Overview
Niger, officially the Republic of the Niger, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the northeast, Chad to the east, Nigeria to the south, Benin and Burkina Faso to the southwest, Mali to the west, and Algeria to the northwest. With a land area of almost 1.27 million km² (490,000 mi²), Niger is the sixth-largest country in Africa, the largest landlocked country in West Africa, and the second-largest landlocked nation in Africa behind Chad.
Over 80% of Niger's land area lies in the Sahara Desert. The country has a predominantly Muslim population of about 25 million people who live mostly in clusters in the south and west. The capital, Niamey, is located in Niger's southwest corner along the Niger River.
Geography and Climate
Niger's terrain is dominated by the Sahara Desert, which covers more than four-fifths of the country. Some non-desert portions in the south and west experience periodic drought and desertification. The Niger River, which flows through the west of the country, is a major geographical feature and the namesake of the nation.
People and Language
The Hausa are the country's largest ethnic group, comprising more than half the population. Hausa is Niger's official language and the most widely spoken. Additionally, ten indigenous languages hold the status of national language.
History
Prehistory and Early Settlement
Stone tools found in Adrar Bous, Bilma, and Djado in the northern Agadez Region date as far back as 280,000 BC. Some of these finds are linked with the Aterian and Mousterian tool cultures of the Middle Paleolithic period, which flourished in northern Africa circa 90,000 BC–20,000 BC. These early humans lived a hunter-gatherer lifestyle during the "Green Sahara" period when the Sahara had a wetter, more fertile climate.
The Neolithic era, beginning around 10,000 BC, brought significant changes including the introduction of pottery, the spread of cattle husbandry, and stone burial practices. As the Sahara dried out between 4000–2800 BC, settlements shifted south and east. Agriculture expanded with the planting of millet and sorghum, while iron and copper items began appearing. The Kiffian (circa 8000–6000 BC) and Tenerian (circa 5000–2500 BC) cultures flourished during this period.
Empires and Kingdoms
By at least the 5th century BC, the territory of present-day Niger had become an area of trans-Saharan trade, led by Tuareg tribes using camels for transportation. This trade was accompanied by migration, intermixing between populations, and the spread of Islam following the Muslim conquest of the Maghreb in the 7th century.
Mali Empire (1200s–1400s)
The Mali Empire, founded by Sundiata Keita around 1230, extended its control to parts of present-day Niger, particularly the Tillabéri Region, during the reign of Mansa Musa (r. 1312–1337). Mansa Musa, a Muslim, performed the hajj in 1324–25 and encouraged the spread of Islam throughout the empire. The Mali Empire began declining in the 15th century due to internal conflicts, weak leadership, shifts in European trade routes, and rebellions by peripheral peoples including the Songhai. A rump Mali kingdom continued to exist until the 1600s.
Songhai Empire (1000s–1591)
The Songhai Empire, centered on the bend of the Niger River, began as an independent power in the 11th century with Gao as its capital. Under King Sonni Ali (r. 1464–1492) and especially Askia Mohammad I (r. 1493–1528), the Songhai expanded significantly, bringing most of western Niger under their rule, including Agadez, which was conquered in 1496. The empire collapsed following its decisive defeat at the Battle of Tondibi in 1591 by the Saadi dynasty of Morocco.
Sultanate of Aïr (1400s–1906)
The Sultanate of Aïr was founded around 1449 in the north by Sultan Ilisawan, based in Agadez. Originally a trading post inhabited by Hausa and Tuaregs, it became a strategic position on trans-Saharan trade routes. After being conquered by Songhai in 1515, the sultanate remained part of that empire until its collapse in 1591.
Colonial Period and Independence
Niger was colonized by France during the Scramble for Africa as part of French West Africa, becoming a distinct colony in 1922. The country obtained independence in 1960.
Post-Independence Period
Since gaining independence, Niger has experienced five coups d'état and four periods of military rule. The country's seventh and most recent constitution was enacted in 2010, establishing a multiparty, unitary semi-presidential system. However, following the most recent coup in 2023, the country has been ruled by the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland, a military junta.
Economy and Development
According to the UN's Multidimensional Poverty Index report of 2023, Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world. The economy is concentrated around subsistence agriculture, with some export agriculture in the less arid south and the export of raw materials, including uranium ore. The country faces significant development challenges due to its landlocked position, desert terrain, low literacy rate, jihadist insurgencies, and high fertility rates resulting from limited use of birth control and rapid population growth.
Etymology
The country's name comes from the Niger River, which flows through the west of the country. The origin of the river's name is uncertain, though Alexandrian geographer Ptolemy wrote descriptions that may have referred to it. The modern spelling Niger was first recorded by Berber scholar Leo Africanus in 1550, possibly derived from the Tuareg phrase meaning "river of rivers." Linguists have reached broad consensus that the name does not derive from the Latin word "niger" meaning "black," as was initially believed.