Size

The 24th parallel marks the northern extent of Niger. The country extends all the way to the 11th parallel to the south, stretching between the same Meridian that passes through Greenwich called “prime meridian” or 0 degrees longitude, and the 16th Meridian to the East. This makes up for an area of 1,267,000 square kilometers (489,191 square miles) making Niger the biggest country of  Western Africa.

Alas, only 0.02% of this vast land is covered by water (a mere 300 square kilometers) while another 80% belongs to the vast Sandlands of the Sahara Desert.

Niger’s borders extend to a distance of 5,697 kilometers (3,540 miles) out of which 1,497 kilometers (930 miles) separate it from its neighbor Nigeria. The two countries are often mixed up by many who tend to think that Niger and Nigeria are one and the same.

Niger has no exit to any sea or any other large body of water. In fact the lowest point is 200 meters above he sea level (656 feet) and it is around the banks of the Niger River. The highest point belongs to Mont Idoukal-n-Taghès of the Aïr Mountains 2,022 meters (6,634 feet) above the sea level.