Geography
Niger is a vast land-locked country of around one and a quarter million square kilometres, situated on the southern edge of the Sahara Desert. Traditionally an important gateway between North Africa and the countries on the south side of the Sahara, Niger became a French colony in the 1890’s. After 70 years of French rule, the country gained its independence in 1960. French is the official language and is widely understood. Niger has borders with Libya and Algeria in the north, Nigeria to the south and Mali to the west. The country’s only significant river is the Niger which flows for 500 kilometres (310 miles) through the southwestern part of the territory. Niamey, the capital, lies astride the river and (during the season of peak river flow) can be reached by sea-going vessels. Originally (in the early years of the 20th century) a French garrison town, Niamey is nowadays a city of half a million people and has good hotels and a variety of restaurants. Running in a broad belt across the southern half of Niger is the sahel (from the arabic for edge or shore) a landscape-type which exhibits a sparse savannah vegetation, where grasses and shrubs permit the herding of goats and cattle, mostly by the nomadic Fulani people. This is a semi-arid environment and some scant agriculture is carried out by the Hausa people in this area. Further north, and occupying over 50% of the country’s land area, is the Sahara Desert. A day’s drive north of Niamey, the important regional capital of Agadez has for many centuries been a trading post on the Tuareg caravan routes across the Sahara. Though diminished in number, there are still camel caravans active in this area, which annually collect salt from the remote Tenere Desert oases of Fachi and Bilma. Agadez is the base for modern-day trekking forays into the Air Mountains and is best known for its distinctive clay mosque and for its camel market. North of Agadez, adjacent to the Tenere, the rocky outcroppings of the Air Mountains attain heights of almost 2000 metres (6500ft). Here, there is one of the world’s most remarkable landscapes, blue marble, black basalt and towering golden dunes. On the east side of the range, the prevailing winds have produced veritable sand mountains which are amongst the highest in the world. This is the land of the Tuaregs, the “Blue People,” who inhabit the fringes of the desert and eke out a precarious living by herding goats and camels and through the salt trade. Throughout this area there is abundant rock art (engravings) and other evidence of prehistoric man. Millennia ago, the ancestors of the present-day inhabitants carved into the desert rocks some of the finest engravings on earth. In places, where the old floor of the savannah is exposed between the ever-moving dunes, there are rich finds of pottery, grinding stones (querns), stone bracelets, flint arrowheads and other evidence of man’s earlier occupation of this now virtually lifeless desert region.

Time Zone
The time in Niger is GMT + 1 hour.

Climate
Niger is one of the hottest countries in the world and the northernmost parts of the country are uninhabitable during the summer months. The region around Niamey, in the south, has a semi-arid climate, with a rainy season from June through to September, when it is hot (40 degrees centigrade – 104º F) and humid. During the northern hemisphere winter months of December to February it is a little cooler and daytime maximum temperatures of around 30 to 35 degrees centigrade (86º – 95º F) will be encountered, both in Niamey and in Agadez. Additionally, at this time of year, the humidity is pleasantly low. Further north, in the Air Mountains and on the fringes of the Tenere Desert, the daytime temperatures in February will be similar to this, with night-time temperatures falling as low as 5 to 10 degrees (41º - 50º F). The sun can be extremely strong and there is little shade in the desert. The Air Mountains receive very little annual rainfall and none at all in February. It is not unusual for this part of the Sahara to have no rain for years on end.

Rough guide to temperatures in February

Currency
Niger’s unit of currency is the CFA Franc (Communaute Financiere Africaine). This Franc is now linked to the value of the Euro. As of February 2006, the exchange rates are:

€ 1 = CFA 656
£ 1 = CFA 961
$ 1 = CFA 551

Your travel money should be carried as cash in Euros, as this is the most easily exchanged currency. Credit cards are of limited use in Niger, but it is a good idea to carry one in case of emergency.

Visas
A passport with 6 months remaining validity is required. All nationalities require a visa for entry into Niger. The easiest way to get hold of the visa is on arrival in Niamey.

Vaccinations
You should attend your own GP and dentist for a check-up. A ROUGH GUIDE for an immunisation programme is as follows: (We must stress that this is only a basic guide - and you must abide by the advice of your local GP).

(a) Yellow Fever. A Yellow Fever innoculation and a certificate to show that this has been administered is ESSENTIAL.
(b) Polio. Normally you will just need a booster.
(c) Tetanus.
(d) Typhoid. A full course requires 2 injections separated by an interval of 4-6 weeks.
(e) Hepatitis (A).
(f) Anti-malarial prophylaxis: Please refer to your GP (or to one of the agencies listed below) for the most up to date information about anti-malarial medication for the areas that you will be visiting.
(g) Meningitis A+C.
(h) Rabies pre-exposure vaccination. Please refer to your GP (or to one of the agencies listed below) for advice on whether you need rabies pre-exposure vaccination. This vaccination does not eliminate the need for urgent evacuation to a suitable medical facility for additional treatment, in the unlikely case of your being bitten. However, it does simplify that additional treatment and also prolongs the period that you can safely delay before receiving post-exposure treatment.

Given enough notice, your GP will be able to administer all the above.

Additional Sources of Information

Books
West Africa – Lonely Planet Guides.
Nomads of Niger. Carol Beckwith.
The Deserts of Africa. Michael Martin.

Maps
Niger. 1:2,000,000. Institut Geographic National.

A wide range of maps are available from booksellers in Kathmandu. However all clients are supplied with trek maps on arrival in Kathmandu.

Our trip dossiers/itineraries give details of books and maps that are specific to a particular trip. Click here for details of book and map retailers.

Web
Lonely PLanet - www.lonelyplanet.com
Rough Guides - www.roughguides.com