The river is the main source of freshwater and an important part of the economy through transportation and irrigation. In the extreme south there is a tropical climate on the edges of the Niger River basin. [72][73], Maj. Daouda Malam Wanké then took over, establishing a transitional National Reconciliation Council to oversee the drafting of a constitution with a French-style semi-presidential system. Despite being one of West Africa’s largest countries, Niger is among the least populated; moving around is easier here compared with doing so in other highly populated or congested countries in Africa. [124] In 1997, the gross primary enrollment rate was 29.3 percent, and in 1996, the net primary enrollment rate was 24.5 percent. It borders Nigeria and Benin to the south, Burkina Faso and Mali to the west, Algeria and Libya to the north and Chad to the east. [127] There were 3 physicians and 22 nurses per 100,000 persons in 2006.[128]. [19], Between the Niger River and Lake Chad lay various Hausa Kingdoms kingdoms, encompassing the cultural-linguistic area known as Hausaland which straddles the modern Niger-Nigeria border. The central part of Niger is dominated by an extensive pastoral zone — mostly steppes or short grass savannas with shrubs and sparsely scattered trees. The numbers of Animist practitioners are a point of contention. With a length of about 2597 miles, the river is considered the 3rd longest in Africa. Modern Muslim practice in Niger is often tied to the Tijaniya Sufi brotherhoods, although there are small minority groups tied to Hammallism and Nyassist Sufi orders in the west, and the Sanusiya in the far northeast. Law enforcement in Niger is the responsibility of the Ministry of Defense through the National Gendarmerie and the Ministry of the Interior through the National Police and the National Guard. The new constitution was adopted by a referendum on 26 December 1992. Humans have inhabited the territory of modern Niger for millennia; stone tools, some dating as far back as 280,000 BC, have been found in Adrar Bous, Bilma and Djado in the northern Agadez Region. Since independence, Nigeriens have lived under five constitutions and three periods of military rule. [27][28][29][30][31], Towards the end of this period, up till the first centuries AD, societies continued to grow and become more complex, with regional differentiation in agricultural and funerary practices. [38] In 1985 a small Tuareg revolt in Tchintabaraden was suppressed. The conference was presided over by Prof. André Salifou and developed a plan for a transitional government; this was then installed in November 1991 to manage the affairs of state until the institutions of the Third Republic were put into place in April 1993. [19][38] The borders of Niger were drawn up in various stages and had been fixed at their current position by the late 1930s. [124], The child mortality rate in Niger (deaths among children between the ages of 1 and 4) is high (248 per 1,000) due to generally poor health conditions and inadequate nutrition for most of the country's children. Octave Meynier eventually took over the mission following a mutiny in which Voulet and Chanoine were killed. [38] When Europeans began exploring the region in the 19th century much of Agadez lay in ruins, and it was taken over, though with difficulty, by the French (see below). [19][38], To the east, the Kanem-Bornu Empire dominated the region around Lake Chad for much of this period. 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 a popular theory is that it comes from the Tuareg n'eghirren, meaning 'flowing water'. For the neighboring country, see, Empires and kingdoms in pre-colonial Niger, The Hausa states and other smaller kingdoms (1400s–1800s), First military regime: The Supreme Military Council and Second Republic (1974–1991), National Conference and Third Republic (1991–1996), Second military regime, Fourth Republic and third military regime (1996–1999), Sixth Republic and fourth military regime (2009–2010). Niger's new constitution was approved on 31 October 2010. [38][77] The legislative and executive configuration remained quite similar to that of the first term of the president: Hama Amadou was reappointed as prime minister and Mahamane Ousmane, the head of the CDS party, was re-elected as the president of the National Assembly (parliament) by his peers. In peace time their duties are mostly policing duties. Between 1996 and 2003, primary school attendance was around 30%,[129] including 36% of males and only 25% of females. [133] There is also a network of over 80 community radio stations spread across all seven regions of the country, governed by the Comité de Pilotage de Radios de Proximité (CPRP), a civil society organisation. [20][19] It is thought that these early humans lived a hunter-gatherer lifestyle. [23] Several empires and kingdoms flourished in the Sahel during this era. The Saharan terrain is often baked by the scorching sun, however for 18-year-old Rimana Issoufou Hassane Mayak, the climate that West Africa: Feeding the future through education in Niger. Its source is in the Guinea Highlands in southeastern Guinea. It is an annual traditional