Niger - Geography
Niger - Geography, In terms of size, Niger is West Africa's largest state,
and the country extends from the Sahara in the north through the Sahel Belt to
the northern part of the Sudan Sea to the south. The vast majority are in the
tropical belt; to the south there is a short rainy season from May to August
most years.
The Sahara is characterized by stone, gravel and sand, but is interrupted by
the mountainous area of Aïr in the middle of the country. West of Aïr, since
1971, uranium has been extracted from a large open mine at Arlit. Local coal
mining supplies energy for the uranium mining. Precipitation over Aïr and high
groundwater during normal years allows the local Tuaregese a considerable animal
husbandry, and several old caravan villages, including Agadèz testifies that the
area has been the hub of caravan routes through the Sahara for
centuries. Drought years in the 1970's and 1984-85 drove many Tuaregans to
neighboring countries or to cities.
To the east of Aïr lies the great Ténéré desert. The sand formations have
named it Sahara's most beautiful desert. Accommodation is only found here in a
few oases and the salt beds in Bilma. Salt extraction and salt trade have played
a major role throughout history, and even today salt plates from Bilma are
transported by caravan the five day marches to Agadèz. South of the air begins
Sahel shrub steppe, and this moves the Fulani majority of their large
herds of Zebu cattle in the rainy season; in the dry season they migrate south
again.
The area is intersected by large dry valleys, which testify to the humid
climate of the past. The bush steppe continues, interrupted by a few oases, to
the southeastern corner of Niger, around the almost desiccated Chad Lake, where
the Canuris live. Here, near the border with Nigeria and at the
transition to savannah, is also the old trading town of Zinder, whose sultan
still holds some power. The majority of Niger's population lives on the
savannah. Local soil conditions determine the boundary of arable land, but
erosion and soil erosion have diminished the population of Hausa.traditional
farms. Also from here, the rural population fled during the drought years of the
1970's and 1980's, but many have returned and the country has been self-sufficient
in grain since the mid-1980's. However, in 1995-97, there was a drought again,
and many were drawn to the cities again. The traditional crops are millet,
sorghum and cassava with peanuts and cotton as cash crops; in the
1990's, the feed plant cow-pea (vigna bean) for the Nigerian
market has become the main selling crop.
In the southwestern corner of the country towards Benin and Burkina Faso lies
the wide plain of the Niger River, inhabited by the Djerma and Songhai people. Here
is a small area of rice cultivation, the irrigation with the water of the
Niger River, and here is Niamey, the country's capital and all-dominant center.
- SONGAAH.COM:
Are you interested in song associated with Niger? Here is where you can see
song lyrics and singer about this country.
Economics and social conditions
Cattle farming and arable farming employ approximately 80% of the population and
contribute an estimated 35% of GDP. The standard of living is very low for the
vast majority; measured in terms of the United Nations Living Conditions Index,
HDI, in 2006 Niger ranked last among the 177 countries from which
numbers. However, in a country like Niger, such figures are uncertain; For
example, the World Bank estimates that 70% of economic activity in the country
takes place in the informal sector and is thus not included in the statistics.
The foreign economy is characterized by huge loans, which include: was
admitted to food imports during the drought years and to cope with the falling
prices of the totally dominant export product, uranium. In addition, the general
government revenue is very small; Among other things, a large part of
agricultural exports takes place illegally. gasoline is smuggled across the 2000
km border to Nigeria. Falling prices of uranium led to financial crisis
1998-2001 and resulted in extensive strikes as wages for many months were not
paid. Foreign debt was reduced in 2000 by the World Bank's debt restructuring
program.
The massive escape from the agricultural districts during the drought created
large slums in the cities and many became refugees in neighboring countries. In
rainy years, many returned, but especially for Tuaregans, it was problematic to
resume nomadic living. Since the 1980's, there have been violent conflicts
involving hundreds of people killed. After foreign mediation, the Tuaregians
have been promised a certain inner self-government. The peace agreement of
1997-99 led the majority of refugees to return to Niger; the rebels were
integrated into the armed forces. On Lake Chad, there are still disputes over
grazing and fishing rights.
Niger is one of the top priority countries for Danish
development assistance, but like the other EU countries, Denmark has reduced
aid after the military coup in 1996. However, support is still being provided
for projects in the area of democracy and human rights as well as health,
women's opportunities, water and sustainable use of firewood.
Niger - language
Niger - language, approximately half the population speak the Afro-Asian language Hausa,
and approximately 1 million the Nigerian Cordoba Fulani. Nilosaharic
languages are spoken, among others. in the SV djerma (approximately 2.1
million), around Lake Chad in Lake Kanuri (approximately 420,000) and in the
oasis towns in NE teda (approximately 10,000). The Tuaregians in NV speak the
Berber language tamasheq (about 720,000). According to
AllCityPopulation.com,
the official language is
French, although less than 10% of the population can speak, read and write
French.
- Countryaah:
Do you know how many people there are in Niger? Check this site to see
population pyramid and resident density about this country.
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