Geography
In The
News™
Neal G.
Lineback
THE INTRIGING
NIGER: NORTH
AFRICA’S
OTHER RIVER
Although the Nile is Africa’s best
known river to most westerners, the
Niger River plays a huge role in the
everyday lives of millions. The 2,600mile (4,180 km) Niger is Africa’s third
longest river after the Nile and Congo,
draining more than 580,000 square miles
(1.5 million sq. km.).
The river passes through several
climatological and ecological zones over
its course, beginning in rainforest and
flowing through savannas, semi-arid
steppelands and desert. When it turns
south, the sequence is reversed. In Nigeria, the Niger is joined by the Benue
River, its largest tributary. Because of
this variety of climates, the Niger’s flow
fluctuates greatly. During the rainy
season, the Niger may rise as much as 35
feet at flood stage and spread more than
100 miles (160 km.) wide.
According to Werner, travel writer
Ted Morgan described the river as “a
moving path to the heart of the continent, a long, liquid magic wand.” The
Niger has historically been the
geographic center of life across West
Africa’s interior. Its fertile floodplain
provided the sustenance for the great
empires of Ghana (A.D. 950 to 1050) and
Mali (A.D 1225-1645) and several shortlived kingdoms.
and water for farming, the river is a
source of transportation, linking the
major cities located along its banks. Of
the few great cities of interior West
Africa, most are closely associated with
the Niger. Bamako, Djenne, Mopti,
Timbuktu and Gao in Mali, and Niamey
in Niger are all associated with the
Niger River and its floodplain.
Gao was the trading point for Muslim
traders and African worshipers on their
way to Mecca. At one time, the city was
a flurry of trade when the famous
traveling geographer Ibn Batuta visited
in 1352. Gao was sacked by Moroccan
ruler Ahmad al Manur in 1590 and
never fully recovered. It has more
recently fallen onto hard times as
modern transportation and declining
water levels have literally strangled the
city’s economy.
r
What has happened to the upper
Niger River is similar to that of other
exotic rivers around the world. Climate
In 1324 and 1325, Mali’s king, Mansa
change and heavy use for irrigation
have diminished the flows of these
Musa, journeyed to Islam’s holy city of
rivers which flow from their humid
Mecca with hundreds of camels loaded
The upper Niger was featured in a
sources through dryland regions. By the
with gold. He brought Islam back to his
recent issue of Saudi Aramco World
time the Niger reaches Mopti, its waters
people and the religion spread to the
(Mar./Apr. 2005). According to author
are being removed in large amounts for
Niger’s headwaters and westward to
Louis Werner, the Niger was described
irrigation. During the dry
first by Greek geographer
season in the Northern
The Niger River, A West African Lifeline
Strabo, father of history
Hemisphere summer, the
and geography Herodotus
0
500 mi
river and its fish and other
ALGERIA
and famous Arabic geogra0
500 km
animals
come
under
pher Al-Idresi in the 12th
T h e S a h a r
extreme stress as water
a
century.
©2005
and oxygen levels fall.
MAURITANIA
To them it was a mysteriMALI
Even the hippos congreous river, rising in tropical
gate in the deeper pools.
Timbuktu
mountain
clouds
and
NIGER
Gao
The first European who
flowing
northeastward
Mopti
saw the upper Niger was
through
the
southern
Djenne
Scotsman Mungo Park,
ger
Niamey
Ni
Sahara. None of them ever
Bamako
who described it in 1796: “I
BURKINA
saw the full course of the
saw with infinite pleasure
FASO
river, but mostly described GUINEA
NIGERIA
the great object of my
BENIN
it from hearsay from
mission, glittering in the
Nige Abuja
travelers who had seen
morning sun, flowing
u
IVORY
parts of it.
Be n
slowly to the east…the
COAST
GHANA
The Niger, like the Nile,
long sought for, majestic
originates in West Africa.
Niger.”
Its origin is in the
The Niger remains at the
Geography in the News ?/10/05
Gulf of Guinea
highlands of southern Source: World Resources Institute
P. Larkins
heart of life in West
Guinea near the Sierra
Africa—though troubled,
Leone border and within Sources: Louis Werner, Saudi Aramco World, “The River,” Mar. Apr. 2005;
still the majestic.
155 miles (250 km) of the Microsoft Encarta, 2001; World Book Encyclopedia.
And that is Geography
Atlantic Ocean. The river
in
the News™. June 10,
flows northeastward into the Sahara,
2005. #784.
the Atlantic by the 17th an 18th centumaking a 90 degree turn near Timbuktu,
ries. The remnants of the Mali Empire
(The author is a Geography Professor and
Mali. Then it flows southeastward
fell in 1893, when much of West Africa
Interim Dean of the College of Arts and
across the country of Niger and through
became French colonies.
Sciences at Appalachian State University,
Nigeria before ending in a massive delta
Boone, NC.)
in the Gulf of Guinea.
In addition to providing fish to eat
©2005 Maps.com