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Niger: Geography
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Location:
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Western Africa, southeast of Algeria
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Geographic coordinates:
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16 00 N, 8 00 E
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Map references:
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Africa
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Area:
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total: 1.267 million sq km
water: 300 sq km
land: 1,266,700 sq km
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Area - comparative:
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slightly less than twice the size of Texas
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Land boundaries:
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total: 5,697 km
border countries: Algeria 956 km, Benin 266 km, Burkina Faso 628 km, Chad 1,175 km, Libya 354 km, Mali 821 km, Nigeria 1,497 km
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Coastline:
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0 km (landlocked)
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Maritime claims:
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none (landlocked)
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Climate:
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desert; mostly hot, dry, dusty; tropical in extreme south
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Terrain:
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predominately desert plains and sand dunes; flat to rolling plains in south; hills in north
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Niger River 200 m
highest point: Mont Bagzane 2,022 m
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Natural resources:
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uranium, coal, iron ore, tin, phosphates, gold, petroleum
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Land use:
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arable land: 3.94%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 96.06% (1998 est.)
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Irrigated land:
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660 sq km (1998 est.)
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Natural hazards:
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recurring droughts
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Environment - current issues:
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overgrazing; soil erosion; deforestation; desertification; wildlife populations (such as elephant, hippopotamus, giraffe, and lion) threatened because of poaching and habitat destruction
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea
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Geography - note:
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landlocked; one of the hottest countries in the world: northern four-fifths is desert, southern one-fifth is savanna, suitable for livestock and limited agriculture
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