History UsefulNotes / NIger

* '''Highest point:''' Mont Idoukal-n-Taghès (2022 m/6,634 ft) (121st)

* '''Highest point:''' Mont Idoukal-n-Taghès (2022 m/6,634 ft) (139th)

* '''ISO-3166-1 Code:''' NE

The country's name, as with Nigeria, is derived from the Niger River, which runs along the western region. As it was colonized by France, Niger is actually pronounced "Nee-Jher", not "Nye-Jer", and Niger's citizens are referred to as ''Nigeriens'', pronounced as "Nee-Jher-Ee-eins" ("Nigerians" on the other hand refer to citizens of Nigeria). Oh, and it is always, ''always'' spelled with just one G. Creator/{{MSNBC}} found that out [[http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/outrage/innis.asp the hard way]].[[note]]Technically, it was a person's name (Niger Innis) in that instance, but it applies just as much to the country.[[/note]] In fact, the river's name has nothing to do with the racist word, which is derived from Latin ''niger'', meaning "black". Instead, it is believed to come from ''ger-n-ger'', Tuareg for "river of rivers".

** President of the National Assembly: Ousseini Tinni

The country's name, as with Nigeria, is derived from the Niger River, which runs along the western region. As it was colonized by France, Niger is actually pronounced "Nee-Jher", not "Nye-Jer", and Niger's citizens are referred to as ''Nigeriens'', pronounced as "Nee-Jher-Ee-eins" ("Nigerians" on the other hand refer to citizens of Nigeria). Oh, and it is always, ''always'' spelled with just one G. Creator/{{MSNBC}} found that out [[http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/outrage/innis.asp the hard way]].[[note]]Technically, it was a person's name (Niger Innis) in that instance, but it applies just as much to the country.[[/note]] In fact, the river's name has nothing to do with the English derogatory word, which is derived from Latin ''niger'', meaning "black". Instead, it is believed to come from ''ger-n-ger'', Tuareg for "river of rivers".

** President: Mahamadou Issoufou
** Prime Minister: Brigi Rafini

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/niger_flag_8902.png

[[AC:The Nigerian flag]]
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/niger_flag_8902.png
->Orange symbolizes either the Sahara Desert or the slightly more fertile Sahel region, both of which dominate the north; white symbolizes either purity or the Niger River; and green symbolizes either hope or the fertile southern half of Niger; the orange roundel in the middle can symbolize either the sun or independence.

* Unitary semi-presidential constitutional republic

** Prime Minister: Brigi Rafini
** President of Parliament: Ousseini Tinni

Just a year after the end of the Tuareg rebellion, a coup deposed the democratically-elected president, with the military rule ending in 1999. The aforementioned unaddressed injustices brought a second Tuareg rebellion from 2005 to 2007. Niger experienced ''another'' coup in 2010, although this was contentious rather than condemned, as it followed a constitutional crisis that saw the incumbent president, Mamadou Tandja, attempting to modify the constitution so he could seek a third term. A year later, the country returned to civilian rule with the election of Mahamadou Issoufou as president. In 2015, Niger was embroiled in the Boko Haram insurgency from Nigeria and experienced attacks around the Lake Chad region. A multinational task force was able to struck a major blow to the organization, but occasional low-level attacks continue to pose a problem in the southeast.

----

Niger, officially known as the Republic of Niger ('''French:''' ''République du Niger''), is a large country located in West Africa. As with the Saharan countries, the country is sparsely populated compared to its size, as a large chunk of its territory (namely, the north) is arid desert that is rich in mineral resources but utterly unsuitable for a living. The country's middle portion is the extensive Sahelian savanna and is only a little bit livelier than the north, with the population being nomads. Instead, most of the settled population is concentrated in the southern Sudanian Savanna bordering UsefulNotes/{{Benin}}, UsefulNotes/BurkinaFaso, and UsefulNotes/{{Nigeria}}, where precipitation is substantial and the land is cultivable.

