Almost all of us heard about the riverNiger because of its popularity. It is the most important and longest river in West Africa and the third longest in all of Africa, stretching approximately 4,180 km. Knowledge of the possible existence of the Niger first came in the 18th century, albeit with unsubstantiated and unconfirmed information. Many European expeditions to plan the river were unsuccessful. In 1788 the African Association was founded in England to promote exploration of Africa in hopes of locating Niger. In June 1796, Scottish explorer Mungo Park became the first European to set eyes on the middle section of the river since ancient times (and perhaps ever). The true course was charted in his book Travels in the Interior of Africa,that appeared in 179.
Here are very interesting facts you need to know about Niger:
Location on the map, source and longitude
The Niger flows in a crescent through Mali,Niger, bordering Benin and then through Nigeria, emptying into the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic through a vast delta known as the Niger Delta or Oil River.
The river flows out of the Guinea Highlands in south-eastern Guinea. Its largest tributary is the Benue River itself 1400 km long. The Niger flows into the Atlantic in an area known as the Gulf of Guinea. Others are Sirba River, Tinkisso River, Milo River, Niandan River, Sankarani River, Bani River, Mekrou River, Sokoto River, Kaduna River, Benue- river, the Forcados river and the Nun river.
Niger is 2597 miles long . This makes it the longest in West Africa, the third longest in Africa (only the Nile and Congo are longer), and the fourteenth longest in the world.
Brief facts about Niger
Unique characteristics:The Niger has one of the most unusual routes from one of the largest rivers in the world. It is said to be unusual because the river rises not far from the Atlantic, about 150 miles (240 km), and does not flow into the nearby Atlantic, but instead flows in a northeasterly direction into the Sahara Desert before turning southeast and finally entering the Atlantic in Nigeria . This strange geography appears to have arisen because the Niger is made up of two ancient rivers that flow together. The Upper Niger, from its source west of Timbuktu to the bend of the modern-day river at Timbuktu, once emptied into a now dry lake northeast of Timbuktu, while the Lower Niger began south of Timbuktu and emptied into the Gulf of Timbuktu south of Guinea. Over time, upstream erosion of the Lower Niger resulted in
Water Sports: The river has thirty-six families of freshwater fish and almost 250 species, 20 of which are found nowhere else on earth than in Niger. The main food species are catfish, carp and Nile perch. Other Nigerian fauna include hippos, at least three different species of crocodiles (including the dreaded Nile crocodile) and a variety of lizards. The critically endangered West African manatee lives in the river. These mammals can grow up to 15 feet long and weigh nearly 800 pounds. The most feared African lion can also be found here.
Nature of the water: The Niger is clean. It is relatively “clear” and carries only a tenth the amount of sediment as the Nile, as the headwaters of the Niger lie in ancient rocks that provide little mud. Like the Nile, the Niger floods annually; This begins in September, reaches its peak in November and ends in May.
The Kainji Dam: The Kainji Dam is a dam across the Niger in Niger state of western Nigeria. Construction of the dam was carried out by Impregilo (a consortium of Italian contractors) to designs by joint consultants Balfour Beatty and Nedeco and began in 1964. Construction was completed in 1968.
Niger Bridge: The popular Niger Bridge crosses the Niger River and connects western Nigeria to south-eastern Nigeria.
Further explorations and developments:
On October 24, 1946, three Frenchmen, Jean Sauvy, Pierre Ponty and filmmaker Jean Rouch, former civil servants in the African French colonies, set out to travel the entire length of the river like no one else had done before seemed to have. They traveled from the head of the river near Kissidougou in Guinea, walking first until a raft could be used and then switching to various local crafts as the river widened and changed. Two of them reached the ocean on March 25, 1947, with Pierre Ponty having to abandon the expedition at Niamey just after halftime.
In September 2009, the Nigerian government began a 36 billion naira dredging of the Niger River from Baro to Warri, removing the mud from several hundred miles away. Dredging is designed to facilitate the movement of goods to remote settlements deep in the Atlantic.