Niger

American  

[nahy-jer, nee-zher] / ˈnaɪ dʒər, niˈʒɛr /

noun

1. a republic in NW Africa: formerly part of French West Africa. 458,976 sq. mi. (1,188,748 sq. km). Niamey.

2. a river in W Africa, rising in S Guinea, flowing NE through Mali, and then SE through Nigeria into the Gulf of Guinea. 2,600 miles (4,185 km) long.

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Niger British  

noun

1. a landlocked republic in West Africa: important since earliest times for its trans-Saharan trade routes; made a French colony in 1922 and became fully independent in 1960; exports peanuts and livestock. Official language: French. Religion: Muslim majority. Currency: franc. Capital: Niamey. Pop: 16 899 327 (2013 est). Area: 1 267 000 sq km (489 000 sq miles)

2. a river in West Africa, rising in S Guinea and flowing in a great northward curve through Mali, then southwest through Niger and Nigeria to the Gulf of Guinea: the third longest river in Africa, with the largest delta, covering an area of 36 260 sq km (14 000 sq miles). Length: 4184 km (2600 miles)

3. a state of W central Nigeria. Capital: Minna. Pop: 3 950 249 (2006). Area: 76 363 sq km (29 476 sq miles)

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Niger Cultural  

1. Republic in western Africa, bordered by Burkina Faso and Mali to the west, Algeria to the northwest, Libya to the northeast, Chad to the east, and Nigeria and Benin to the south. Niamey is the capital and largest city.

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Niger was under French control from the 1880s to 1960, when it gained full independence.

Other Word Forms

• Nigerien adjective
• trans-Niger adjective

Compare meaning

How does niger compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Niger vs. Nigeria

Example Sentences

Police allege that he could have carried out assaults not only in France, but also Germany, Switzerland, Morocco, Niger, Algeria, the Philippines, India, Colombia, and the French overseas territory of New Caledonia.

From BBC

Niger is plagued by jihadist violence in the western Tillaberi region, a flashpoint zone where the country's borders meet those of its allies Burkina Faso and Mali.

From Barron's

For years the bandits have mainly targeted those in the north-west of Nigeria - but they have been moving to other parts of the country, like Kwara and Niger states, more recently.

From BBC

It adds that the US also looks forward to co-operating with Mali's allies, neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger, "on shared security and economic interests".

From BBC

It houses the air force's key 101st base and is the headquarters of a joint force created by Niger and its junta-led neighbours Burkina Faso and Mali to combat jihadists.

From Barron's