About Niger

A crossroads of caravans and destinies

A vast country that spans part of the Sahara desert in north Africa, Niger lays bare the beauty of sand dunes, volcanic mountains, and desert cities with markets that have not slept for centuries. But these wonders contrast starkly to people's poverty and the struggle to survive in such a tough climate.

Geography & climate

Halfway between the Mediterranean Basin and the Gulf of Guinea (Atlantic Ocean), Niger occupies a large area of the Sahara desert. The country borders Nigeria and Benin to the south, Burkina Faso and Mali to the west, Algeria and Libya to the north, and Chad to the east.

Niger's subtropical climate (hot and dry) only gives way to a tropical climate in the south, on the edges of the Niger River basin. Most of the country's landscape consists of desert plains and sand dunes, with savannas in the south and hills in the north.


Nature

Despite the aridity that characterizes most of the Niger, at least 2,100 plant species are known to exist in the country.

In the animal world, 3,200 species – of which 2,021 insects - have been identified. These include mammals such as the addax, an endangered antelope species, African elephants, cheetahs, lions, hippos, and nomadic giraffes (East of the Niger River).

Some of the reptile species are protected by international conventions, such as the Nile crocodile and lizards, while there are also python snakes, water turtles and tortoises. Eagles, vultures, ground-hornbills, and the ostrich are some of the more than 600 bird species in Niger.


Population & religion

The Hausa ethnic group, the dominant group in Niger and also in northern Nigeria, the Djerma-Songhai (also found in parts of Mali), the Anasara from the north and the west are some of the prevailing ethnic groups in Niger. Nomadic or semi-nomadic livestock-raising peoples still navigate the country's large swathes of desert - Fulani, Tuareg, Kanuri, Arabs, and Toubou.

Most people in Niger practise Islam, and to a lesser extent Animism, and Christianity.


Economy & development

Unfavourable climatic factors and few opportunities for development have placed Niger in the lowest rank of the United Nations Development Programme's (UNDP) Human Development Index. Despite the presence of uranium deposits, oil, gold and coal, the country's economy is one of subsistence crops (millet, sorghum, and cassava) and livestock. Droughts, desertification and a major population growth rate are holding the country back economically.

The government has had to depend on outside funding to survive. For example, 45% of the government's budget, including 80% of its capital budget, derived from donor resources in 2002. In 2004, life expectancy at birth was 45, and adult literacy rate (% ages 15 and older) at 29%.