What is the size of the Niger river basin. Regime of the Niger River: salient features

The basin area reaches 2 million 118 square meters. km. The water flow begins its journey in the Guinea Highlands (southeast of Guinea), and ends in Gulf of Guinea Atlantic Ocean.

This African river is notable for its unusual waterway. It has the shape of a boomerang, and for 2.5 thousand years it has baffled all geographers. The source of Niger is only 240 km from the Atlantic coast. It would seem that water should flow towards a salty reservoir, as all self-respecting rivers of the world do. However, contrary to the laws of geology, our heroine does not flow towards the ocean, but away from it.

Niger River

Its waters flow northeast to the Sahara, and then turn southeast 20 km from ancient city Timbuktu. Only after that the river rushes towards the Atlantic coast. But this is 3940 extra kilometers. The figure is impressive and requires explanation.

Many experts believe that in ancient times, when there was no Sahara, 2 rivers flowed in these places. Their journey began in northern regions Africa, and the rivers flowed into a large lake near Timbuktu. Already a single stream flowed from it, which carried its waters to the Gulf of Guinea. It is conditionally called the Lower Niger.

The Sahara began to form about 5,000 years ago. Accordingly, the rivers and their sources disappeared. The lake also disappeared, and a new river appeared in its place, formed from small streams and rivers of West Africa. It was she who became the beginning of the Lower Niger with its source off the coast of the Atlantic. That is, the great desert is to blame for everything, which radically changed the entire North and Central Africa.

Niger River on the map

The Niger River originates in Central Guinea.. Here is the Futa Jallon Plateau in the administrative province of Labe. Its height above sea level is 1530 meters. The source itself is located at an altitude of 745 meters above sea level. Several streams join together and form a river that carries its waters to the northeast along a narrow valley, squeezed on both sides by mountains.

In Mali, the valley is expanding. Between the cities of Ba-Mako and Segou it becomes more full-flowing and calm. Further, up to Timbuktu, the water stream breaks up into several branches and carries its waters through a swampy flat area with many channels and small lakes. It was in this area that in ancient times there was a lake into which rivers flowed from the north.

Beyond Timbuktu, the river again forms a single channel and flows eastward along the southern border of the Sahara. The length of this route is approximately 320 km. The waters reach the village of Bureem and turn sharply to the southeast. Not far from the city of Ayora they cross state border and end up in Niger. On the river is the capital of the state of Niamey with a population of 1 million 60 thousand people. The city is located on both banks, at an altitude of 207 meters above sea level.

Further, the river forms the state border between Niger and Benin, and then flows into the territory of Nigeria. Here, below the city of Elva, the North Guinea Upland begins. The water stream receives many tributaries. Near the city of Lokoja, the largest tributary flows into the Niger - the Benue River (length 1400 km).

After that, the water flow expands in breadth up to 3 km, and its depth reaches 25-30 meters. It is from Lokoja that the current rushes strictly to the south. Delta begins outside the city of Asaba, 180 km from the ocean coast. Its area is 24 thousand square meters. km. It consists of many sleeves. The longest of them is Nun. But sea vessels enter the river along the deepest branch, called the Forcados.

Fishermen on the Niger River

The Niger River is notable for its steady and slow expansion from source to mouth. It does not have sharp narrowings and the same extensions. It is fed by monsoon rains. During this period comes the time of floods. They run from September to May. The peak is in November.

Shipping carried out in separate areas upstream. In the lower reaches, ships sail from the city of Niamey to the mouth. The seaport is located in the capital of the state of Rivers (Nigeria). This is the city of Port Harcourt, located in the river delta.

There are dams on the river. One of them is located near the city of Bamako, the second near the city of Sansanding in the Segou region. They serve to raise water into irrigation canal systems. As for the HPP, there is one in Nigeria with a design capacity of 960 MW. Near the dam there is a reservoir Kaindzhi. Its length reaches almost 100 km, and the area is 600 square meters. km.