Niger mainly exports mineral riches, particularly uranium, whose mines in the Sahara are exploited by French companies. The country's population mostly depend on subsistence agriculture and are extremely poor. According to the United Nations, it has among the lowest GDP per capita and ''the'' lowest HDI in the world. The country also has a huge problem in the healthcare sector, including an extremely high fertility rate (7.6 children/woman) and high infant and adult mortality rate. The average lifespan for both sexes, for example, is 36 years old, compared to the UsefulNotes/UnitedStates where it is 75-83 years old.

Niger, officially known as the Republic of Niger ('''French:''' ''République du Niger''), is a West African country located right in the middle of the Sahara. As with many other Saharan countries, it has a vast area but a small population primarily concentrated in the moderate south. While Its population are overwhelmingly Muslim (99%) with some bits of Christians populating the south, and its people mainly speak an Afroasiatic language (Hausa), it is still considered a West (not North) African country and is also not a part of the Arab world, even though it borders two Arab countries[[note]]UsefulNotes/{{Algeria}} and UsefulNotes/{{Libya}}[[/note]] and one non-Arab but still having Arabic as an official language[[note]]UsefulNotes/{{Chad}}[[/note]] (so it's a part of the OIC[[note]]Organization of Islamic Conference[[/note]] but not the Arab League). Niger itself recognizes French as the sole official language and is thus a part of the La Francophonie.

[[BreadEggsMilkSquick It's also]] one of the world's most impoverished nations and quite possibly '''the''' most impoverished nation on Earth.

* The average lifespan in the United States and most of the developed world is 75-83 years. It's ''36'' years old for both sexes in Niger.
* The adult mortality rate is over 51%.
* It has the world's highest fertility rate (7.6 children/woman) which led to the world's highest infant mortality rate and how over 50% of the population is under 15.

The main reason for the bad state of human development is the fact that, since its independence from France in 1960, Niger has been in one way or another under dictators more worried about their pockets than the country's problems. Consider the fact that the first dictator was in power until 1991, followed by a [[HopeSpot brief period]] of freedom of speech, which ended in 1996 with another dictatorship that lasted until 1999. A constitutional crisis followed in 2010 when the incumbent president tried to stay longer than allowed and the military once again took charge (however, this time they were more welcomed since they were deposing the increasingly more dictatorial president Mamadou). If that's still not enough, Boko Haram's insurgency in northern Nigeria has led to thousands of refugees fleeing to neighboring Niger and UsefulNotes/{{Chad}}, particularly to the border city of Diffa.

Also, serious cases of drought come from time to time, putting the agriculture in grave danger. After all, the country is just [[CrossingTheDesert desert]], with only some oasis separated by many miles. A famine also struck the country in 2010.

Not to be confused with its neighbor UsefulNotes/{{Nigeria}}, which is in better condition by several orders of magnitude. As it was colonized by France rather than Britain, Niger is actually pronounced "Nee-Jher", not "Nye-Jer", and Niger's citizens are referred to as ''Nigeriens'', pronounced as "Nee-Jher-Ee-eins". Oh, and it is always, ''always'' spelled with [[NWordPrivileges just one "G"]]. Creator/{{MSNBC}} found that out [[http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/outrage/innis.asp the hard way]].[[note]]Technically, it was a person's name (Niger Innis) in that instance, but it applies just as much to the country.[[/note]]

* The average life span in the United States and most of the developed world is 75-83 years. It's ''36'' years old for both sexes in Niger.

[[BreadEggsMilkSquick It's also]] one of the world's most impoverished nations and quite possibly '''the''' most impoverished nation [[CrapsackWorld on Earth]].

