The area that is today the country of Niger has been inhabited for thousands of years. Early in history Niger was an important crossroads for trading and was part of many African empires such as the Songhai Empire , Mali , and Bornu.
In recent history Niger has seen large groups of the nomadic Tuareg peoples form confederations. These confederations clashed with the Fulani Empire of Sokoto in the late 18th Century.
The first European explorers to the land were British explorer Mungo Park and German explorer Heinrich Barth in the 1800s. The French showed up later and began to colonize the area. In 1922 Niger became a French colony.
Niger became on independent country in 1960. Since then it has been marred with civil war, poverty, military coups, and famine. It is one of the poorest countries in the world.
The Geography of Niger
Total Size: 1,267,000 square km
Size Comparison: slightly less than twice the size of Texas
