The nations of Niger and Nigeria both take their names from the Niger River, which flows through both countries. However, Niger and Nigeria could not be more different from each other.
Niger has an area of 1,267,000 km², while Nigeria has 923,768 km² . With a population of 186 million people, Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa. Niger has a population of only 20 million and is one of the least densely populated countries on Africa.
French is the official language of Niger, while English is one of the official languages of Nigeria. The majority of the population in Niger is Muslim, while about 35 percent of all Nigerians are Christian. Nigeria is largely fertile and forested, with many rivers and a long coastline, while in Niger 80% of its territory is desert and completely isolated from the sea.
Although the Niger River flows through Niger, the many rapids along the river prevent boats from using the navigable waterways to reach the sea from Niger. Niamey, the capital of Niger, is about 1000 kilometres from the nearest port. And there isn't a stretch of railway in the whole country.
By the way, a person in Niger is called a Nigerien, while someone in Nigeria is called a Nigerian.
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