Niger - Tourism and Travel

The Republic of Niger is a country in West Africa.

It is a landlocked country, with a total area of 489,191 square miles (1,267,000 square kilometers).

The Sahara Desert occupies most of Niger.

The Sahel, a region of dry scrub bordering the southern end of the Sahara, runs through Niger.

Much of the Sahel is becoming desert as a result of drought, overgrazing and the cutting down of trees for firewood.

The Sahel's dry scrub is suitable only for grazing herd animals.

Inselbergs, isolated outcrops, can be found throughout the Sahel. They are made of erosion-resistant rock and were formed when land around them eroded away.

There is savanna in southern Niger and in the valley of the Niger River.

The Niger River is 2,600 miles (4,181 kilometers) long. It originates in Fouta Djallon in the highlands of Guinea, and then runs through Mali, Niger, Benin and Nigeria, until it empties into the Gulf of Guinea.

Central Niger is dominated by the Aïr Mountains.

Most of Niger is dry and hot.

It rains in the south during the summer, but sometimes there are droughts.

The capital of Niger is Niamey.

15,290,000 people live in Niger.

55% are Hausa, 21% are Djerma-Songhai, 9% are Peul and 9% are Tuareg.

The official language is French. Hausa, Djerma, Tuareg, Fulani and Teda are also spoken.

85% of the people are Muslim and 14% practice traditional beliefs.

Uranium exports, herding and subsistence farming form the basis of the economy.

Niger is heavily dependent on foreign aid.

It is one of the least developed countries on earth.

Niger has a presidential system of government.

Its official currency is the CFA franc, which is equal to 100 centimes.