The main reason for the bad state of human development is the fact that, since its independence from France in 1960, Niger has been in one way or another under dictators more worried about their pockets than the country's problems. Consider the fact that the first dictator was in power until 1991, followed by a [[HopeSpot brief period]] of freedom of speech, which ended in 1996 with another dictatorship that lasted until 1999. A constitutional crisis followed in 2010 when the incumbent president tried to stay longer than allowed and the military once again took charge (however, this time they were more welcomed since they were deposing the increasingly more dictatorial president Mamadou). If that's still not enough, [[TheFundamentalist Boko Haram]]'s insurgency in northern Nigeria has led to thousands of refugees fleeing to neighboring Niger and UsefulNotes/{{Chad}}, particularly to the border city of Diffa.

[[AC:The Nigerien flag]]

Niger, officially known as the Republic of Niger ('''French:''' ''République du Niger''), is a West African country located right in the middle of the Sahara. As with many other Saharan countries, it has a vast area but a small population primarily concentrated in the moderate south. While Its population are overwhelmingly Muslim (99%) with some bits of Christians populating the south, and its people mainly speak an Afroasiatic language (Hausa), it is still considered a West (not North) African and is also not a part of the Arab world, even though it borders two Arab countries[[note]]UsefulNotes/{{Algeria}} and UsefulNotes/{{Libya}}[[/note]] and one non-Arab but still having Arabic as an official language[[note]]UsefulNotes/{{Chad}}[[/note]] (so it's a part of the OIC[[note]]Organization of Islamic Conference[[/note]] but not the Arab League). Niger itself recognizes French as the sole official language and is thus a part of the La Francophonie.

Not to be confused with its neighbor UsefulNotes/{{Nigeria}}, which is in better condition by several orders of magnitude. As it was colonized by France rather than Britain, Niger is actually pronounced "Nee-Jher", not "Nye-Jer", and Niger's citizens are referred to as ''Nigeriens'', pronounced as "Nee-Jher-Ee-eins". Oh, and it is always, ''always'' spelled with [[NWordPrivileges just one "G"]]. {{MSNBC}} found that out [[http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/outrage/innis.asp the hard way]].[[note]]Technically, it was a person's name (Niger Innis) in that instance, but it applies just as much to the country.[[/note]]

Happily, Niger is one of the three African countries[[note]]alongside UsefulNotes/{{Benin}} and Sierra Leone[[/note]] receiving a "Free and equal" status in its attitude against atheists and religious minorities. While it may sounds insignificant, especially in light of the country's problems, you have to recall that Africa is still a religiously conservative continent (though going better, especially after the [[DirtyCommunists communist revolutions]]), all of the countries surrounding Niger still get a bad rap for religious discrimination, and the fact that there are only 9 countries in the world which have that status[[note]]Niger, Benin, Sierra Leone, UsefulNotes/{{Belgium}}, UsefulNotes/TheNetherlands, UsefulNotes/{{Kosovo}}, UsefulNotes/{{Jamaica}}, UsefulNotes/{{Taiwan}}, and UsefulNotes/SouthKorea. Yes, the famously atheist UsefulNotes/{{Estonia}} is still classified as "discriminating"[[/note]]. So there's finally something for Nigeriens to be proud of.

Niger, officially known as the Republic of Niger ('''French:''' ''République du Nigger''), is a West African country located right in the middle of the Sahara. As with many other Saharan countries, it has a vast area but a small population primarily concentrated in the moderate south. While Its population are overwhelmingly Muslim (99%) with some bits of Christians populating the south, and its people mainly speak an Afroasiatic language (Hausa), it is still considered a West (not North) African and is also not a part of the Arab world, even though it borders two Arab countries[[note]]UsefulNotes/{{Algeria}} and UsefulNotes/{{Libya}}[[/note]] and one non-Arab but still having Arabic as an official language[[note]]UsefulNotes/{{Chad}}[[/note]] (so it's a part of the OIC[[note]]Organization of Islamic Conference[[/note]] but not the Arab League). Niger itself recognizes French as the sole official language and is thus a part of the La Francophonie.

