Every year since 1990, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has prepared and released a report analyzing the state of development across the world’s nations. [72][73], Maj. Daouda Malam Wanké then took over, establishing a transitional National Reconciliation Council to oversee the drafting of a constitution with a French-style semi-presidential system. Analysis - The recent discovery of 71 bodies in six mass graves in Niger is not an isolated incident. In December 2000, Niger qualified for enhanced debt relief under the International Monetary Fund program for Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) and concluded an agreement with the Fund for Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF). A constitutional referendum and national elections were held. The reserve lacked proper management to ensure a healthy ecosystem. Aside from Nigerien radio stations, the BBC's Hausa service is listened to on FM repeaters across wide parts of the country, particularly in the south, close to the border with Nigeria. In the extreme south there is a tropical climate on the edges of the Niger River basin. Lewicki, T. (1994). [40], The Songhai Empire was named for its main ethnic group, the Songhai or Sonrai, and was centred on the bend of the Niger River in modern Mali. Niger has a population of 16,068,994 as at 2011 and this number is very much concentrated in the south and western parts of the country. An attempted coup against him in 2011 was thwarted and its ringleaders arrested. These subdivisions were administered by officials appointed by the national government. [43] Under king Sonni Ali (r. 1464–1492) Songhai adopted an expansionist policy which reached its apogee during the reign of Askia Mohammad I (r. 1493–1528); at this point the empire had expanded considerably from its Niger-bend heartland, including to the east where much of modern western Niger fell under its rule, including Agadez, which was conquered in 1496. In the past, foreign aid has contributed to large percentages of the budget. Niger or the Niger[10][11] (/niːˈʒɛər/ or /ˈnaɪdʒər/;[12][13] French: [niʒɛʁ]), officially the Republic of the Niger,[10][11] is a landlocked country in West Africa named after the Niger River. [53][45] Bawo was the only son of the Hausa queen Daurama and Bayajidda or (Abu Yazid according to certain Nigerien historians) who came from Baghdad. The Niger River is the principal river of West Africa, extending about 4,180 km. The importance of external support for Niger's development is demonstrated by the fact that about 45% of the government's FY 2002 budget, including 80% of its capital budget, derives from donor resources. [38] Meanwhile, trouble re-emerged in Agadez Region when a group of armed Tuaregs attacked the town of Tchintabaraden (generally seen as the start of the first Tuareg Rebellion), prompting a severe military crackdown which led to many deaths (the precise numbers are disputed, with estimates ranging from 70 to up to 1,000). Until the 1990s, government and politics was inordinately dominated by Niamey and the Zarma people of the surrounding region. [32] The Neolithic era also saw the flourishing of Saharan rock art, most notably in the Aïr Mountains, Termit Massif, Djado Plateau, Iwelene, Arakao, Tamakon, Tzerzait, Iferouane, Mammanet and Dabous; the art spans the period from 10,000BC to 100AD and depicts a range of subjects, from the varied fauna of the landscape to depictions of spear-carrying figures dubbed 'Libyan warriors'.[33][34][35]. In a coup d'état in February 2010, a military junta led by captain Salou Djibo was established in response to Tandja's attempted extension of his political term by modifying the constitution. The significance of the Niger River cannot be overemphasized. On 18 December 1958, an autonomous Republic of Niger was officially created under the leadership of Hamani Diori. As recently as the late 19th century, much of the south center of the nation was unreached by Islam, and the conversion of some rural areas has been only partial. where a burial replete with many iron and ceramic statuettes were discovered. Niger has been a member of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie since 1970. Religious freedom is protected by Article 30 of the same constitution. Moreover, land potential for agriculture is very unevenly distributed among Niger’s regions, with the southern regions providing nearly 98 percent of the arable land. Niger. Its neighbours Chad, Burkina Faso and Mali are all in the bottom 10. Niger maintains a special relationship with former colonial power France and has close relations with its West African neighbors. Mamoudou Djibo. [44] The Hausa Kingdoms began as seven states founded, according to the Bayajidda legend, by the six sons of Bawo. At the same time the plurality of the population, in the Hausa borderlands between Birni-N'Konni and Maine-Soroa, have often looked culturally more to Hausaland in Nigeria than Niamey. [65] Whilst political prisoners of the Diori regime were released after the coup and the country was stabilised, political and individual freedoms in general deteriorated during this period. [63] The 1960s were largely peaceful, and saw a large expansion of the education system and some limited economic development and industrialisation. [19] Tuareg resistance continued however, culminating in the Kaocen revolt of 1916–17, led by Ag Mohammed Wau Teguidda Kaocen, with backing from the Senussi in Fezzan; the revolt was violently suppressed and Kaocen fled to Fezzan, where he was later killed. [45] Many of these surviving states harassed the Caliphate and a long period of