Geography
Niger
Area
land
1,266,700 sq km
water
300 sq km
total
1.267 million sq km
Climate
arid region; primarily hot, parched, and dusty; tropical in the far southern part
Terrain
mainly desert landscapes and sandy dunes; flat to gently rolling terrains in the south; elevated areas in the north
Land use
other
62.4% (2023 est.)
forest
0.8% (2023 est.)
agricultural land
36.8% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: arable land
arable land: 14% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent crops
permanent crops: 0.1% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent pasture
permanent pasture: 22.7% (2023 est.)
Location
Located in Western Africa, to the southeast of Algeria
Coastline
0 km (landlocked)
Elevation
lowest point
Niger River 200 m
highest point
Idoukal-n-Taghes 2,022 m
mean elevation
474 m
Irrigated land
2,881 sq km (2022)
Major aquifers
Lake Chad Basin, Lullemeden-Irhazer Basin, Murzuk-Djado Basin
Map references
Africa
Land boundaries
total
5,834 km
border countries
Algeria 951 km; Benin 277 km; Burkina Faso 622 km; Chad 1,196 km; Libya 342 km; Mali 838 km; Nigeria 1,608 km
Maritime claims
none (landlocked)
Natural hazards
frequent drought conditions
Geography - note
landlocked; among the hottest nations globally; the northern four-fifths consists of desert, while the southern one-fifth comprises savanna suitable for livestock and limited agricultural activities
Natural resources
uranium, coal, iron ore, tin, phosphates, gold, molybdenum, gypsum, salt, petroleum
Area - comparative
slightly less than double the area of Texas
Geographic coordinates
16 00 N, 8 00 E
Population distribution
the majority of the population resides in the southernmost region of the country along the borders with Nigeria and Benin, as illustrated in this population distribution map
Major lakes (area sq km)
fresh water lake(s)
Lake Chad (an endorheic lake shared with Chad, Nigeria, and Cameroon) - 10,360-25,900 sq km
note - area fluctuates seasonally and annually
Major watersheds (area sq km)
Atlantic Ocean drainage
Niger (2,261,741 sq km)
Internal (endorheic basin) drainage
Lake Chad (2,497,738 sq km)
Major rivers (by length in km)
Niger (shared with Guinea [s], Mali, Benin, and Nigeria [m]) - 4,200 km
note: [s] indicates river source; [m] indicates river mouth after country name