Republic of Niger
Western Africa
Saharan · Landlocked · Ancient
Niger (officially Republic of Niger) is a country located in Western Africa. Its capital city is Niamey, with other major cities including Zinder and Maradi. With a population of approximately 25.3M, the main language spoken is French. The country covers an area of 1,267,000 km². The official currency is the West African CFA franc (Fr). Traffic drives on the right side.
Niger is the world's largest landlocked country by area in Africa and contains the Air Mountains, where Stone Age rock engravings dating back 6,000 years depict animals — including crocodiles and hippos — in what is now pure desert.
Niamey serves as the political, cultural and economic heart of Niger, positioned in Western Africa. As the seat of government and often the most populous city, it concentrates the country's main institutions, universities and cultural landmarks. Beyond the capital, major cities include Zinder, Maradi, Tahoua — each a hub of regional culture, economy and history. Niamey is an expanding Sahelian capital whose rapid population growth (from 10,000 in 1930 to 1.4 million today) reflects the broader demographic pressure of a country with the world's highest fertility rate, growing faster than any other African nation and straining Sahel resources in a context where the Lake Chad basin and Niger River systems face increasing agricultural pressure.
With a population of approximately 25.3M, Niger is a vibrant society with a rich mix of traditions and communities. The official language is French, which reflects the country's cultural heritage and connects it with a wide international community. Internationally, Niger is reached via the dialling code +227. Nigeriens are predominantly Hausa, Zarma-Songhai, Tuareg, and Fulani peoples navigating the governance of a landlocked Sahel country whose uranium reserves (among the world's largest) fuel French nuclear reactors while Niger's own electrification rate remains below 20% — a resource paradox that the 2023 military coup explicitly cited as the central injustice of Niger's relationship with France.
Niger spans 1,267,000 km², in the Western Africa subregion of Africa. Geographically centred around 16.0°N, 8.0°E, the country offers a diverse range of landscapes shaped by its location, climate and geology. Road traffic follows the right-hand rule, in line with surrounding Africa convention.
The official currency is the West African CFA franc (Fr), used for everyday transactions and commerce throughout the country. Niger's economy is shaped by its geography, natural resources and trade relationships. Business and daily life operate under UTC+01:00, aligning the country with its regional neighbours.
Football holds a special place in the heart of Niger's national identity. Football is Niger's dominant sport, but traditional wrestling (Lutte traditionnelle) occupies a central position in rural community celebrations where the champion wrestler earns social recognition equivalent to a football international in urban contexts — a tradition continuous across the ethnic groups of the Sahel where strength competitions served both practical military training and entertainment purposes.
The highest point in Niger is Mont Idoukal-n-Taghès, rising to 2,022 metres above sea level. The Aïr and Ténéré natural reserves in northern Niger form one of the world's largest protected areas at 7.7 million hectares — a UNESCO World Heritage Site encompassing the Aïr mountain massif (rising to 1,988 metres with Saharan vegetation) and the Ténéré Desert (one of the Sahara's most remote regions), harbouring the last wild population of West African giraffes and protecting prehistoric rock art sites with images of animals now extinct in the Sahara.