Niger vs. Nigeria
Geography
| Niger | Nigeria | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Western Africa, southeast of Algeria | Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Benin and Cameroon |
| Geographic coordinates | 16 00 N, 8 00 E | 10 00 N, 8 00 E |
| Map references | Africa | Africa |
| Area | total: 1.267 million sq km land: 1,266,700 sq km water: 300 sq km | total: 923,768 sq km land: 910,768 sq km water: 13,000 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly less than twice the size of Texas | about six times the size of Georgia; slightly more than twice the size of California |
| Land boundaries | total: 5,834 km border countries (7): Algeria 951 km, Benin 277 km, Burkina Faso 622 km, Chad 1196 km, Libya 342 km, Mali 838 km, Nigeria 1608 km | total: 4,477 km border countries (4): Benin 809 km, Cameroon 1975 km, Chad 85 km, Niger 1608 km |
| Coastline | 0 km (landlocked) | 853 km |
| Maritime claims | none (landlocked) | territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation |
| Climate | desert; mostly hot, dry, dusty; tropical in extreme south | varies; equatorial in south, tropical in center, arid in north |
| Terrain | predominately desert plains and sand dunes; flat to rolling plains in south; hills in north | southern lowlands merge into central hills and plateaus; mountains in southeast, plains in north |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: Idoukal-n-Taghes 2,022 m lowest point: Niger River 200 m mean elevation: 474 m | highest point: Chappal Waddi 2,419 m lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m mean elevation: 380 m |
| Natural resources | uranium, coal, iron ore, tin, phosphates, gold, molybdenum, gypsum, salt, petroleum | natural gas, petroleum, tin, iron ore, coal, limestone, niobium, lead, zinc, arable land |
| Land use | agricultural land: 35.1% (2018 est.) arable land: 12.3% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0.1% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 22.7% (2018 est.) forest: 1% (2018 est.) other: 63.9% (2018 est.) | agricultural land: 78% (2018 est.) arable land: 37.3% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 7.4% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 33.3% (2018 est.) forest: 9.5% (2018 est.) other: 12.5% (2018 est.) |
| Irrigated land | 1,000 sq km (2012) | 2,930 sq km (2012) |
| Natural hazards | recurring droughts | periodic droughts; flooding |
| Environment - current issues | overgrazing; soil erosion; deforestation; desertification; contaminated water; inadequate potable water; wildlife populations (such as elephant, hippopotamus, giraffe, and lion) threatened because of poaching and habitat destruction | serious overpopulation and rapid urbanization have led to numerous environmental problems; urban air and water pollution; rapid deforestation; soil degradation; loss of arable land; oil pollution - water, air, and soil have suffered serious damage from oil spills |
| Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Tropical Timber 2006 |
| Geography - note | landlocked; one of the hottest countries in the world; northern four-fifths is desert, southern one-fifth is savanna, suitable for livestock and limited agriculture | the Niger River enters the country in the northwest and flows southward through tropical rain forests and swamps to its delta in the Gulf of Guinea |
| Total renewable water resources | 34.05 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) | 286.2 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| Population distribution | majority of the populace is located in the southernmost extreme of the country along the border with Nigeria and Benin as shown in this population distribution map | largest population of any African nation; significant population clusters are scattered throughout the country, with the highest density areas being in the south and southwest as shown in this population distribution map |
Source: CIA Factbook
