Map of Niger
Niger is a country in Africa with its capital at Niamey, home to about 27.92 million people across 1.27M km². The interactive map below plots 16 cities and towns, 2 rivers, 1 lakes and 1 mountain summits recorded for Niger in YearMaps.
- Population
- 27.92 million
- Area
- 1.27M km²
- Capital
- Niamey
- Continent
- Africa
Interactive Map of Niger
Centred on Niamey at 13.5186° N, 2.1147° E. Use the layer panel to switch on rivers, dams, ports, peaks and historical borders.
About Niger
Niger, officially the Republic of the Niger, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is a unitary state bordered by Libya to the northeast, Chad to the east, Nigeria to the south, Benin and Burkina Faso to the southwest, Mali to the west and Algeria to the northwest. It covers a land area of almost 1.27 million km2 (490,000 mi2), making it the sixth-largest country in Africa and the second-largest landlocked nation in Africa behind Chad. Over 80% of its land area lies in the Sahara. Its predominantly Muslim population of about 29 million lives mostly in clusters in the south and west of the country. The capital Niamey is located in the southwest corner along the namesake Niger River.
Following the spread of Islam to the region, Niger was on the fringes of some states, including the Kanem–Bornu Empire and the Mali Empire before more significant parts of its territory became included in states such as the Sultanate of Agadez and the Songhai Empire. It was colonized by France during the Scramble for Africa as part of French West Africa, becoming a distinct colony in 1922. Since obtaining independence in 1960, Niger has experienced five coups d'état and four periods of military rule. Niger's seventh and most recent constitution was enacted in 2010, establishing a multiparty, unitary semi-presidential system. Following the most recent coup in 2023, the country has been ruled by National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland, a military junta, led by President Abdourahamane Tiani.
The Hausa are the largest ethnic group, making up around 56% of the population. Hausa is the official and national language; English and French serve as the working languages as per the 2025 transitional charter under President Tiani. According to the UN's Multidimensional Poverty Index report of 2023, Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world. Some non-desert portions of the country undergo periodic drought and desertification. Its economy is concentrated around subsistence agriculture, with some export agriculture in the less arid south, and the export of raw materials, including uranium ore. It faces challenges to development due to its landlocked position, desert terrain, low literacy rate, an Islamist insurgency, and high fertility rates due to birth control not being used and the resulting rapid population growth.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia: Niger (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Geography and Climate of Niger
Nomadic peoples from the Saharan north and agriculturalists from the south settled present-day Niger. The Taureg kingdom of Takedda was one of the largest kingdoms in the north and played a prominent role in regional trade in the 14th century. In the south, the primary ethnic groups were the Songhai-Zarma in the west, the Hausa in the center, and the Kanuri in the east. When European colonizers arrived in the 19th century, the region was an assemblage of disparate local kingdoms. In the late 19th century, the British and French agreed to partition the middle regions of the Niger River, and France began its conquest of what would become the colony of Niger. France experienced determined local resistance -- particularly during the Tuareg uprising (1916-1917) -- but established a colonial administration in 1922. After achieving independence from France in 1960, Niger experienced single-party or military rule until 1991, when political pressure forced General Ali SAIBOU to allow multiparty elections. Political infighting and democratic backsliding led to coups in 1996 and 1999. In 1999, military officers restored democratic rule and held elections that brought Mamadou TANDJA to power. TANDJA was reelected in 2004 and spearheaded a 2009 constitutional amendment allowing him to extend his presidential term. In 2010, military officers led another coup that deposed TANDJA. ISSOUFOU Mahamadou was elected in 2011 and reelected in 2016. In 2021, BAZOUM Mohamed won the presidential election, marking Niger’s first transition from one democratically elected president to another. Nonetheless, a military junta led by General Abdourahamane TIANI once again seized power in July 2023, detaining President BAZOUM and announcing the creation of a National Council for the Safeguarding of the Homeland (CNSP). Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world with minimal government services and insufficient funds to develop its resource base. It is ranked fourth to last in the world on the UN Development Program's Human Development Index of 2023/2024. The largely agrarian and subsistence-based economy is frequently disrupted by extended droughts common to the Sahel region of Africa. The Nigerien Government continues its attempts to diversify the economy through increased oil production and mining projects. In addition, Niger is facing increased security concerns on its borders from various external threats including insecurity in Libya, spillover from the conflict and terrorism in Mali, and violent extremism in northeastern Nigeria.
