| Population |
21 million of which 63% live below the poverty line |
| Surface |
1,267,000 km2, of which 80% is desert area
(Switzerland: 41,290 km2) |
| Capital |
Niamey (Population 2,000,000) |
| Zinder |
Population of more than 450,000 |
| Currency |
CFA Francs (Communauté Financière Africaine) |
| Official Language |
French |
| Languages |
Each ethnic group speaks its own language, but Haoussa is commonly used by the majority of the population. |
| Climate |
Hot and dry, more humid during the short rain season (usually from June to September). The short cold season lasts from December to February. From March to May temperatures reach 40ºC to 50ºC. |
| Ethnic Groups |
Haoussa: The settled Haoussa make up the majority of the population of Niger (53%). The Haoussa region in Niger lies within a triangle delimited by the towns of Dogodoutchi, Tahoua and Zinder.
Djerma-Songhaï: The settled Djerma-Songhaï inhabit the west of the country and make up 22% of the population.
Touaregs: The nomadic Touaregs mainly inhabit the desert area and make up 11% of the population. These long time herdsmen are first and foremost a people who have succeeded in adapting to the hostile environment of the regions of the Sahara.
Peuls: Spread out throughout the south of the country, from the Mali to the Tchad border, Peuls make up 10% of the population. |
In Niger, some people live on 75 cents a day.
One in four children does not live to the age of five years.
Malnutrition generally affects 40% of children under the age of fourteen.
In the region of Zinder, women give birth to an average of eight children.
With more than 21 million inhabitants, Niger is the world’s poorest country
in terms of development and education. Less than 30% of children
are educated in Niger.
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