small-scale wars and skirmishes commenced, with some states (such as Katsina and Gobir) maintaining independence, whereas elsewhere new ones were formed (such as the Sultanate of Tessaoua). L'aménagement linguistique dans le monde, "Nigerien – definition of Nigerien in English from the Oxford Dictionaries", "Report for Selected Country Groups and Subjects (PPP valuation of country GDP)", World Economic Outlook Database, January 2018, "World Economic Outlook Database. Future growth may be sustained by exploitation of oil, gold, coal, and other mineral resources. Mamadou brought about many administrative and economic reforms that had been halted due to the military coups since the Third Republic, as well as helped peacefully resolve a decades-long boundary dispute with Benin. On 24 July 2004, the first municipal elections in the history of Niger were held to elect local representatives, previously appointed by the government. Nohlen, D, Krennerich, M & Thibaut, B (1999), Walter S. Clarke, "The National Conference Phenomenon and the Management of Political Conflict in Sub-Saharan Africa," in, CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (. As per the constitution, a run-off election was held on 20 February 2021, with Bazoum taking 55.75% of the vote and opposition candidate (and former President) Mahamane Ousmane taking 44.25%, according to the electoral commission. Les journalistes refusent la mise sous tutelle, Niger: Emergency legislation infringes non-derogable human rights, Unesco manuscript on child work and schooling in Niger, Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, Community of Sahel–Saharan States (CEN-SAD), African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, Agence de Coopération Culturelle et Technique, Prix des cinq continents de la francophonie, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Niger&oldid=1015966921, French-speaking countries and territories, Member states of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, States and territories established in 1960, Articles with French-language sources (fr), CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown, Wikipedia indefinitely move-protected pages, Wikipedia pages semi-protected against vandalism, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles needing additional references from August 2020, All articles needing additional references, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2013, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2006, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2018, Pages using Sister project links with default search, Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz area identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SUDOC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with TDVİA identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 4 April 2021, at 17:01. [19] As the climate changed in the period 4000–2800 BC the Sahara gradually began drying out, forcing a change in settlement patterns to the south and east. [85] However, no candidate won an absolute majority in the vote: Mohamed Bazoum came closest with 39.33%. As of 2006[update] there were 265 communes, including communes urbaines (Urban Communes: as subdivisions of major cities), communes rurales (Rural Communes), in sparsely populated areas and postes administratifs (Administrative Posts) for largely uninhabited desert areas or military zones. Population: 17.83 million (2013) World Bank. [38], Saibou significantly curtailed the most repressive aspects of the Kountché era (such as the secret police and media censorship), and set about introducing a process of political reform under the overall direction of a single party (the Mouvement National pour la Société du Développement, or MNSD). Their history does not fit easily within the modern boundaries of Niger, which were created during the period of European colonialism; the following adopts a roughly chronological account of the main empires. A new electoral code was adopted to reflect the decentralization context. Its total area is 1,270,000 sq. [62] On 11 July 1960, Niger decided to leave the French Community and acquired full independence on 3 August 1960; Diori thus became the first president of the country. Travel & Tourism. The military took over the country and President Tandja was put in prison, charged with corruption. [110][111] Hausa and Zarma-Songhai, the two most spoken languages, are widely spoken throughout the country as first or second languages. Niger, in the long form of the Republic of Niger, is a steppe country in West Africa, located between Algeria to the north-northwest, Libya to the northeast, Chad to the east, Nigeria to the south, Benin to the south-southwest, Burkina Faso and Mali to the west-southwest. Our vision is to make disciples where Christ is least known. Their organisation was hierarchical though also somewhat democratic: the Hausa kings were elected by the notables of the country and could be removed by them. Niger is divided into 7 Regions and one capital district. Despite being one of West Africa’s largest countries, Niger is among the least populated; moving around is easier here compared with doing so in other highly populated or congested countries in Africa. As a reflection of Niger's increasing population, the unicameral National Assembly was expanded in 2004 to 113 deputies elected for a five-year term under a majority system of representation. The events generated severe political and social unrest throughout the country.