The West African Stream is considered relatively clean. The Niger River carries ten times less rainfall to the ocean than the Nile. This is explained by the presence rocks giving a minimum of silt. In general, it should be noted that the river has a large economic importance for West Africa. There are projects for the construction of dams and hydroelectric power plants. Their implementation rests only on finances. There is always a shortage of money, and therefore the work stretches over a long period of time.

Stanislav Lopatin

Niger River on the map

The Niger River is one of the greatest rivers in the world, located in West Africa. In terms of its length in Africa, it ranks third after the Nile and the Congo. The length of the River is 4180 km, the area of ​​the basin is 2117700 sq. km. The uniqueness of the river is that it has two deltas, there are very few such rivers on earth. The water in Niger is 10 times cleaner than the Nile.

The poet Dennis Osadebay wrote about this river: “You are the life for the jungle, scorched by the sun ..... I love you, you are my home and temple ....”.

This river and the ancient trading city of Timbuktu on it have long been a mystery to Europeans. Many Europeans tried to penetrate the river basin, but, as a rule, paid for it with their lives.

About the name of the river

There has been a dispute about the name of the river from ancient times to the present. Most believe that it comes from the Berber word "nehierren" - "river". Others believe that it comes from the Latin "niger", that is, "black." Local residents in different areas call the river in their own way: Joliba, Mayo, Eghirreu, Izo, Quorra, Baki - n - ru, etc. However, all names in translation mean "river". The exact name of the river is still disputed.

Where is Niger

Niger flows through the territory of such West African countries as Mali, Niger, along the border with Benin, through Nigeria. The river flows into the Gulf of Guinea with a huge delta. The Niger receives the largest tributary, the Benue.

Source Niger

The source of Niger is located at the top of Loma (1946 meters), which is located in the Liono - Liberian mountains, stretching in a ridge along the Atlantic coast of West Africa. On the eastern side of Mount Loma, located in the south of Guinea, the Tembi stream, the source of the Niger, is born. It then flows northward into the mainland. First it flows through the mountains, then it goes out into the plains.

Features of the Niger Current

Niger, having entered the plains, is divided into two branches, forming an inland delta. Approaching the Sahara desert, and then, as if afraid that its desert could completely dry up its water reserves, Niger turns sharply to the southeast, breaks through the rocky barrier and runs away from the sultry zone. Leaving the Sahara, the river enters the region of heavy tropical rains. Taking the most

a large tributary is the Benue River, which is called in these parts the "Mother of the Waters", bringing as much water as it flows in Niger itself. After the confluence of the Niger with the Benue, the river becomes up to 3-4 km wide and up to 20-30 meters deep. In the lower reaches, the Niger splits into many branches, through which it pours a huge mass of water into the Gulf of Guinea. Atlantic Ocean. Studying past geological epochs, scientists have found that modern Niger is two large rivers connected - Joliba and Quorra. These names are still preserved, the first - until the turn from the Sahara desert, the second - to the rest of the river.

The nature of the flow

In the upper and lower reaches, the river is full of rapids, as it flows through a narrow valley. In the middle reaches of the Niger, a flat river flows calmly from the Guinean city of Curusa to the capital of Mali, the city of Bamako. The river is navigable in this section. Below the city of Ke - Masina, the city of Mali, Niger is divided into several branches, forming an internal delta. There is a strong bogging in it. Used to be in this place

The Niger emptied into an endorheic lake. In the Timbuktu region, the numerous branches of this delta are connected into one channel. Further, the river flows along the southern border of the Sahara for 300 km. Near the city of Burem, the Niger turns to the southeast and flows calmly in a wide valley to the mouth. On the territory of the state of Niger there are many dry riverbeds that once flowed into the river.

