Predominately desert plains and sand dunes; flat to rolling plains in south; hills in north
Climate
Desert; mostly hot dry dusty; tropical in extreme south
Natural Hazards
Predominately desert plains and sand dunes; flat to rolling plains in south; hills in north
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
Niger became independent from France in 1960 and experienced single-party and military rule until 1991 when Gen. Ali SAIBOU was forced by public pressure to allow multiparty elections which resulted in a democratic government in 1993. Political infighting brought the government to a standstill and in 1996 led to a coup by Col. Ibrahim BARE. In 1999 BARE was killed in a coup by military officers who promptly restored democratic rule and held elections that brought Mamadou TANDJA to power in December of that year. TANDJA was reelected in 2004. Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world with minimal government services and insufficient funds to develop its resource base. The largely agrarian and subsistence-based economy is frequently disrupted by extended droughts common to the Sahel region of Africa. A predominately Tuareg ethnic group emerged in February 2007 the Nigerien Movement for Justice (MNJ) and attacked several military targets in Niger's northern region throughout 2007 and 2008. Events have since evolved into a fledging insurgency. Read more on Wikipedia
