Niger
POPULATION 10,639,744
MUSLIM 86 percent
AFRICAN INDIGENOUS BELIEFS 13 percent
CHRISTIAN AND OTHER 1 percent
Country Overview
Introduction
Located in West Africa, the Republic of Niger is bordered by seven countries: to the north by Algeria and Libya, to the east by Chad, to the south by Nigeria, to the southwest by Benin and Burkina Faso, and to the west by Mali. Although Niger is the largest country by area in the region, 80 percent of its land is desert. The rest consists of savannas. Garden farms occupy the land along the Niger River in the southwestern portion of the country. Niger is one of the world's poorest countries, and more than 40 percent of the country's budget consists of foreign aid and gifts.
Of the many ethnic groups in the country, the Hausa are the largest, representing more than half the population. The Songhai, Zarma, and Dendi together make up roughly 20 percent of the population; the Tamajeq and the Fulani, about 10 percent each; and the Kanuri, about 5 percent. About 2 percent of the population are Arabs.
The majority of Nigerois are Muslim. They belong to the Malikite school, one of the four schools of law in Sunni Islam, which is based on the teachings of Malik ibn Anas (died in 795).
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