At the place where the river flows into the Gulf of Guinea, a large delta is formed, with an area of ​​24,000 sq. km. The longest sleeve is Nun, and the deepest is Forcados. Niger receives the right tributaries Milo and Bani, the left Sokoto, Kaduna, Benue.

inland delta

Niger. inland delta

The inner delta is formed at the place where the longitudinal slope of the channel decreases. This delta is located near the main turn of the river to the southeast within the Republic of Mali. It is 425 km long and 87 km wide. Floods occur in the delta, which is favorable for agriculture and fishing. Niger loses 2/3 of its water flow in

in the inner delta between the cities of Segou and Timbuktu due to water evaporation and seepage. The average water loss is 31 km. cube/year. In the delta region, water flow increases to 177 km/cube/year. The presence of an internal delta near the Niger River represents some uniqueness of the nature of this river. Such phenomena are rare in rivers.

Mode and nutrition

Niger floods annually in September, peaking in September-October. In the upper reaches, the flood begins in June, its maximum occurs in September-October. In the lower reaches, the rise of water begins in June, with a maximum in September. The average annual water flow in Niger is

8630 cu. m/sec., annual runoff 378 km. cube During floods, the flow can be up to 35 thousand cubic meters. meters.

The nutrition of the river is of the Sudan type, that is, the river is fed by rains; seasonal fluctuations in water flow are sharply expressed on it. The maximum river receives water at the end of summer and autumn, and at least in winter and spring. At the hydrometric station Malanville, during the course of forty years of observations, an average water flow of 1053 cubic meters per second was established, the maximum - 2726 cubic meters per second, a minimum of 18 cubic meters. m/sec.

Discovery of Niger

Upper Niger

Merchants, slave traders, travelers, vagabonds and adventurers arrived in the ancient city of Timbutu. A variety of rumors about this river penetrated into Europe. Some argued that the Niger is the upper reaches of the Nile, others - the river feeds the Congo, others considered it to be tributaries of the desert Lake Chad. Herodotus and Pliny the Elder, Ptolemy knew about the existence of the great river since ancient times. The famous Arab traveler of the Middle Ages Ibn - Batuta (1307 -1377), who traveled many countries of the world for 25 years, was on Niger, sailed on it. He was the first to name the river the "Negro Nile". Europeans did not know anything reliable about Niger for quite a long time until the middle of the 18th century. For a long time geographers did not have an answer: "Is it an independent river or a tributary of another river." Europeans

great importance was attached to this river for its use as a waterway into Africa. The Europeans undertook several voyages, but all ended in their death. The local population was unfriendly towards foreign travelers. However, a brave man was found, the Scot Mungo Park, a doctor by profession, to make a trip to Niger. Accompanied by 2 servants - blacks, in 1795 he went to an unknown river. After he managed to escape from the captivity of the Arab slave traders, he managed to grab his notes. In the forest, Mungo Park met with blacks who had fled from the slave traders. Then they moved to the river together. In the course of research a year later, M. Park found that the Niger flows in an easterly direction, Senegal and Niger different rivers, Niger starts on cr

ayu of light. At that time it was a lot about the nature of Niger. M. Park arrived in London and then returned to Africa to finally solve the riddle of Niger. However, this courageous man died of a fever. The riddle of the Niger was solved by the traveler Richard Lender, who traveled from the source on boats to the mouth of the Niger in 1832-1833. In his expedition, out of 50 people, only 8 people remained. He failed to return to his homeland, since he died in 1834 from wounds received in skirmishes with blacks. So the answers to questions about the riddle of Niger were found.

The Niger is the great river of Africa, which for a long time hid its mysteries, in the course of solving which it took a considerable amount.

river use

Lower Niger

Of particular value are the fertile soils from the sediments of the river in the inner and estuarine deltas. Niger takes out 67 million tons of silt per year.

The source of the river is on the slopes of the Leono-Liberian Highlands in southeastern Guinea. The river flows through the territory of Mali, Niger, along the border with Benin, and then through the territory of Nigeria. It flows into the Gulf of Guinea of ​​the Atlantic Ocean, forming a delta in the area of ​​confluence. The largest tributary of the Niger is the Benue River.

