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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Discover More

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

The Lake Chad basin is a huge region of waterways and swampland shared by Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Cameroon.

From BBC • May 11, 2026

Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon and Niger in 2015 reactivated a multinational force set up in the mid-1990s to combat jihadist groups operating around the lake.

From Barron's • May 10, 2026

The U.S. finished its withdrawal from neighboring Niger in 2024, including from a drone base that conducted counterterrorism intelligence-gathering and reconnaissance missions in the Sahel.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026

The Tuaregs, a historically nomadic people present across Mali, Niger, Algeria, Libya and Burkina Faso, have for decades taken up arms to protest at being marginalised, particularly around Kidal.

From Barron's • Apr. 27, 2026

After he crossed the River Niger, he decided to stop at Igbo-Ukwu.

From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie