The health hazards become most serious during the rains, which bring flooding and a sharp rise in water-born diseases. Cholera outbreaks are common. Every year hundreds of people die from this severe diarrhoeal disease which is spread through contaminated water.
What is unique about the Niger River?
Interesting Niger River Facts
The Niger has one of the most unusual routes of any of the major rivers in the world. It starts approximately 150 miles from the Atlantic Ocean (240 kilometers). Instead of flowing to the nearby Atlantic Ocean it instead heads inland, away from the sea into the Sahara Desert.
Why is the Niger river called the Oil River?
Oil Rivers, area comprising the delta of the Niger River in modern Nigeria, West Africa. … It was renamed the Niger Coast Protectorate in 1893 and in 1900 was joined to the Nigerian territories administered by the British government. Its name derives from the palm oil that was the chief product of the area.
Does the Niger River flood?
Hydrology of Niger River. Because of climatic variations the annual river flood does not occur at the same time in different parts of the basin. In the upper Niger the high-water discharge occurs in June, and the low-water season is in December. … On the Benue there is only one high-water season.
Is River Niger drying up?
River Niger has a total length of about 4100 kilometres and is the third longest river in Africa, after the Nile and the Congo-Zaire rivers and spreads through ten countries. It is estimated that about 110 million people live in the river’s basin. … “Within a few decades, River Niger will completely disappear.
Why was the Niger River so important?
The northern part of the river, known as the Niger bend, is an important area because it is the closest major river and source of water to the Sahara desert. This made it the focal point of trade across the western Sahara, and the centre of the Sahelian kingdoms of Mali and Gao.
What is Niger best known for?
Niger sits on some of the world’s largest uranium deposits, but is one of the “Heavily Indebted Poor Countries” (HIPC). Its economy is based on subsistence agriculture, like crops and livestock, and the export of raw commodities.
Who named River Niger?
The Niger is believed to have been named by the Greeks. Along its course it is known by several names. These include the Joliba (Malinke: “great river”) in its upper course; the Mayo Balleo and the Isa Eghirren in its central reach; and the Kwarra, Kworra, or Quorra in its lower stretch.
Is Nigeria named after a river?
The name came about from the combination of their acronymns. predominant ethnic group in the state. It was named for the delta of the River Niger formed as it enters the Atlantic Ocean. Named after the dialect of Fulani language (Fulfulde) spoken in the area ‘Gombe’.
How did Niger get its name?
The country takes its name from the Niger River, which flows through the southwestern part of its territory. The name Niger derives in turn from the phrase gher n-gheren, meaning “river among rivers,” in the Tamashek language.
Which is the longest river in the world?
WORLD
- Nile: 4,132 miles.
- Amazon: 4,000 miles.
- Yangtze: 3,915 miles.
Where does the Niger River empty into?
Нигер/Устья
Which country had control of Mali?
In the late 19th century, during the Scramble for Africa, France seized control of Mali, making it a part of French Sudan.
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Regions and cercles.
| Region name | Sikasso |
|---|---|
| Area (km2) | 70,280 |
| Population Census 1998 | 1,782,157 |
| Population Census 2009 | 2,643,179 |
What is the meaning of Niger Delta?
The Niger Delta is the delta of the Niger River sitting directly on the Gulf of Guinea on the Atlantic Ocean in Nigeria. … The Niger Delta is a very densely populated region sometimes called the Oil Rivers because it was once a major producer of palm oil.
Where is Nigeria in Africa?
Nigeria is located in western Africa. Nigeria is bordered by the Gulf of Guinea, Benin to the west, Niger to the north, and Chad and Cameroon to the east. Nigeria is located in western Africa.
How many dams are in Africa?
In Africa a recent count put the number of dams in Sub-Saharan Africa at a total of 980 large dams with around 589 of them in South Africa; among them Africa’s largest dams.