[38]. The Saharan terrain is often baked by the scorching sun, however for 18-year-old Rimana Issoufou Hassane Mayak, the climate that West Africa: Feeding the future through education in Niger. U.S. Department of State. This makes it slightly less than twice the size of France, and the world's twenty-second largest country.[88]. We live in a world permeated by an evil that has invaded and corrupted every aspect of life, leaving humankind separated from the Creator and trapped in sin. The reserve is…, Arakao ou la pince de crabe dans l'Aïr ©Richard Julia, De Tabelot à Timia dans l'Aïr ©Richard Julia, W National Park, Niger © Gray Tappan/USGS, Agricultural landscape in the commune of Tondikandia, Tillaberi © Suzanne Cotillon/SGT, Temet, Niger: a wadi in the Sahara © Michiel Kupers, Timia, Aïr Mountains, Niger © Michiel Kupers, The Deforestation of the Upper Guinean Forest, Transforming farmlands through farmer-managed re-greening: The success story in southern Niger, Food insecurity drives deforestation in the Tamou Total Faunal Reserve. [19] Iron and copper items first appear in this era, with early find including those at Azawagh, Takedda, Marendet and the Termit Massif. [38] The Saibou regime acquiesced to these demands by the end of 1990. [38] However, perceived threats to French rule, such as the Kobkitanda rebellion in Dosso Region (1905–06), led by the blind cleric Alfa Saibou, and the Karma revolt in the Niger valley (December 1905–March 1906) led by Oumarou Karma were suppressed with force, as were the latter Hamallayya and Hauka religious movements. [19] Formerly a small trading post inhabited by a mixture of Hausa and Tuaregs, the sultanate grew rich due to its strategic position on the Trans-Saharan trade routes. It restored the semi-presidential system of government of the 1999 constitution (Fifth Republic) in which the president of the republic, elected by universal suffrage for a five-year term, and a prime minister named by the president share executive power. Niger's new constitution was approved on 31 October 2010. Over 80% of its land area lies in the Sahara Desert. [1] Each is spoken as a first language primarily by the ethnic group with which it is associated. Islam is the most dominant religion, practiced by 99.3% of the population according to the 2012 census.[112]. There are also some tiny Boudouma and Songhay animist communities in the southwest.[113]. Government finance is derived revenue exports (Mining, oil and agricultural exports) as well as various forms of taxes collected by the government. [124] Children are often forced to work rather than attend school, particularly during planting or harvest periods. [38] The first action of the military government was to address the food crisis. WEST AFRICA ∙ Literacy in Niger, where only one in five adults can read. [38] However the poor security situation in the region is thought to have allowed elements of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) to gain a foothold in the country. The pre-2002 departments (renamed as regions) and capital district are: The economy of Niger centers on subsistence crops, livestock, and some of the world's largest uranium deposits. A few samples of pyramid deterioration below. [19][38][60] Though largely successful in subduing the sedentary populations of the south, the French faced considerably more difficulty with the Tuareg in the north (centered on the Sultanate of Aïr in Agadez), and France was unable to occupy Agadez until 1906. It borders Nigeria and Benin to the south, Burkina Faso and Mali to the west, Algeria and Libya to the north and Chad to the east. A majority of the population lives in rural areas and has little access to advanced education. Tenere FM also runs a national independent television station of the same name. The Voulet-Chanoine Mission was marred by numerous atrocities, and became notorious for pillaging, looting, raping and killing many local civilians on its passage throughout southern Niger. [38] In April 1995 a peace deal with the main Tuareg rebel group was signed, with the government agreeing to absorb some former rebels into the military and, with French assistance, help others return to a productive civilian life. The majority of Muslims in Niger are Sunni, 7% are Shi'a, 5% are Ahmadiyya and 20% non-denominational. [124] The primary school enrollment and attendance rates are low, particularly for girls. From 29 July to 3 November, a national conference gathered together all elements of society to make recommendations for the future direction of the country. Additional education occurs through madrasas. [38] Kountché died in November 1987 from a brain tumour, and was succeeded by his chief of staff, Col. Ali Saibou, who was confirmed as Chief of the Supreme Military Council four days later. During the Second World War, during which time mainland France was occupied by Nazi Germany, Charles de Gaulle issued the Brazzaville Declaration, declaring that the French colonial empire would be replaced post-war with a less centralised French Union. 1312–1337). Niger's armed forces have a long history of military cooperation with France and the United States. Prior to the Third Republic, Nigeriens only had access to tightly controlled state media. Lt. Paul Joalland, Klobb's former officer, and Lt. Led by Tuareg tribes from the north, camels were as a well-adapted means of transportation through what was now an immense desert. Nigeria and Benin border it to the south, Mali and Burkina Faso to the west, Libya and Algeria to the north, and Chad to the east. [38], Despite the restriction in freedom, the country enjoyed improved economic development as Kountché sought to create a 'development society', funded largely by the uranium mines in Agadez Region.