Niger (country)

C

Principal Cities

Niamey, the main port and largest city, as well as the capital, has a population of 731,000 (1999 estimate). Zinder, population 120,900 (1988), Maradi, 113,000 (1988), and Tahoua, 51,600 (1988 estimate), are the other principal towns.

D

Religion

About 95 per cent of the people of Niger are Sunni Muslims. Most of the remainder adhere to traditional beliefs, and a small Christian minority also exists.

E

Language

French is the official language, but it has only around 6,000 mother-tongue speakers. The national languages are recognized as Arabic (Semitic language family); Fulfulde and Gourmanchéma (Niger-Congo); Hausa (Afro-Asiatic); Kanuri, Tubu, and Zarma (Nilo-Saharan); and Tamajaq (Berber). Hausa is the most widely spoken language in Niger, with 5 million first-language speakers and another 25 per cent of the population speaking it as a second language. Zarma has 2.1 million mother-tongue speakers.

F

Education

Schooling in Niger is free and compulsory between the ages of 7 and 15. Because of a shortage of teachers and the wide dispersion of the population, however, only about 40 per cent of primary-school-age children receive an education. The adult literacy rate is as low as 19 per cent. In 1994, 3 per cent of the country’s gross national product (GNP) was spent on education. In 2000 some 656,589 pupils attended primary schools in any one year, and about 108,033 students were enrolled in secondary schools. Students in vocational and teacher-training schools numbered about 2,100. There are around 4,000 students at the University Abdou Moumouni in Niamey (1971); the county’s other major university is the Islamic University of Niger (1984).

G

Culture

Islamic influences, originating from North Africa, have had a powerful effect on the culture of Niger. Municipalities in Niger have state-run libraries, and several private organizations maintain libraries. The National Museum of Niger, in Niamey, includes both a library and a museum.