The barren Sahara Desert covers most of northern and central Niger (pronounced Nee-ZHAIR). In the centre of the country, the Aïr Mountains rise steeply from the flat desert. In the north are the rounded highlands of the Djado Plateau. Between these two highland regions stretch thousands of kilometres of hot, empty sand dunes. Known as the Ténéré, this region is one of the harshest places on Earth. In southern Niger is a narrow belt of dry grassland—part of the Sahel—where nearly all the country’s people live. The country’s best farmland is found on the banks of the River Niger, in the southwest. Most of Niger has an extremely hot, desert or semi-desert climate. Temperatures regularly soar above 38°C (100°F).

People

Niger is one of the poorest and least-developed countries in the world. Over half of its people have no access to clean, safe water, and many children work in uranium mines or on farms instead of going to school. Just one in three people can read and write. The official language spoken in government and schools is French, but most people speak the language of their ethnic group—such as Hausa, Djerma and Tamasheq—to one another. The largest group are the Hausa; others include the Songhai, Fulani and Kanuri. The Tuareg, a nomadic northern people, are a Berber people. Most people are Muslim.

Farming

Only about 3% of Niger’s land is suitable for farming, most of it bordering the river Niger in the southwest. The river floods every year, covering the land with a layer of rich, fertile mud. Farmers grow cereals here, such as rice, millet and sorghum, as well as peanuts and cassava. Millet is pounded into flour before being made into Niger’s staple food, a type of stiff porridge. In the towns, many people work in small factories, processing foods such as sugar, peanuts and flour.

Minerals

Niger’s has some of the world’s largest deposits of uranium, found in the Aïr Mountains. Uranium is the fuel used in nuclear power power stations. The country also has reserves of gold, iron, tin and limestone (used for making cement). In 2012 oil production began in the southern city of Zinder. The mining industry is vital to Niger, accounting for 40% of the value if its exports.

Droughts

Since the 1960s, Niger has experienced severe droughts. Less and less rainfall has been falling, causing farm animals and crops to die. This has led to several famines (extreme food shortages). The worst recent droughts were in 2005 and 2009. Many nomadic farmers, such as the Tuareg people, have had to give up their traditional nomadic lifestyle because it is too hot and dry in the desert to herd their animals. They have been forced to move southwards to live and work in Niger's towns and cities.

Facts about Niger

Population 26,342,784 (2024 estimate)

Area 1,266,700 sq km

Highest point Idoukal-n-Taghes 2022 m (6634 ft)

Capital Niamey, population 1,334,984

Other major cities Maradi (pop. 267,249), Zinder (170,575)

Languages French, Hausa, Djerma, other indigenous languages

Religions Muslim 91%, others (including Christian and indigenous beliefs) 1%

Ethnicity Hausa 55%, Djerma 21%, Tuareg 9%, Fulani 8%, Kanouri 5%, others 12%

Currency West African CFA franc (XOF)

Chief exports uranium ore, cattle, cowpeas, onions