Niger is a sovereign country in Western Africa, in the wider region of Africa. The long form of the name is Republic of Niger. The capital is Niamey.
Its territory runs to 1,267,000 km², which ranks it 23rd of the 250 countries and territories in this dataset — just behind Chad and just ahead of Angola. For scale, it is almost exactly the same size as Chad.
Some 27.0 million people call it home, placing it 55th of 250 by population — between Australia above it and North Korea below. Among the 17 entries in Western Africa it ranks 1st by area and 4th by population.
Location, borders and position
Plotted on a globe it falls at 16.0° north, 8.0° east, which puts it in the northern hemisphere, roughly 1,781 km from the equator, in what geographers would call tropical latitudes.
Follow that same latitude east or west and you reach Yemen, Thailand and Vietnam — places that share its distance from the equator but little else.
7 countries share a land border with it: Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Libya, Mali and Nigeria. The largest of them by area is Algeria, while the most populous is Nigeria. Together those neighbours hold about 369.7 million people.
Niger is landlocked. That is true of 45 of the 250 entries here, which reliably raises the cost of trade, because port access depends on a transit agreement with a neighbour. 3 of its neighbours, Burkina Faso, Chad and Mali, are landlocked too. You can see the full picture on the landlocked countries page.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Population and languages of Niger
Population divided by land area gives roughly 21 people per square kilometre, which makes it less crowded than the typical entry on this list. Half the entries in this dataset fall below roughly 90 per square kilometre.
People from Niger are called Nigeriens.
The one official language is French. French is one of the widely shared official languages here, listed by 45 other entries including Belgium, Benin, Burkina Faso and Burundi.
Inside Africa it places 18th of 59 by population, and it accounts for 5.9% of everyone living in Western Africa.
Money, internet and phone codes
It uses the West African CFA franc (Fr, XOF). That is a shared currency: 7 other entries use it, including Benin, Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast and Mali.
Niamey is the city to remember for this country.
The top-level domain is .ne. To phone it from abroad you dial +227. Its ISO codes are ne and NER, which is what most databases and flag files use.
It holds a seat at the United Nations, one of 193 entries here that do. The other 57 entries are territories, dependencies or observers, which is why totals on this site run to 250 rather than the familiar 195.
Neighbouring countries
Niger shares borders with 7 countries:
Fun facts about Niger
- It is landlocked, one of 45 entries here with no coastline of its own.
- It is 55th of 250 by population, with about 27.0 million residents.
- Its full official name is Republic of Niger.
- People from Niger are known as Nigeriens.
- Ranked by land area, Niger is 23rd out of the 250 countries and territories on this site.
- Its capital city is Niamey.
- Within Western Africa it is the 1st largest of 17.
Niger — frequently asked questions
- What is the capital of Niger?
- The capital of Niger is Niamey.
- Is Niger landlocked?
- Yes. Niger has no sea coast, which makes it one of 45 landlocked entries in this dataset. Everything it imports or exports by sea has to cross a neighbour's territory first, and that transit dependency is a well-documented drag on trade costs.
- How big is Niger?
- Niger covers 1,267,000 km², ranking 23rd of 250 by land area. That makes it almost exactly the same size as Chad.
- Which countries border Niger?
- Niger borders 7 countries: Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Libya, Mali and Nigeria. Algeria is the largest of them by area.
- What language is spoken in Niger?
- The official language of Niger is French. It is also official in 45 other entries on this list.
- What currency does Niger use?
- Niger uses the West African CFA franc, written Fr (currency code XOF). It is shared with 7 other entries.
- Is Niger a country?
- Yes. Niger is a sovereign state and one of the 193 UN members listed on this site.
- What is the population of Niger?
- Niger has a population of about 27.0 million, which makes it the 55th most populous of the 250 countries and territories listed on this site. Australia sits just above it and North Korea just below.
- Where is Niger located?
- Niger is in Western Africa, part of Africa. Its reference coordinates are 16.0° north and 8.0° east, roughly 1,781 km from the equator in tropical latitudes.
