Click to see a larger map

Landlocked in the west of Africa, Niger is linked to the sea by the Niger River. Saharan conditions prevail in the northern regions, in the area around the Aïr Mountains, and, particularly, in the vast uninhabited northeast. Niger was ruled by one-party or military regimes until multiparty elections in 1993. A much-troubled democratic process was then disrupted by military coups in 1996 and 1999. Niger is one of the poorest countries in Africa.