Etymology

The exact origin of the name of the river is unknown, and among researchers there has long been a dispute on this matter.

Popular is the opinion that the name of the river comes from the Tuareg nehier-ren- "river, flowing water." According to one hypothesis, the name of the river comes in turn from the words "jaegerev n'egerev", which in Tamashek (one of the Tuareg languages) means "great river" or "river of rivers". So called Niger and some other peoples who lived on its shores.

There is also a hypothesis according to which the Latin word niger, that is, "black", is a derivative of the name of the river. Such a hypothesis admits that historically the words "Niger" and "Negro" have the same root, since the latter also comes from the word "black".

The natives living near the banks, in some sections of the course, call the river differently: Joliba (in the Mandingo language - “ big river”), Mayo, Eghirreu, Izo, Quorra (Kuarra, Kovara), Baki-n-ruu, etc., but at the same time, the vast majority of these names in translation mean “river”.

Hydrography

The Niger is a relatively “clean” river, compared to the Nile, the turbidity of its water is about ten times less. This is due to the fact that the upper reaches of the Niger pass through rocky terrain and do not carry much silt. Like the Nile, the Niger floods every year. It starts in September, peaks in November, and finishes by May.

An unusual feature of the river is the so-called Inner Niger Delta, formed at the site of a strong decrease in the longitudinal channel slope. The area is an area of ​​multi-channel channel, marches and lakes the size of Belgium. It has a length of 425 km with an average width of 87 km. Seasonal floods make the inland delta extremely favorable for fishing and agriculture.

Niger loses approximately two-thirds of its flow in the section of the inner delta between Segou and Timbuktu due to evaporation and seepage. Even the waters of the Bani River flowing into the delta near the city of Mopti are not enough to compensate for these losses. Average losses are estimated at 31 km 3 /year (their size varies greatly from year to year). After the inner delta, many tributaries flow into the Niger, but evaporative losses are still very large. The volume of water entering Nigeria in the Yola region was estimated at 25 km 3 /year before the 1980s and 13.5 km 3 /year during the eighties. The most important tributary of the Niger is the Benue, which merges with it at the Lokoji region. The volume of inflows into Nigeria is six times greater than the volume of Niger itself when it enters the country. By the Niger Delta, the flow rates of Niger increase to 177 km 3 / year (data until the 1980s, during the eighties - 147.3 km 3 / year.

Hydrological regime

The Niger is fed by the waters of the summer monsoon rains. In the upper reaches, the flood begins in June and near Bamako reaches a maximum in September - October. In the lower reaches, the rise of water begins in June from local rains, in September it reaches its maximum. The average annual water flow of the Niger at the mouth is 8630 m³ / s, the annual flow is 378 km³, the flow during floods can reach 30-35 thousand m³ / s.

In 2005, Norwegian traveler Helge Hjelland undertook another expedition along the length of the Niger, starting in Guinea-Bissau in 2005. He also made a documentary film about his journey, which he called "Nightmare Journey" ( "The Crullest Journey") .

bend in the river

Niger has one of the most unusual shapes channel in plan among major rivers. Similar to a boomerang, such a direction baffled European geographers for nearly two millennia. The source of Niger is located only 240 kilometers from the Atlantic Ocean, but the river begins its journey in the exact opposite direction, into the Sahara, after which it turns sharply to the right near the ancient city of Timbuktu and flows southeast to the Gulf of Guinea. The ancient Romans thought that the river near Timbuktu was part of the Nile, such as Pliny believed. The same point of view was also held. The very first European explorers believed that the upper Niger flows west and connects with the Senegal River.

Such a very unusual direction arose, probably due to the unification of two rivers into one in antiquity. The upper Niger, beginning west of Timbuktu, ended approximately at the bend of the modern river, emptying into a now defunct lake, while the lower Niger began from the hills near that lake and flowed south into the Gulf of Guinea. After the development of the Sahara in 4000-1000. BC e., two rivers changed their directions and merged into one as a result of interception (eng. Stream capture ).

