Niger
Africa · Niamey · NE
Niger is the immense, landlocked country of the heart of the Sahel, the republic of the Sahara desert that spreads the golden dunes, the ancient rock wilderness and the dramatic valleys of the vast interior of West Africa. The country, named for the great river that crosses its south-western corner, holds the extraordinary historic cities of the desert trade with their clay architecture, and the enormous desert massifs and the parks of the south with their last wildlife of the region. The capital of the country, the Niamey, spreads beside the wide river with its markets, its museums and its new bridge, and the legendary beauty and the ancient culture of the desert towns complete the picture of the country of the two worlds of sand and river. The people of the country, the Tuareg of the desert, the Hausa of the markets and the Zarma of the river, give Niger its proud, welcoming and deeply historic identity.
Overview
Niger is a country in Africa. Its capital is Niamey and the international dialling code is +227. Languages commonly used in everyday life here include French. Local currency is the West African CFA franc (XOF). We also list 1 city in Niger: Niamey.
The City of the Agadez and the Mosque of the Clay
The city of the Agadez, the great gateway of the desert in the north of the country, is the pearl of the Sahelian architecture of the region, famous for the extraordinary mud mosque of its skyline. The tall minaret of the mosque, the needle of the clay that rises from the centre of the city, is the highest mud construction in the world, and the old city of the Agadez, threaded with the narrow alleys of the mud houses and the great squares of the camel trade, preserves the historic character of the desert town. The camel caravans that still arrive in the great square of the city and the fine silver and leather work of the artisans, together with the festivals of the desert that draw the nomads, give the Agadez its lasting, storied place at the heart of the Sahara.
The Dunes of the Tenere and the Wilderness of the Sand
The desert of the Tenere, the vast sea of the golden dunes of the east of the country, is among the great sand wildernesses of the planet, a landscape of the enormous rolling dunes and the gravel flats so immense and empty that the explorers gave it the name of the desert of the desert. The desert, which lies between the great rock massifs, held an extraordinary collection of the fossilized remains of the ancient megafauna, from the dinosaurs of the cretaceous to the giant creatures of the later ages, and the expeditions of the paleontologists have made the Tenere famous among the scientific world. The caravan routes and the oases of the sands, the isolated camps of the Tuareg nomads and the wild, endless horizons of the sea of the dunes complete the picture of the great empty heart of the country of the sand.
The Rock Art of the Air and the Mountains of the Massif
The massif of the Air, the extraordinary mountain group of the north of the country that rises like the island of the rock from the desert sea, is the dramatic highland world of the Sahara of Niger, with its jagged granite peaks, its watered valleys and its deep gorges. The massif, which the Tuareg call the mountain of the Air, shelters the acacia valleys and the palm groves of the canyon lands, and the villages of the pastoralists hold the sparse life of the high desert oases. The gorges and the cave walls preserve an extraordinary gallery of the ancient rock art, the painted and the engraved herds of the cattle and the antelopes of the fertile past of the Sahara, and the excursions with the Tuareg guides and the nights under the stars reveal the hidden grandeur of the high desert of the country.
The Giraffes of the Koure and the Last Herds of the Wild
The region of the Koure, on the southern borders of the desert of the country between the river and the bush, protects the last free-ranging population of the West African giraffe, the remarkable herd of the gentle giants that grazes the acacia of the area. The giraffes of the Koure, numbering around six hundred animals descended from the last survivors of the great herds of the west, are protected by the cooperation of the villages and the conservation of the government, and the jeep excursions that locate the herds give the rare and moving encounter with the gentle megafauna of the Sahel. The surrounding river and bush, together with the babbler birds of the region, complete the picture of the wild heart that survives in the far west of the country.
The River of the Niger and the Boats of the Capital
The river of the Niger, the great waterway that gives the country its name and crosses the corner of the nation of the western lands, is the green, fertile lifeline of the desert republic, with its riverine forest, its farms and its dense islands of the people. The capital of the Niamey, the busy city that spreads along the north bank of the wide river, holds the markets, the great mosque and the national museum, whose living collections of the crafts, the animals and the songs of the Sahel peoples make one of the most beloved museums of the region. The islands and the pirogue traffic of the river, from the fishing villages of the sandbanks to the boat trade of the capital, keep the great artery alive, and the river cruises, with their sunsets and their birdlife, complete the green and gentle face of the republic.
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- Capital
- Niamey
- Currency
- West African CFA franc (XOF)
- Languages
- French
- Calling code
- +227
- Internet TLD
- ne
Entry requirements
Check who can enter →See which passports travel visa-free or need a visa to enter Niger.
Cities (1)
All cities →Frequently asked questions
What is the capital of Niger?
Niamey is the capital of Niger, and the country sits in Africa.
What currency is used in Niger?
You pay with West African CFA franc (XOF) in Niger. Exchange rates move day to day, so check the current rate before you change money or use your card abroad.
Which languages do people speak in Niger?
The languages we list for Niger are French. A couple of greetings in the local language go a long way when you travel, even in cities where another language is widely used.
What is the international dialling code for Niger?
The dialling code for Niger is +227 — keep the plus sign when you save the number.
Which cities in Niger do you cover?
Our guide lists 1 city for Niger: Niamey (capital).