ABSTRACT
The Republic of Niger is a landlocked West African country with a population of about 23.6 million mostly living in rural areas. The country’s name stems from the presence of the Niger River that winds through the country. The Niger landscape is unique, composed predominantly of desert plains and sand dunes. The terrain is matched by a desert-like climate: hot, dry, and dusty, with extreme heat sometimes reaching 46 degrees Celsius. A predominantly Muslim country, Niger has a variety of linguistic groups, such as Hausa, a name which also refers to its largest ethnic group.
