Political Map of Niger shows the international boundaries, provincial boundaries, national capital along with the provincial capitals.
Geography of Niger
The name Niger is derived from the famous Niger River that flows across the southwestern part of the country’s territory. Niger is one of the biggest inner countries across West Africa and is archaeologically a doorway between sub-Saharan Africa and North Africa. Around 2/3rd of the nation is situated within the Sahara Desert, making the country one of the hotter most across the world. Niger is mainly a huge plateau with a usual altitude of 500m and with little local respite. It is bordered by Algeria on the northwest; by Libya on the northeast; by Chad on the east, by Benin and Nigeria on the south, and by Mali and Burkina Faso on the west.
Demography of Niger
The total population of Niger as per the UN data is 24,428,878 as of Sept 2020 which is equal to 0.31% of the overall population of the world. Niger’s population density is 19/SqKm on the overall landmass 1,266,700SqKm and approx. 16.5% of the total population of Niger is urban. Life expectancy at birth is 63.62 years for both males and females. The infant mortality rate is 39.3 deaths per 1000 births and the death rate under age 5 is quite concerning, i.e. 72 deaths per 1000 births.
Culture of Niger
The culture of Niger is popularly known as Nigerienne, Nigerien; since its independence in 1960, the Nigerien government has been making every attempt to promote and strengthen a nationwide culture, specifically in regards to its ethnic handicrafts, architecture, music, and dance. Islam is the predominant religion of the country and there are 5 ethnic languages spoken in the country, viz. Anna-Songhai; Fulbe or Fulani; Haussa; Beri-Beri or Kanuri and Tamajaq, in addition to the official language ‘French’. The Independence Day celebrated annually on 3rd Aug has an important significance and is the declared public holiday commemorating the nation’s liberation from France in the year 1960. While the country is highly susceptible to seasonal drought and land degradation; a majority of the people yet survive on agriculture and stock nurturing.
Best places to visit in Niger
Zinder
Zinder or Sinder, the 3rd biggest city in Niger is located 861Km east of the capital city, Niamey. Though there is nothing much to explore in Zinder, tourists get attracted to the ‘Palace of the Sultan’, a cooler building made of mud brick. You may even loiter around the central market and visit the museum showing some real objects that depict the fascinating past of the country.
Niamey
Niamey, the capital city of Niger is a lively and fairly urban city, lies on the East bank of the Niger River in the Tillaberi territory. Being the capital city, Niamey is the cultural, economic, and administrative hub and thus offers decent facilities and services to travelers. Niamey has exceptional open-air marketplaces, also a sight of attraction for tourists.
Agadez
Discovered in the eleventh century, Agadez used to be a significant halting-place for convoys passing through the Saharan Desert, ages ago. The place was seized by the Mali Kingdom during the 14th century; it was further seized by the Songhai Kingdom in 1515 and through the 17th century, it was dominated by the Bornu. Agadez remained a trading center till the late 19th century and it has been a hub of Islamic education and the base of many sultanates until it was seized by the French in 1900.
What is the best time to visit Niger?
The best time to visit Niger is during January and February as the temperature is relatively cooler then.