courtship ritual practiced by the Wodaabe (Fula) people of Niger. [19] In prehistoric times the climate of the Sahara desert was much wetter and more fertile than it is today, a phenomenon archaeologists refer to as the 'Green Sahara', which provided favourable conditions for hunting and later agriculture and livestock herding. Radio France Internationale also rebroadcasts in French through some of the commercial stations, via satellite. [38] A Second Republic was declared and a new constitution was drawn up, which was adopted following a referendum in 1989. [38] It was also aided by the Arab invasion of North Africa at the end of the 7th century, which resulted in population movements to the south. Future growth may be sustained by exploitation of oil, gold, coal, and other mineral resources. [38], Saibou significantly curtailed the most repressive aspects of the Kountché era (such as the secret police and media censorship), and set about introducing a process of political reform under the overall direction of a single party (the Mouvement National pour la Société du Développement, or MNSD). [19] Formerly a small trading post inhabited by a mixture of Hausa and Tuaregs, the sultanate grew rich due to its strategic position on the Trans-Saharan trade routes. Led by Tuareg tribes from the north, camels were as a well-adapted means of transportation through what was now an immense desert. Nohlen, D, Krennerich, M & Thibaut, B (1999), Walter S. Clarke, "The National Conference Phenomenon and the Management of Political Conflict in Sub-Saharan Africa," in, CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (. [1] Each is spoken as a first language primarily by the ethnic group with which it is associated. In December 2005, it was announced that Niger had received 100% multilateral debt relief from the IMF, which translates into the forgiveness of approximately US$86 million in debts to the IMF, excluding the remaining assistance under HIPC. Previously, Niger was divided into 7 Departments, 36 Arrondissements, and Communes. A constitutional referendum and national elections were held. The Presidential Guard arrested several people during the incident.[87]. It is spoken mainly as a second language by people who have received a formal western education and serves as the administrative language. Historically, what is now Niger has been on the fringes of several large states. In 1515 Aïr was conquered by Songhai, remaining a part of that empire until its collapse in 1591. km and 80 percent of Niger is covered by the Sahara. Niger is a secular country and separation of state and religion is guaranteed by Articles 3 and 175 of the 2010 Constitution, which dictate that future amendments or revisions may not modify the secular nature of the republic of Niger. [38], The violence in Agadez Region continued during this period, prompting the Nigerien government to sign a truce with Tuareg rebels in 1992 which was however ineffective owing to internal dissension within the Tuareg ranks. [38] General Saibou became the first president of the Second Republic after winning the presidential election on 10 December 1989. Tuareg expansion from the north, culminating in their seizure of the far eastern oases from the Kanem-Bornu Empire in the 17th centuries, spread distinctively Berber practices. [74] The elections were generally found to be free and fair by international observers. Niger or the Niger[10][11] (/niːˈʒɛər/ or /ˈnaɪdʒər/;[12][13] French: [niʒɛʁ]), officially the Republic of the Niger,[10][11] is a landlocked country in West Africa named after the Niger River. [38] In April 1995 a peace deal with the main Tuareg rebel group was signed, with the government agreeing to absorb some former rebels into the military and, with French assistance, help others return to a productive civilian life. The Republic of Niger has a reputation for being the largest nation in West Africa, however, 80% of this land mass is covered by the Sahara desert. [65] Whilst political prisoners of the Diori regime were released after the coup and the country was stabilised, political and individual freedoms in general deteriorated during this period. Niger's area is 1,267,000 square kilometres (489,191 sq mi) of which 300 square kilometres (116 sq mi) is water. French West Africa, French Afrique Occidentale Française (AOF), administrative grouping under French rule from 1895 until 1958 of the former French territories of West Africa: Senegal, French Guinea, the Ivory Coast, and the French Sudan, to which Dahomey was added in 1899. [38], In 2009, President Tandja Mamadou decided to organize a constitutional referendum seeking to extend his presidency, which was opposed by other political parties, as well as being against the decision of the Constitutional Court which had ruled that the referendum would be unconstitutional. [51][48][52] Bornu prospered during the rule of Mai Idris Alooma (r. circa 1575–1610) and re-conquered much of the traditional lands of Kanem, hence the designation 'Kanem-Bornu' for the empire. Niger's climate is mainly very hot and very dry, with much desert area. [95], The 2014 budget was 1.867 trillion CFA which is distributed as follows according to: public debt (76,703,692,000 CFA), personnel expenditures (210,979,633,960 CFA), operating expenditures (128,988,777,711 CFA); subsidies and transfers: 308,379,641,366 CFA) and Investment (1,142,513,658,712 CFA).