- Location
- Western Africa, southeast of Algeria.
- Climate
- Desert; mostly hot, dry, dusty; tropical in extreme south.
- Terrain
- Predominately desert plains and sand dunes; flat to rolling plains in south; hills in north.
- Highest point
- Idoukal-n-Taghes 2,022 m.
- Lowest point
- Niger River 200 m.
- Coastline
- 0 km (landlocked)
- Land borders
- Total: 5,834 km; border countries: Algeria 951 km; Benin 277 km; Burkina Faso 622 km; Chad 1,196 km; Libya 342 km; Mali 838 km; Nigeria 1,608 km.
- Major rivers
- Niger (shared with Guinea [s], Mali, Benin, and Nigeria [m]) - 4,200 km note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth.
- Major lakes
- Fresh water lake(s): Lake Chad (endorheic lake shared with Chad, Nigeria, and Cameroon) - 10,360-25,900 sq km note - area varies by season and year to year.
- Natural resources
- Uranium, coal, iron ore, tin, phosphates, gold, molybdenum, gypsum, salt, petroleum.
- Land use
- Agricultural land: 36.8% (2023 est.); arable land: 14% (2023 est.); permanent crops: 0.1% (2023 est.); permanent pasture: 22.7% (2023 est.); forest: 0.8% (2023 est.); other: 62.4% (2023 est.)
- Natural hazards
- Recurring droughts.
- Geographic note
- Landlocked; one of the hottest countries in the world; northern four-fifths is desert, southern one-fifth is savanna that is suitable for livestock and limited agriculture.
- Languages
- Hausa, Zarma, French (official), Fufulde, Tamashek, Kanuri, Gurmancema, Tagdal.
- Religions
- Muslim 95.5%, ethnic religionist 4.1%, Christian 0.3%, agnostics and other 0.1% (2020 est.)
- Ethnic groups
- Hausa 53.1%, Zarma/Songhai 21.2%, Tuareg 11%, Fulani (Peuhl) 6.5%, Kanuri 5.9%, Gurma 0.8%, Arab 0.4%, Tubu 0.4%, other/unavailable 0.9% (2006 est.)
- Economy
- Low-income Sahel economy; major instability and humanitarian crises limit economic activity; COVID-19 eliminated recent antipoverty gains; economy rebounding since December 2020 Nigerian border reopening and new investments; uranium resource rich.
From the CIA World Factbook (public domain), archived edition of 2026-01-22. The Factbook is no longer updated, so figures reflect that edition.
Niger in Numbers
- Population
- 27.92 million
- GDP
- US$21.6 billion
- GDP per person
- US$775
- Life expectancy
- 61.4 years
- Population growth
- 3.22% a year
- Population density
- 21 per km²
- Urban population
- 18.4%
- Surface area
- 1,267,000 km²
- Forest cover
- 0.8%
- Arable land
- 14.0%
- Access to electricity
- 21.3%
- Internet users
- 15.6%
Indicators from World Bank Open Data (CC BY 4.0). The year under each figure is its reference year.
Niger in Depth
History
Stone tools, some dating as far back as 280,000 years before present (BP), have been found in Adrar Bous, Bilma and Djado in the northern Agadez Region. Some of these finds have been linked with the Aterian and Mousterian tool cultures of the Middle Paleolithic period, which flourished in northern Africa circa 90,000 BP. It is thought that these humans lived a hunter-gatherer lifestyle. During the prehistoric African humid period, the climate of the Sahara was wetter and more fertile, a phenomenon archaeologists refer to as the "Green Sahara" which provided "favourable" conditions for hunting and later agriculture and livestock herding.
Geography
Niger is a landlocked nation in West Africa along the border between the Sahara and Sub-Saharan regions. 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. It lies between latitudes 11° and 24°N, and longitudes 0° and 16°E. Its area is 1.267 million km2 (489,191 mi2) of which 300 square kilometres (116 sq mi) is water. Niger borders seven countries and has a perimeter of 5,697 kilometres (3,540 mi). The longest border is with Nigeria (1,497 km or 930 mi).
