Niger, officially theRepublic of Niger, is alandlocked countryinWestern Africa, named after theNiger River.Niger covers a land area of almost 1,270,000km2, making it the largest country in West Africa, with over 80 percent of its land area covered by theSahara Desert. The country's predominantly Islamic population of 17,138,707is mostly clustered in the far south and west of the country. The capital city isNiamey, located in the far-southwest corner of Niger.
Adeveloping country,it is a former French colony which was granted independence in 1960. The land is mostly desert plains and dunes, with rolling savanna in the southeast.