Niger

Niger is more than three-quarters desert and takes its name from the river crossing its southwest. The Ténéré holds some of the emptiest inhabited land on Earth.

Niger Flag

Niger Armorial

Easy learning about Niger

The capital city of Niger is Niamey, capital city of Niger.

Word: Sahel

Meaning: semi‑arid belt

Administrative Divisions

7 regions and 1 urban community.

Regions:

Agadez
Diffa
Dosso
Maradi
Tahoua
Tillabéri
Zinder

Urban community:

Niamey

Regions and urban community of Niger map

Niger is a Country on the Sub-Saharan Africa located in the Western Africa sub-region in the continent of Africa.

0400 km (249 mi)800 km (497 mi)1200 km (746 mi)1600 km (994 mi)

Height

154 m (505 ft), 250 m (820 ft), 300 m (984 ft), 400 m (1310 ft), 550 m (1800 ft), 700 m (2300 ft), 850 m (2790 ft), 1000 m (3280 ft), 1050 m (3440 ft), Max altitude 1992 m (6540 ft)

Height from west to east in Niger

Height from south to north in Niger

1Niger156 to 226 m

Population of Niger, 1960–2025

The World Bank: Population, total (SP.POP.TOTL): United Nations Population Division, national statistical offices

Natural Earth · GEBCO 2026 Grid

Basic Information

Capital City: Niamey, capital city of Niger

Population: 27,917,831 (World Bank)

Area: 1,267,000 km² / 787,276 sq mi

People from Niger are called: Nigeriens

Geography

Latitude: 17.446° N

Longitude: 9.504° E

Geographical Subregion: Western Africa

Intermediary Region: Sub-Saharan Africa

Continental Region: Africa

Highest Elevation Point: Mont Idoukal-n-Taghès (2 022 m)

Lowest point: Niger River (200 m)

Borders

Chad — Land border
Benin — Land border
Algeria — Land border
Libya — Land border
Burkina Faso — Land border

Citizenship & Passport

Passport Ranking: 81 (HP Index)

Visa-Free Destinations: 54

Climate

desert; mostly hot, dry, dusty; tropical in extreme south

Global Indices

Global Peace Index Rank: 146 (GPI)

Global Peace Index Score: 2.832 (GPI)

Economy

GDP per Capita: $750 (IMF)

GDP per Capita Position: 187

Currency: Franc

Currency Code: XOF

Human Development

HDI Rank: 188 (UNDP)

HDI Value: 0.419

Mean Years of Schooling: 1.4

Expected Years of Schooling: 8.3

Life Expectancy at Birth: 61.2 Years

Religion

Most Predominant: Muslim

Second Most Predominant: Christian

LGBTI Rights

Legal Status: Illegal (ILGA)

Legal Mechanism: N/A

Death Penalty: Yes

Maximum Prison Sentence: 20 Years

Physical Punishment: No

Technical Information

Time Zone: UTC+01:00

Official website: presidence.ne

TLD: .ne

Calling Code: +227

MapGeo Name: Niger

MapGeo Code: NE