GlobalSecurity.org - Niger History World - History of Niger Central Intelligence Agency - The World Factbook - Niger Britannica Websites Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Niger - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11) Niger - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up) Print print Print Please select which sections you would like to print: Table Of Contents Cite verified Cite While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Select Citation Style MLA APA Chicago Manual of Style Copy Citation Share Share Share to social media Facebook Twitter URL https://www.britannica.com/place/Niger Feedback External Websites Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. External Websites globalEDGE - Niger GlobalSecurity.org - Niger History World - History of Niger Central Intelligence Agency - The World Factbook - Niger Britannica Websites Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Niger - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11) Niger - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up) Also known as: Republique du Niger, Republic of Niger Written by Dioulde Laya Director, Centre for Linguistic and Historical Studies by Oral Tradition, Organization of African Unity, Niamey, Niger. Author of "Tradition orale et recherche historique en Afrique," Journal of World... Dioulde Laya , Finn Fuglestad Professor of History, University of Oslo. Author of A History of Niger, 1850?1960. Finn Fuglestad See All Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Last Updated: Oct 12, 2023 ? Article History Table of Contents flag of Niger See all media Category: Geography & Travel officially: Republic of Niger ... (Show more) French: Republique du Niger ... (Show more) Head Of Government: Prime Minister: Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine (acting) 1 ... (Show more) Capital: Niamey ... (Show more) Population: (2023 est.) 25,357,000 ... (Show more) Head Of State : Gen. Abdourahamane Tchiani 1 ... (Show more) Form Of Government: transitional military council 1 ... (Show more) See all facts & stats → Recent News Oct. 10, 2023, 12:30 PM ET (AP) The US declares the ousting of Niger's president a coup and suspends military aid and training Oct. 10, 2023, 7:45 AM ET (AP) Blinken calls deposed Niger leader ahead of expected US declaration that his overthrow was a coup Sep. 27, 2023, 10:46 AM ET (AP) France's withdrawal from Niger could jeopardize counterterrorism operations in the Sahel Sep. 23, 2023, 7:00 AM ET (AP) Niger's junta accuses United Nations chief of blocking its participation at General Assembly Sep. 14, 2023, 3:15 PM ET (AP) Pentagon says surveillance flights, not counterterrorism ops, have restarted in Niger Show More Show Less Niger Niger , officially Republic of Niger , French Republique du Niger , western African landlocked country . It is bounded on the northwest by Algeria , on the northeast by Libya , on the east by Chad , on the south by Nigeria and Benin , and on the west by Burkina Faso and Mali . The capital is Niamey . The country takes its name from the Niger River , which flows through the southwestern part of its territory. The name Niger derives in turn from the phrase gher n-gheren , meaning “river among rivers,” in the Tamashek language. Land Relief Physical features of Niger Niger extends for about 750 miles (1,200 km) from north to south and about 930 miles (1,460 km) from east to west. It tends to monotony in its features, is intersected by numerous depressions, and is dominated by arid highlands in the north. Rainfall increases as one proceeds southward so that the country divides naturally into three distinct zones?a desert zone in the north; an intermediate zone, where nomadic pastoralists raise cattle, in the centre; and a cultivated zone in the south. It is in this southern zone that the greater part of the population, both nomadic and settled, is concentrated. The highlands of the north are cut by valleys ( kori ) of the Air Massif , which is an extension of the Ahaggar (Hoggar) Mountains of Algeria and consists of a range running north to south in the centre of Niger, with individual mountain masses forming separate “islands”: from north to south these are Tazerzait, where Mount Greboun reaches an elevation of 6,379 feet (1,944 metres); Tamgak; Takolokouzet; Angornakouer; Bagzane; and Tarouadji. To the northeast is a series of high plateaus , which form a bridge between the Ahaggar Mountains of Algeria and the Tibesti Mountains of Chad. From west to east these are the plateaus of Djado, Mangueni, and Tchigai. The sandy regions of the Nigerien Sahara extend to either side of the Air. To the west the Talak region includes the Tamesna area in the north (where fossil valleys