Niger

At a glance

Capital	Niamey
Region	West Africa
Area	1,267,000 km² (#6 of 54 in Africa)
Size vs Kenya	About 2.2× bigger
Languages	Hausa, Zarma-Songhai and other national languages; French is widely used in government and business
Currency	West African CFA franc (XOF)
Independence	3 August 1960, from France

The capital: Niamey

Niamey sits on the banks of the Niger River in the far south-west of the country. It grew from a cluster of fishing and farming villages into the capital of the French colony in 1926, and today it is Niger's largest city and its political and commercial centre.

Life in Niamey follows the river. Fishermen work from wooden pirogues, market gardens line the banks, and at sunset the riverside is one of the best places in the city to watch the light fade over the water.

What to see in Niamey

• National Museum Boubou Hama

  A sprawling open-air museum with pavilions on Niger's peoples, traditional houses from different regions, dinosaur fossils from the Sahara and a small zoo.

• Grand Mosque of Niamey

  The city's main mosque, with a tall minaret that rises above the surrounding streets. Visitors should ask before entering and dress modestly.

• Grand Marché

  Niamey's central market, rebuilt after a fire in the 1980s, is a maze of stalls selling cloth, leather, spices, jewellery and everyday goods.

• The Kennedy Bridge and the river

  The bridge across the Niger is the city's landmark. A pirogue trip on the river at dusk is one of the classic Niamey experiences.

How big is Niger?

Niger covers 1,267,000 km², making it Africa's #6 largest country out of 54. That's about 2.2 times the size of Kenya. One place above it is Chad (1,284,000 km²) and one place below is Angola (1,246,700 km²).

Places to visit in Niger

• Kouré giraffe zone

  About an hour south-east of Niamey, local guides lead walks among the West African giraffe, a subspecies that survives in the wild only in Niger.

• Agadez

  The historic centre of this desert trading town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, known for its mud-brick architecture and the towering minaret of its Grand Mosque.

• Aïr and Ténéré Natural Reserves

  Mountains, dunes and ancient rock engravings in the Sahara. The reserves are listed by UNESCO.

• W National Park

  A wildlife park shared with Benin and Burkina Faso, named after the W-shaped bends of the Niger River.

Did you know?

• Niger has one of the youngest populations in the world, with a median age of about 15.
• The country takes its name from the Niger River, which flows for about 550 km through its south-west.
• The minaret of the Grand Mosque in Agadez, at about 27 metres, is often described as the tallest mud-brick minaret in the world.
• The Kouré herd of West African giraffes fell to around 50 animals in the 1990s. Conservation work has since helped it grow to several hundred.

Planning a visit

The cooler, dry months from November to February are the most comfortable time to visit. From March to June temperatures regularly pass 40°C, and the rainy season runs roughly from June to September.

Several governments currently advise against all or most travel to Niger because of security risks. Check your government's latest travel advice before planning a trip.