Niger covers an area of about 1,270,000 sq. km and thus, is the largest country in West Africa. The country gained her independence on the 3rd of August 1960.
One of the World’s largest uranium deposit is in Niger. The economy of the country is based primarily on subsistence agriculture. It is a developing country that has poor educational system, infertile soil, and a great problem of overpopulation.
Islam is the predominant religion in the country as 99% of the population practices it. 0.3% of the population are Christians while 0.2% of the population adhere to traditional religious beliefs known as Animism.
The literacy rate in the country is very poor and ranks among the lowest in the world. Although, primary school education is compulsory but majority of them do not attend especially girls. During planting and harvesting seasons, the children are made to work.
Transport system in the country is somewhat poor due to the nature of the country’s environment. Most of the people do not own private cars and as such, rely on buses, vans, motorcycles, boats etc. to move around the country. There are about 27 airports in the country with 2 having regular international flights.
Rainfall in the country increases from north to south. The temperature in the north especially in the Sahara is usually high during the day and freezing cold at night. In parts of the south like in Niamey, there are records of more rainfall in the course of the year. The best time to travel to Niger is from December to Mid-February.
Due to the fact that Islam is dominant in the country, Islamic festivals are being celebrated. Christian festivals are also celebrated such as Christmas, Easter and Easter Monday. All these are observed as a national holiday including August 3rd which is their independence day.
There are several tourist attractions in the country some of which include;
- W National Park: This Park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. It is a protected area as it is a home to large mammals like elephants, leopards, cheetahs, lions, buffalos, hippos etc.
- Dabous Giraffe Rock Art: This is a rock that has two carvings of Giraffes on it and each carving is about 20ft high.