Economic use

The most fertile lands are in the inner delta and the mouth delta of the river. The river brings 67 million tons of silt per year.

Many dams and hydropower facilities have been built on the river. The Egrette and Sansanding dams raise water for irrigation canals. The largest hydroelectric facility in Niger, Kainji, was built in the 1960s. The power of the hydroelectric power plant is 960 MW, the reservoir area is about 600 km².

Navigation on the river is developed only in some areas, especially from the city of Niamey to the confluence with the ocean. Lives in the river a large number of fish (perch, carp, etc.), so among local residents fisheries are developed.

River transport

In September 2009, the Nigerian government allocated 36 billion naira to dredging the Niger from Baro. Baro (Nigeria) ) to Varri in order to clean the bottom from silt. Dredging was intended to facilitate the transport of goods to settlements far from the Atlantic Ocean. Similar work was supposed to be carried out several decades ago, but they were postponed. Nigerian President Umaru Yar'Adua noted that the project will enable year-round navigation in Niger and expressed his hope that Nigeria will become one of the twenty most industrialized countries in the world by 2020. Alhayi Ibrahim Bio, Nigeria's transport minister, said the ministry would do its best to complete the project within the allotted time frame. Concerns have been raised that such work may have a negative impact on the villages located in the coastal zones. At the end of March 2010, the Niger dredging project was 50% complete.

Financing

Most investment in the development of Niger comes from aid funds. For example, the construction of the Kandaji dam is financed by the Islamic Development Bank, the African Development Bank, the development fund of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. The World Bank confirmed a low interest loan in July 2007 for financial projects in the Niger Basin for a twelve year period. In addition to the goals of restoring dams in Niger, the loan also aims to restore ecosystems and build economic potential.

Cities

downstream

• Guinea 22x20px Guinea
• Mali Mali
• Niger Niger
• Nigeria Nigeria

protected areas

• Management of the Niger Basin
• Upper Niger National Park
• Western National Park
• Kainji National Park

see also

Write a review on the article "Niger (river)"

Notes

1. F. L. Ageenko.. - M: ENAS, 2001.
2. Gleick, Peter H. (2000), The World's Water, 2000-2001: The Biennial Report on Freshwater, Island Press, p. 33, ISBN 1-55963-792-7; online at
3. Niger (a river in Africa) / Muranov A.P. // Great Soviet Encyclopedia: [in 30 volumes] / ch. ed. A. M. Prokhorov. - 3rd ed. - M. : Soviet Encyclopedia, 1969-1978.
4. V. K. Gubarev.. retravel.ru. Retrieved March 7, 2012. .
5. Friedrich Hahn. Africa. - 2nd ed. - St. Petersburg: Printing house of the partnership "Enlightenment", 1903. - S. 393-395. - 772 p. - (World Geography under the general editorship of Prof. V. Sievers.).
6. Niger // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron
7. , S. 191
8. , pp. 191–192
9. FAO: , 1997
10. Baugh, Brenda, Documentary Education Resources , . Retrieved 27 January 2010.
12. New encyclopedia of Africa, Volume 4. John Middleton, Joseph Calder Miller, p.36
13. Niger // Dictionary of modern geographical names. - Yekaterinburg: U-Factoria. Under the general editorship of Acad. V. M. Kotlyakova. 2006.
14. . BBC (10 September 2009). Retrieved September 11, 2009. .
15. Wole Ayodele. (unavailable link - ). This Day Online (September 9, 2009). Retrieved September 11, 2009. .
16. (unavailable link - ). Punch on the web (March 25, 2010). Retrieved May 11, 2010. .
17. Voice of America: July 4, 2007
18. World Bank : , accessed on January 9, 2010

Literature

• Niger // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg. , 1890-1907.
• Dmitrevsky Yu. D. Inland waters Africa and their use / Ed. ed. Dr. Geogr. Sciences M. S. Rozin. - L.: Gidrometeoizdat, 1967. - 384 p. - 800 copies.
• Zotova Yu. N., Kubbel L. E. Looking for Niger. - M.: Science. The main edition of Eastern literature, 1972. - 242 p. - (Journey through the countries of the East). - 15,000 copies.