are filled with moving sand dunes) and the Azaoua area in the south. East of the Air is the Tenere region, covered partly by an expanse of sand called an erg, partly by a stony plain called a reg. Britannica Quiz You Name It! The plateaus of the south, which form a belt about 900 miles long, may be divided into three regions. To the west is the Djerma Ganda region. Its large valleys are filled with sand, while dallol (fossilized valleys of rivers that formed tributaries of the Niger in ancient times) descend from the Air and the Iforas Massif of neighbouring Mali. The central region consists of the rocky Adar Doutchi and Majia areas; it is the region of the gulbi (dried-up valleys of former tributaries of the Sokoto River) and the Tegama?a tableland of sandstone, ending, toward the Air, at the Tiguidit scarp. To the east the underlying rock reappears in the Damagarim, Mounio, and Koutous regions, to the north of which is the region of Damergou, consisting of clays. In the Manga region, in the east, traces of ancient watercourses appear on the sandy plain. Drainage and soils The Niger and Senegal river basins and the Lake Chad basin and their drainage networks It is convenient to make a distinction between the ancient hydrographic system, which allowed agriculturalists, fishermen, and pastoralists to live in the Air region about 5,000 or 6,000 years ago, and the present simple system, which forms the basis of the marked difference between the northern and southern parts of the country. The present system includes to the west the Niger River basin and to the east the basin of Lake Chad; between the two occur vestiges of the older system, such as the dallol and the gulbi . Are you a student? Get Britannica Premium for only $24.95 - a 67% discount! Subscribe Now To the west the Niger River crosses about 350 miles of Niger’s territory. Because of the change in river flow, which occurs because of the dispersal of its waters in its interior delta region in Mali, it is only in January and February that it flows past Niamey in flood. At other times the river is fed by certain temporary watercourses that flow in from the right bank. These are the Gorouol, the Dargol, the Sirba, the Goroubi, the Djamangou, the Tapoa, and the Mekrou; the last two flow through W National Park (so called because the Niger flows through the area in the form of a W). On the left bank, proceeding eastward, appear the dallol , the vestiges of the older watercourses. Generally running from north to south, they constitute zones of dampness, although a few still contain waters that flow toward the Niger. The best known are the Bosso, the Foga, and the Maouri wadis. Other vestiges consist of the kori , which run down from the Air and from former tributaries that had their sources in the Iforas Massif, and which flowed to a confluence at what is now the Ti-m-merhsoi Wadi. No waters flow through the kori now, but water is still to be found beneath their sands. Other remnants of the old system are formed by the gulbi , through which water still flows annually, occasionally causing damage. To the east is situated the basin of Lake Chad , a large, shallow lake, which at its highest contemporary level has an area of approximately 9,650 square miles; of this, Niger possesses about 1,100 square miles. Its extent is considerably reduced during the dry season. The Komadougou Yobe River , which flows into Lake Chad from the west, forms part of the frontier between Niger and Nigeria. Its water level, which begins to rise in August, from January to May consists only of some stagnant pools. In addition to the drainage system described, it may be noted that rainwater collects in several basins, so that some permanent lakes or pools also exist; these are found at Keita and Adouna in the Adar Doutchi region, at Madaroumfa in the Maradi gulbi , and at Guidimouni to the east of Zinder . The water table in some areas can also be tapped to produce artesian wells. The soils fall into three natural regions. In the Saharan region in the north the soil is infertile, except in a few oases where water is found. In the region known as the Sahel , which forms a transitional zone between the Sahara and the region to the south, the soils are thin and white, being covered with salty deposits resulting from intense evaporation that forms an infertile surface crust. The third region (in the south) is cultivated. In this area the soils are associated with extensive dunes or uplands or with basins or depressions. Some of the soils in the latter, such as those in the Niger basin and in the gulbi , are rich. Black soils occur in the Kolo basin. Throughout the region, however, and above all on the plateaus, less fertile lateritic (leached iron-bearing) soils occur.