[96]. 8 Mar 2021 [38] Following fraudulent local elections in 1999 the opposition ceased any cooperation with the Maïnassara regime. [38] Meanwhile, Maïnassara instigated an IMF and World Bank-approved privatisation programme which enriched many of his supporters but were opposed by the trade unions. Prior to the Third Republic, Nigeriens only had access to tightly controlled state media. Every year since 1990, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has prepared and released a report analyzing the state of development across the world’s nations. The adoption of the new constitution created a Sixth Republic, with a presidential system, as well as the suspension of the 1999 Constitution and a three-year interim government with Tandja Mamadou as president. [39] A Muslim, Mansa Musa performed the hajj in 1324–25 and encouraged the spread of Islam in the empire, though it appears that most ordinary citizens continued to maintain their traditional animist beliefs instead of or alongside the new religion. The border dispute with Benin, inherited from colonial times and concerning inter alia Lété Island in the Niger River, was solved by the International Court of Justice in 2005 to Niger's advantage. Trans-Saharan Trade and the West African Discovery of the Mediterranean World. The group was visiting an area known for its West African giraffes. Twin Pyramids and Sphinx discovered in Zinder, Niger; by. [45] It was founded by the Zaghawa around the 8th century and based in Njimi, north-east of the lake. [56], Other smaller kingdoms of the period include the Dosso Kingdom, a Zarma polity founded in 1750 which resisted the rule of Hausa and Sokoto states; and the Dendi Kingdom on the Niger river, which had been founded by refugees fleeing the collapse of the Songhai Empire in 1591. Niger covers a land area of almost 1,270,000 km2 (490,000 sq mi), making it the largest country in West Africa. Lt. Paul Joalland, Klobb's former officer, and Lt. The Niger is the third … Niger's area is 1,267,000 square kilometres (489,191 sq mi) of which 300 square kilometres (116 … The river has presence in 5 west African countries – Guinea, Mali, Niger, Benin, and Nigeria. Niger is also a member of the Organization for the Harmonization of Business Law in Africa (OHADA).[101]. Mamadou then modified and adopted a new constitution by referendum, which was declared illegal by the Constitutional Court, prompting Mamadou to dissolve the Court and assume emergency powers. Its neighbours Chad, Burkina Faso and Mali are all in the bottom 10. The majority of Muslims in Niger are Sunni, 7% are Shi'a, 5% are Ahmadiyya and 20% non-denominational. The kingdom gradually expanded, especially during the rule of the Sayfawa Dynasty which began in c. 1075 under Mai (king) Hummay. [66] In the 1980s Kountché began cautiously loosening the grip of the military, with some relaxation of state censorship and attempts made to 'civilianise' the regime. Wanké then withdrew from governmental affairs.[38]. Niger is a landlocked nation in West Africa located along the border between the Sahara and Sub-Saharan regions. L'aménagement linguistique dans le monde, "Nigerien – definition of Nigerien in English from the Oxford Dictionaries", "Report for Selected Country Groups and Subjects (PPP valuation of country GDP)", World Economic Outlook Database, January 2018, "World Economic Outlook Database. There were several attempted coups (in 1975, 1976 and 1984) which were thwarted, their instigators being severely punished. These elections were followed by presidential elections, in which Mamadou was re-elected for a second term, thus becoming the first president of the republic to win consecutive elections without being deposed by military coups. Newly elected President Mohamed Bazoum’s inauguration Friday comes days after Niger’s security forces thwarted an attempted military coup at the presidential palace overnight from Tuesday into Wednesday. [38] In 1899–1900 France coordinated three expeditions—the Gentil Mission from French Congo, the Foureau-Lamy Mission from Algeria and the Voulet–Chanoine Mission from Timbuktu—with the aim of linking France's African possessions. [75][76] In August 2002, serious unrest within military camps occurred in Niamey, Diffa, and Nguigmi, but the government was able to restore order within several days. In addition to the national and regional radio services of the state broadcaster ORTN, there are four privately owned radio networks which total more than 100 stations. The Niger River, for which the country is named, nourishes a ribbon of life as it flows about 550 km through western Niger. It is a charter member of the African Union and the West African Monetary Union and also belongs to the Niger Basin Authority and Lake Chad Basin Commission, the Economic Community of West African States, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the Organization for the Harmonization of Business Law in Africa (OHADA).