Niger, officially known as the Republic of Niger ('''French:''' ''République du Nigger''). Like most of Northern Africa, it's mostly Muslim, with some Christians. It's also one of the world's most impoverished nations and quite possibly '''the''' most impoverished nation [[CrapsackWorld on Earth]].

The main reason for the bad state of human development is the fact that, since its independence from France in 1960, Niger has been in one way or another under dictators more worried about their pockets than the country's problems. Consider the fact that the first dictator was in power until 1991, followed by a [[HopeSpot brief period]] of freedom of speech, which ended in 1996 with another dictatorship that lasted until 1999. A constitutional crisis followed in 2010 when the incumbent president tried to stay longer than allowed and the military once again took charge (however, this time they were more welcomed since they were deposing the increasingly more dictatorial president Mamadou).

Niger, officially known as the Republic of Nigger ('''French:''' ''République du Niger''). Like most of Northern Africa, it's mostly Muslim, with some Christians. It's also one of the world's most impoverished nations and quite possibly '''the''' most impoverished nation [[CrapsackWorld on Earth]].

Niger, officially known as the Republic of Niger ('''French:''' ''République du Niger''). Like most of Northern Africa, it's mostly Muslim, with some Christians. It's also one of the world's most impoverished nations and quite possibly '''the''' most impoverished nation [[CrapsackWorld on Earth]].

Niger, officially known as the Republic of Niger ('''French:''' ''République du Niger''). It's one of the world's most impoverished nations and quite possibly '''the''' most impoverished nation [[CrapsackWorld on Earth]].

* Like most of Northern Africa, it's mostly Muslim, with some Christians.

Not to be confused with its neighbor Nigeria, which is in better condition by several orders of magnitude. As it was colonized by France rather than Britain, Niger is actually pronounced "Nee-Jher", not "Nye-Jer", and Niger's citizens are referred to as ''Nigeriens'', pronounced as "Nee-Jher-Ee-eins". Oh, and it is always, ''always'' spelled with [[NWordPrivileges just one "G"]]. {{MSNBC}} found that out [[http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/outrage/innis.asp the hard way]].[[note]]Technically, it was a person's name (Niger Innis) in that instance, but it applies just as much to the country.[[/note]]

Not to be confused with its neighbor Nigeria. As it was colonized by France rather than Britain, Niger is actually pronounced "Nee-Jher", not "Nye-Jer", and Niger's citizens are referred to as ''Nigeriens'', pronounced as "Nee-Jher-Ee-eins". Oh, and it is always, ''always'' spelled with [[NWordPrivileges just one "G"]]. {{MSNBC}} found that out [[http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/outrage/innis.asp the hard way]].[[note]]Technically, it was a person's name (Niger Innis) in that instance, but it applies just as much to the country.[[/note]]

Niger. It's one of the world's most impoverished nations and quite possibly '''the''' most impoverished nation [[CrapsackWorld on Earth]].

Not to be confused with its neighbor Nigeria. As it was colonized by France rather than Britain, Niger is actually pronounced "Nee-Jher", not "Nye-Jer", and Niger's citizens are referred to as ''Nigeriens'', pronounced as "Nee-Jher-Ee-eins". Oh, and it is always, ''always'' spelled with [[NWordPrivileges just one "N"]]. {{MSNBC}} found that out [[http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/outrage/innis.asp the hard way]].[[note]]Technically, it was a person's name (Niger Innis) in that instance, but it applies just as much to the country.[[/note]]

Not to be confused with its neighbor Nigeria. As it was colonized by France rather than Britain, Niger is actually pronounced "Nee-Jher", not "Nye-Jer", and Niger's citizens are referred to as ''Nigeriens'', pronounced as "Nee-Jher-Ee-eins".

http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/125px-Flag_of_Niger_svg_692.png

Not to be confused with its neighbor Nigeria. As it was colonized by France rather than Britain, Niger is actually pronounced "Nee-Jher", not "Nye-Jer", and Niger's citizens are referred to as ''Niegeriens'', pronounced as "Nee-Jher-Ee-eins".