The lowest point is the Niger River, with an elevation of 200 metres (656 ft). The highest point is Mont Idoukal-n-Taghès in the Aïr Mountains at 2,022 m (6,634 ft).
Economy
The economy of Niger centers on subsistence crops, livestock, and some of the world's largest uranium deposits. In 2021, Niger was the main supplier of uranium to the EU. Drought cycles, desertification, a 2.9% population growth rate—as well as a drop in world demand for uranium—have undercut the economy. Niger shares a common currency, the CFA franc, and a common central bank, the Central Bank of West African States, with seven other members of the West African Monetary Union.
In December 2000, Niger qualified for enhanced debt relief under the International Monetary Fund program for Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) and concluded an agreement with the Fund for Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility.
Demographics
As of 2021, the population was 25,252,722, which has rapidly increased from 3.4 million in 1960 and has a current growth rate of 3.3% (7.1 children per mother). This growth rate is one of the highest in the world and is a source of concern for the government and international agencies. The population is predominantly young, with 49.2% under 15 years old and 2.7% over 65 years, and predominantly rural with only 21% living in urban areas. A 2005 study states that over 800,000 people (nearly 8% of the population) in Niger are enslaved.
As in most West African countries, Niger has a wide variety of ethnic groups.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Niger (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Niger: Key Facts
| Currency | West African CFA franc |
|---|---|
| Official language | Hausa |
| Head of state | Abdourahamane Tiani |
| Head of government | Ali Lamine Zeine |
| Calling code | +227 |
| Internet domain | .ne |
| Highest point | Mont Idoukal-n-Taghès |
| Lowest point | Niger River |
| Established | 1960 |
Facts from Wikidata Q1032 (CC0).
History of Niger: Empires and States
The atlas records 7 polities whose mapped territory included part of Niger, from Bornu Empire in 1487 CE to 2024 CE. They are listed in the order they first appear.
| Polity | Period here | Extent |
|---|---|---|
| Bornu Empire | 1487–1894 CE | A small part |
| Sokoto Caliphate | 1834–1904 CE | A large part |
| French Third Republic | 1900–1939 CE | Nearly all |
| French Africa | 1900–1957 CE | Nearly all |
| The French Colonial Empire | 1900–1957 CE | Nearly all |
| French Fourth Republic | 1945–1957 CE | Nearly all |
| Republic of the Niger | 1961–2024 CE | Nearly all |
Historical Maps of Niger
Niger on the world map in each year one of these states held it:
Derived by testing mapped cities against dated territorial polygons. Dates are when the polygons cover this place, not the polity's whole lifespan, and polities absent from the source dataset are not listed.
Visiting Niger
For the Nigerian state, see Niger State
Niger (Nee-ZHAIR, rarely NY-jer) is a large, arid, landlocked country situated in the Sahel. Formerly a French colony, Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world and is largely agrarian. Negative things aside, Nigeriens in general are quite friendly and down-to earth, and you can expect to come across numerous curious faces during your stay. Chances are, you may be the first person from your country they have ever met.
Tourism in this large country is limited, but travel allows you to explore an isolated nation tucked away from the rest of the world.
Travel notes adapted from Wikivoyage: Niger (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Largest Cities in Niger
16 cities recorded. Ranked by metropolitan population. A port city's harbour is written up on the page of its sea.
| # | Name | Population | Region | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Niamey | 915,000 | Niamey | National capital |
| 2 | Maradi | 232,555 | Maradi | Admin-1 capital |
| 3 | Zinder | 230,358 | Zinder | Admin-1 capital |
| 4 | Agadez | 117,770 | Agadez | Admin-1 capital |
| 5 | Tahoua | 115,956 | Tahoua | Admin-1 capital |
| 6 | Arlit | 100,000 | Agadez | Populated place |
| 7 | Birni Nkonni | 65,252 | Tahoua | Populated place |
| 8 | Dosso | 49,750 | Dosso | Admin-1 capital |
| 9 | Gaya | 33,051 | Dosso | Populated place |
| 10 | Diffa | 30,988 | Diffa | Admin-1 capital |
| 11 | Ayorou | 26,290 | Niamey | Populated place |
| 12 | Madaoua | 24,804 | Tahoua | Populated place |
| 13 | Tillabéri | 19,262 | Niamey | Populated place |
| 14 | Nguigmi | 17,897 | Diffa | Populated place |
| 15 | Gouré | 14,639 | Zinder | Populated place |
| 16 | Djado | 10 | Agadez | Populated place |
Highest Mountains in Niger
1 mountain recorded. Ranked by summit elevation above sea level. A summit on a border is listed under both countries.
