COUNTRY IN PERSPECTIVE NIGER Village, Saga, Tillaberi Flickr / YoTuT DLIFLC DEFENSE LANGUAGE INSTITUTE FOREIGN LANGUAGE CENTER COUNTRY IN PERSPECTIVE | NIGER TABLE OF CONTENT Geography Introduction ................................................................................................................... 6 Geographic Divisions and Topographic Features .................................................. 7 Aïr Massif ..............................................................................................................7 Talak Region .........................................................................................................8 Ténéré Desert ......................................................................................................8 High Plateaus .......................................................................................................9 The Sahel ..............................................................................................................9 Niger River Basin ...............................................................................................10 Bodies of Water ...........................................................................................................10 Niger River ..........................................................................................................10 Lake Chad ........................................................................................................... 11 Komadugu Yobe River ...................................................................................... 12 Climate ..........................................................................................................................12 Major Cities ..................................................................................................................13 Niamey ................................................................................................................ 13 Zinder ................................................................................................................... 14 Maradi ..................................................................................................................14 Tahoua .................................................................................................................15 Agadez .................................................................................................................15 Arlit .......................................................................................................................16 Environmental Concerns and Natural Hazards .....................................................16 Endnotes for Chapter 1: Geography ........................................................................17 Assessment ................................................................................................................ 20 History Introduction ................................................................................................................. 21 Ancient History ........................................................................................................... 22 Medieval History ........................................................................................................ 23 Kanem-Bornu Empire .......................................................................................23 The Tuareg Sultanate........................................................................................23 Early Modern History ................................................................................................ 24 Mali Empire ........................................................................................................24 Songhai Empire .................................................................................................24 Sultanate of Damagaram .................................................................................25 Modern History ........................................................................................................... 25 2 COUNTRY IN PERSPECTIVE | NIGER French Colonial Era ..........................................................................................25 Afrique Occidentale Française (French West Africa) .......................................... 26 Post World War II ...................................................................................................... 27 Independence ............................................................................................................. 28 Hamani Diori Presidency ..................................................................................28 Military Rule ........................................................................................................28 Return to Civilian Rule ......................................................................................29 Return to Military Rule ......................................................................................30 Twenty-First Century ................................................................................................. 30 2010 Military Coup ............................................................................................31 Issoufou Mahamadou Presidency .......................................................................... 32 Current Events............................................................................................................ 33 Endnotes for Chapter 2: History .............................................................................. 35 Assessment ................................................................................................................ 40 Economy Introduction ..................................................................................................................41 Agriculture ................................................................................................................... 42 Natural Resources ..................................................................................................... 43 Uranium ...............................................................................................................43 Gold......................................................................................................................44 Petroleum ............................................................................................................45 Energy.......................................................................................................................... 46 Trade ............................................................................................................................ 46 Banking and Finance .................................................................................................47 Services and Industry ............................................................................................... 48 Standard of Living ...................................................................................................... 48 Future Outlook ............................................................................................................ 49 Endnotes for Chapter 3: Economy .......................................................................... 50 Assessment ................................................................................................................ 54 Society Introduction ................................................................................................................. 55 Ethnic and Linguistic Groups ................................................................................... 56 Hausa ..................................................................................................................56 Djerma-Songhai (Zarma) .................................................................................57 Tuareg ..................................................................................................................57 Fulani (Peul) .......................................................................................................58 3 COUNTRY IN PERSPECTIVE | NIGER Kanuri .................................................................................................................58 Gurma ..................................................................................................................58 Igdalen .................................................................................................................59 Toubou .................................................................................................................59 Religion ........................................................................................................................ 59 Islam ....................................................................................................................60 Christianity ..........................................................................................................61 Baha’ism ..............................................................................................................61 Indigenous Practices .........................................................................................61 Gender Issues ............................................................................................................ 62 Education ...................................................................................................................