Niger's Geography | Niger Geography

Location: Western Africa, southeast of Algeria

Geographic coordinates: 16 00 N, 8 00 E

Map references: Africa

Area: Total: 1.267 million sq km land: 1,266,700 sq km water: 300 sq km

Area - comparative: Slightly less than twice the size of Texas

Land boundaries: 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

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: None (landlocked)

Climate: Desert; mostly hot, dry, dusty; tropical in extreme south

Terrain: Predominately desert plains and sand dunes; flat to rolling plains in south; hills in north

Elevation extremes: Lowest point: Niger River 200 m highest point: Mont Bagzane 2,022 m

Natural resources: Uranium, coal, iron ore, tin, phosphates, gold, molybdenum, gypsum, salt, petroleum

Land use: Arable land: 3.54% permanent crops: 0.01% other: 96.45% (2001)

Irrigated land: 660 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: Recurring droughts

Environment - current issues: Overgrazing; soil erosion; deforestation; desertification; wildlife populations (such as elephant, hippopotamus, giraffe, and lion) threatened because of poaching and habitat destruction

Environment - international agreements: Party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Geography - note: 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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