| # | Name | Elevation | Feet | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mont Bagzane | 2,022 m | 6,634 ft | Africa |
Largest Lakes in Niger
1 lake recorded. Ranked by mapped surface area. A lake on a border is listed under each country it lies in, with the area of the whole lake.
| # | Name | Surface Area | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lake Chad | 1,293 km² | Lake |
Lake Chad
Lake · 1,293 km²
Lake Chad is a lake in Chad, Cameroon, Nigeria and Niger, with a mapped surface area of about 1,293 km².
Lake Chad (Arabic: بحيرة تشاد, Kanuri: Sádǝ, French: Lac Tchad) is an endorheic freshwater lake located at the junction of four countries: Nigeria, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon, in western and central Africa respectively, with a catchment area in excess of 1,000,000 km2 (390,000 sq mi). It is an important wetland ecosystem in West-Central Africa. The lake is rich in aquatic resources and is one of the important freshwater fish- producing areas in Africa.
Lake Chad is divided into deeper southern parts and shallower northern parts. The lake's main source of water is the Chari River which has many tributaries. The water level varies greatly seasonally, and the area of the lake also changes dramatically. In the 19th century, it still had an area of 28,000 km2 (11,000 sq mi). However, due to climate change and human water diversion, the lake shrunk significantly between 1960 and 1990, the open water area decreasing from 25,000 km2 in 1960 to just 2000 km2 in 1980. The lake is now no longer estimated to be shrinking, as rainfall recovery has partially occurred. Despite the stabilisation of the lake's water volume, Lake Chad is still under threat from climate change.
Adapted from Wikipedia: Lake Chad (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Surface area
- 1,293 km²
- Area rank
- #156 of 756 indexed
- Type
- Lake
- Countries
- Chad, Cameroon, Nigeria, Niger
- Coordinates
- 13.1037°, 14.5204°
Among the 756 water bodies with a mapped extent in YearMaps, Lake Chad ranks #156 by surface area, after Lake Bienville (1,303 km²) and ahead of Ust-Ilimsk Reservoir (1,293 km²). Areas are computed from the mapped outline and are approximate.
- Watercourses:
- Komadugu Yobe (River), Chari (River)
More about Lake Chad
Geography
The Chad Basin includes Chad, Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger, Sudan, and the Central African Republic. It is an extensional fault depression type rift basin, which can be divided into four secondary structural units: southern depression, northern depression, central uplift, and eastern slope. The southern depression of the basin is characterized by an asymmetric fault depression composite rift with steep slopes in the east and gentle slopes in the west on the profile, and is distributed in an NNW direction on the plane. There are two large basin‐bounding normal faults developed on both sides of the basin, with a graben style fault and depression in the middle. The east and west sides are outward dipping low angle gentle slope areas.
Hydrology
The Chad Basin covers an area of about 1×10^6 km2 (390,000 sq mi), and is injected by the Chari, Logone, and Yobe Rivers. The water supply of the lake is seasonal. Most of the precipitation comes from the Adamawa Plateau in the south of the basin, which is transported to the lake basin through the Chari River and the Logone River. The two contribute 95% of the total inflow of Lake Chad, while the Yobe River only contributes less than 2.5%. The lake seeps through the underground to the lowest point of the Chad Basin, the Bodélé Depression, approximately 480 km (300 mi) northeast of Lake Chad, with the deepest point reaching an elevation of only 155 m (509 ft) above sea level. This takes away most of the salinity and maintains the low salinity of Lake Chad.
