Difference Between Niger and Nigeria

Key Difference – Niger vs Nigeria
 

Niger and Nigeria are two separate countries in the African continent. Since they are neighboring countries with similar names, most people get confused about the difference between Niger and Nigeria. Nigeria is a coastal country whereas Niger is a landlocked country. Moreover, Nigeria is an Anglophone (official language is English) country whereas Niger is a francophone (official language is French) country. This is the key difference between Niger and Nigeria.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Niger
3. What is Nigeria
4. Similarities Between Niger and Nigeria
5. Side by Side Comparison – Niger vs Nigeria in Tabular Form
6. Summary

What is Niger?

Niger, officially known as the Republic of Niger, is a country in Western Africa, which has been named after the Niger River. It is a landlocked country surrounded by Libya, Chad, Nigeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Algeria. Niger is the biggest country in the West Africa with a land area of almost 1,270,000 km². However, about 80% of its land area lies in the Sahara desert.

The official language of Niger is French, which is an inheritance from the French colonial period. At the same time, there are also eight national languages, which are associated with different tribes. The religion of the majority of the population in Niger is Islam. Nevertheless, Niger is a secular state.

Figure 01: Niger (orange) and Nigeria (green)

Niger is a developing country, which often ranks bottom in the United Nation’s Human Development Index. This country faces many challenges such as desert terrain, inefficient agriculture, overpopulation, poor educational level, poverty of people, poor health care, and environmental degradation.The main agricultural exports in Niger are peanuts and cotton. It’s also a big mineral exporter of Uranium.

What is Nigeria?

Nigeria or the Federal Republic of Nigeria is a West African country bordering Chad, Benin, Cameroon, and Niger. It’s a coastal country and borders the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean on the south. Nigeria has 36 states and a Federal Capital Territory, the capital Abuja is located on this Federal Capital Territory.

Although Nigeria has been home to a number of kingdoms and tribal states, it underwent a British colonial rule in the 19^th century. It gained independence from the British and became an independent state in 1960. The official language of Nigeria is English. However, there are about 500 different languages used in this country, Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba being the major three languages.

Nigeria has a large population. This is the most populous country in Africa and the seventh most populous country in the world. Roughly half the population is Christians while the other half is Muslims. There is also a minority of people of who practice tribal religions. Nigeria also has Africa’s largest economy. The World Bank considers Nigeria to be an emerging market. Nigeria is referred to as the “Giant of Africa” due to this large economy and population.

What are the Similarities Between Niger and Nigeria?

• Niger and Nigeria are two neighboring countries in the West Africa.
• Both countries were colonized by European nations.
• Both countries have faced political unrest after gaining independence.

What is the Difference Between Niger and Nigeria?

Summary – Niger vs Nigeria

Niger and Nigeria are neighboring countries in West Africa. Both countries have been home to historical kingdoms and tribal states before being colonized by European nations. Today, Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa and has the largest economy. Niger, on the other hand, is a developing country with a poor economy. This is the main difference between Niger and Nigeria.

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Reference:

1.“50 Amazing Facts About Nigeria “. Nationfacts.net. Available here 
2.“Niger Facts: 50 Important Facts About Niger.” The Fact File, 13 Nov. 2017. Available here

Image Courtesy:

1.’Niger Nigeria Locator’By T L Miles – Own work (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia

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