8 Av, 5774 40 Days pray for Muslim countries -- Niger Niger (French pronunciation: [niʒɛʁ]; English /niːˈʒɛər/, Listeni/ˈnaɪdʒər/[6][7]), officially the Republic of Niger, is a landlocked country in Western Africa, named after the Niger River. It borders Nigeria and Benin to the south, Burkina Faso and Mali to the west, Algeria and Libya to the north and Chad to the east. Niger covers a land area of almost 1,270,000 km2, making it the largest nation in West Africa, with over 80 percent of its land area covered by the Sahara desert. The countrys predominantly Islamic population of 17,138,707[8] is mostly clustered in the far south and west of the nation. The capital city is Niamey, located in the far-southwest corner of Niger. Niger is a developing country, and is consistently one of the lowest-ranked in the United Nations Human Development Index (HDI); it was ranked 186th of 186 countries for 2012. Much of the non-desert portions of the country are threatened by periodic drought and desertification. The economy is concentrated around subsistence and some export agriculture clustered in the more fertile south, and the export of raw materials, especially uranium ore. Niger faces serious challenges to development due to its landlocked position, desert terrain, poor education and poverty of its people, lack of infrastructure, poor health care, and environmental degradation. Nigerien (/niːˈʒɛəriən/) society reflects a diversity drawn from the long independent histories of its several ethnic groups and regions and their relatively short period living in a single state. Historically, what is now Niger has been on the fringes of several large states. Since independence, Nigeriens have lived under five constitutions and three periods of military rule. Following a military coup in 2010, Niger has become a democratic, multi-party state. A majority live in rural areas, and have little access to advanced education. Niger is a landlocked nation in West Africa located along the border between the Sahara and Sub-Saharan regions. It lies between latitudes 11° and 24°N, and longitudes 0° and 16°E. Niger borders seven countries. The longest border is with Nigeria to the south . This is followed by Chad to the east, Algeria to the north-northwest, and Mali. Niger also has small borders in its far southwest with Burkina Faso and Benin and to the north-northeast Libya). The lowest point is the Niger River, with an elevation of 200 metres (656 ft). The highest point is Mont Idoukal-n-Taghès in the Aïr Mountains at 2,022 m (6,634 ft). Nigers subtropical climate is mainly very hot and dry, with much desert area. In the extreme south there is a tropical climate on the edges of the Niger River basin. The terrain is predominantly desert plains and sand dunes, with flat to rolling savanna in the south and hills in the north. Nigers new constitution was approved in 31 October 2010. It restored the semi-presidential system of government of the 1999 constitution (Fifth Republic) in which the president of the republic, elected by universal suffrage for a five-year term, and a prime minister named by the president share executive power. Niger pursues a moderate foreign policy and maintains friendly relations with the West and the Islamic world as well as nonaligned countries. It belongs to the UN and its main specialized agencies and in 1980–81 served on the UN Security Council. Niger maintains a special relationship with former colonial power France and enjoys close relations with its West African neighbors. Niger is a secular country and separation of state and religion is guaranteed by Article 3 of the 2010 Constitution as well as Article 175 which dictate that future amendments or revisions might not modify the secular nature of the republic of Niger. In addition, religious freedom is protected by Article 30 of the same constitution. Islam, widespread in the region since the 10th century, has greatly shaped the culture and mores of the people of Niger. Islam is the most dominant religion practiced by 99% of the population. Approximately 59 percent of Muslims in Niger are Sunni, 7 percent are Shia, 6% are Ahmadiyya and 20% Non-denominational.[53][54] Islam was spread into what is now Niger beginning in the 15th century, by both the expansion of the Songhai Empire in the west, and the influence of the Trans-Saharan trade traveling from the Maghreb and Egypt. The second most practiced religion is Christianity, practiced by 0.4% of the population. Christianity was established earlier in the country by missionaries during the French colonial years. Other urban Christian expatriate communities from Europe and West Africa are also presented. Religion persecution is rare in Niger which is ranked last (#50) on the World Watch List for severity of persecution that Christians face for actively pursuing their faith. The literacy rate of Niger is among the lowest in the world; in 2005 it was estimated to be only 28.7% (42.9% male and 15.1% female). Children are often forced to work rather than attend school, particularly during planting or harvest periods.In addition, nomadic children in the north of the country often do not have access to schools. According to the organization Save the Children, Niger has the worlds highest infant mortality rate.[40] Niger also has the highest fertility rate in the world (7.03 births per woman according to 2013 estimates. Nigers high infant mortality rate is comparable to levels recorded in neighboring countries. However, the child mortality rate (deaths among children between the ages of 1 and 4) is exceptionally high (248 per 1,000) due to generally poor health conditions and inadequate nutrition for most of the countrys children.
Posted on: Mon, 04 Aug 2014 22:52:47 +0000
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