| FishBase | Complete | Literature | Reference | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Species | Families | Species | Families | |||
| Marine | No | |||||
| Freshwater | 109 | 26 | No | Daget, J., J.-P. Gosse and D.F.E. Thys van den Audenaerde, 1984 | ||
| Total | 110 | 26 | No | |||
| Conservation | The following information is to be sought: - Status of knowledge of the freshwater fauna; - Existence of conservation plans; - Information on major aquatic habitats or sites within the country; - Current major threats to species; - Future potential threats to species; - Contact(s) for further information. |
| Geography and Climate |
Niger is a landlocked country which has a total surface area of 1,267,000 sq. km. Four-fifths is desert and the remaining one-fifth is dry savanna lying within the Sahelian Belt. The north of the country is often mountainous with major rocky massifs: the Air, the Massif de Termit, and the Plateau du Djado.
The climate is extremely hot and arid, with only a very short rainy season between June and September. Most of the population is concentrated into a narrow band along the southern border of the country. The population is largely nomadic, although there is a settled element in the arable lands of the south. Ref. Vanden Bossche, J.-P. and G.M. Bernacsek, 1990 |
| Hydrography |
Lakes: the only lake of any size in Niger is Lake Chad. During the "Large Chad" phase some 2,774 sq. km., or 17% of the total lake area, lies within Niger. However, during the "Small Chad" phase, the Northern Basin dries out to form a seasonal marsh. Thus when the Northern Basin is dry, Niger has no part of the open waters of this lake.
Rivers, floodplains and swamps: the main river in Niger is the Niger itself, which flows for 600 km through the country. Of this length, 140 km form the frontier with Benin. At high water the total flooded area in Niger is 90,704 ha, of which 63,667 has are seasonal floodplain and 27,037 ha are permanent waters of various types including the main channels of the river.
Other rivers in Niger are seasonal and several dried completely during the Sahelian drought. Such water courses as the Dallol Bosso and Goulbi have pond and swamp systems associated with them. The Kamdougou, flowing into Lake Chad, forms the frontier with Nigeria for part of its course.
Reservoirs: there are no large reservoirs as yet, although one is planned at Kandaji on the Niger River. There are several small agricultural reservoirs.
Coastal lagoons: none; Niger is landlocked. Ref. Vanden Bossche, J.-P. and G.M. Bernacsek, 1990 |