Prehistory and history
The Chad Basin was formed by the depression of the African Shield. The floor of the basin is made of Precambrian bedrock covered by more than 3,600 m (11,800 ft) of sedimentary deposits. For most of the Quaternary, the basin had abundant water sources. Towards the end of this period, the climate became drier. Around 20,000–40,000 years ago, eolianite sand dunes began to form in the north of the basin. The area of Lake Chad experienced four heydays between 39,000 BC and 300 BC, leaving thick diatomaceous earth and lacustrine deposits in the strata. This has been called Mega-Chad.
Ecology
Part of the Chad Basin is located within the Chad Basin National Park in Nigeria, and the country and Cameroon have established the Lake Chad Ramsar Wetland with a total area of 8,225 km2 (3,176 sq mi).
The wetland plants in the south mainly include cyperus papyrus, etc. Reeds mainly grow in the north where the salinity is high, and the floating plant pistia sometimes covers large areas of open water. Changing patterns of land use and progressive degradation have reduced diversity and resulted in a more open woodland increasingly composed of species adapted to reduced moisture. Plants such as hyparrhenia rufa grow on the shores of lakes with long floods in the south.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Lake Chad (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Lake Chad: Key Facts
| Surface area | 1,540 km² |
|---|---|
| Maximum depth | 10.5 m |
| Volume | 6.3 km³ |
| Surface elevation | 100 m |
| Inflows | Chari River, Yobe River, Ngadda River |
| Drainage system | Chad Basin |
Facts from Wikidata Q125309 (CC0).
Rivers in Niger
2 rivers recorded. Listed alphabetically. A river is listed where its mapped reach lies, so long rivers appear under more than one country.
| Name | Type | Also Flows Through |
|---|---|---|
| Komadugu Yobe | River | Nigeria, Chad |
| Niger | River | Mali, Nigeria, Guinea, Benin |
UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Niger
3 World Heritage Sites recorded. Listed by year of inscription, earliest first. Sites shared with another country appear under each.
| # | Name | Inscribed | Type | Criteria |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aïr and Ténéré National Nature Reserve | 1991 | Natural | (vii) (ix) (x) |
| 2 | W-Arly-Pendjari Complex | 1996 | Natural | (ix) (x) |
| 3 | Historic Center of Agadez | 2013 | Cultural | (ii) (iii) |
Mountain Ranges, Deserts and Landforms of Niger
8 mountain ranges, deserts and other landforms recorded. Ranked by mapped area. Covers mountain ranges, deserts, plateaus, named glaciers, plains, basins, peninsulas and capes. One that crosses a border is listed under every country it lies in, with the area of the whole feature.
| # | Name | Area | Type | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Africa | 29.41M km² | Continent | Africa |
| 2 | Sahara | 4.73M km² | Desert | Africa |
| 3 | Sahel | 1.02M km² | Plain | Africa |
| 4 | Ténéré | 348,246 km² | Desert | Africa |
| 5 | Tassili oua-n-Ahaggar | 150,456 km² | Desert | Africa |
| 6 | Jabal bin Ghunaymah | 65,977 km² | Range/mtn | Africa |
| 7 | Niger Delta | 431 km² | Delta | Africa |
| 8 | AÏR Mountains | 167 km² | Range/mtn | Africa |
Countries Bordering Niger
Land and maritime neighbours.
More Maps in Africa
Niger: Quick Answers
- What is the capital of Niger?
- The capital of Niger is Niamey.
- What is the population of Niger?
- Niger has a population of about 27.92 million, the #54 largest of 225 countries in YearMaps. Source: World Bank, 2025.
- How big is Niger?
- Niger covers 1.27M km², ranking #23 by area, with about 22 people per square kilometre.
- Which continent is Niger in?
- Niger is in Africa.
- Which countries border Niger?
- Niger shares a land or maritime border with Algeria, Chad, Mali, Benin, Burkina Faso, Libya, Nigeria.
- What is the largest city in Niger?
- Niamey is the largest city in Niger, with a metropolitan population of about 915,000.
- What is the highest mountain in Niger?
- The highest summit recorded for Niger in YearMaps is Mont Bagzane at 2,022 m (6,634 ft). Summits on a border are counted for both countries.
- What is the largest lake in Niger?
- The largest lake recorded in or bordering Niger is Lake Chad, at roughly 1,293 km².