• River studies and recommendations on improvement of Niger and Benue. - Amsterdam: North-Holland Pub. Co., 1959.
• Reader, John (2001) africa, Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society, ISBN 0-620-25506-4
• Thomson, J. Oliver (1948), History of Ancient Geography Biblo & Tannen Publishers, ISBN 0-8196-0143-8
• Welcomme, R.L. (1986), "The Niger River System", in Davies, Bryan Robert & Walker, Keith F., The Ecology of River Systems, Springer, ss. 9–60, ISBN 90-6193-540-7

An excerpt characterizing the Niger (river)

A river with a difficult temper. It gives people the very possibility of life in West Africa, but more than once it has ruined the daredevils who tried to go along its entire course. Until the 19th century. the world knew almost nothing about this third longest river of the Black Continent...

TOUGHIE

This river for Europeans has long been a secret with seven seals.

The Niger River is the largest in West Africa and the third longest in the entire continent, after the Nile and the Congo. And many thousands of years ago, two rivers flowed along its current course. From its source in the Guinean Highlands, one of them flowed into an ancient drainless lake, while the second flowed east of this place and was not connected with the first. But time dried up the lake, and these two rivers gradually changed their course, merging, they gave birth to Niger.

For a long time, the serpentine current of the Niger remained the main obstacle for researchers. There was even an assumption that the other African rivers Senegal and Gambia are nothing more than branches of the Niger, although in fact they flow to the north.

There have been many attempts to solve the mystery of the river. Since the so-called African Association was founded in 1788, the purpose of which was to study African lands in detail, including the course of the Niger: it was necessary to learn everything about the promising trade routes of Africa, and Niger goes to the Atlantic Ocean.

Less than ten years later, the river found its hero. In 1796 the Scottish traveler Mungo Park (1771-1806) reached its waters. Exploring the sources of the rivers of Senegal and the Gambia, he also reached the Niger and during his voyage discovered that the Niger had nothing to do with Senegal and the Gambia. But Park could not thoroughly study the Niger either: he fell ill with dengue fever, was captured, fled, but after a relapse of a debilitating illness, he interrupted his journey along the river, returning on foot to the mouth of the Gambia, and with great difficulty reached the English trading settlement of Pisania in June 1797 . But he conveyed the collected materials. They formed the basis of a book published in 1799, which brought Mungo Park prestige in scientific circles and fame among inquisitive compatriots.

This inspired the Scotsman for another trip to Niger in 1805. The expedition started from the Niger Delta, was well prepared and armed. However, due to illness, heat and endless skirmishes with local tribes, Mungo Park lost most of his team (out of forty people, only eleven reached the Malian territories). In the same 1805, he drowned in the waters of the Niger, when he tried to hide from the arrows of local residents in the water. This became known only in 1808, when the diaries and letters of the brave traveler, which he sent ahead of time with his people, finally reached the addressee: the Park's envoys themselves barely survived. Although Europe already knew about the obstinate nature of the Niger, there were (and still are) a lot of extreme sports lovers who wanted to make a trip along this river. real explorers sad fate Parka warned ... But in 1946, a significant geographical event nevertheless occurred: for the first time, a person managed to overcome absolutely all the obstacles on the way from the source of the Niger to its mouth. It was a French expedition - documentary filmmaker and connoisseur of Africa Jean Rush and his companions Pierre Ponty and Jean Soy.

Thanks to the film materials they brought from this trip, people were able to see the beauty of the hitherto mysterious river, to feel the diversity and originality of its world, bewitchingly attractive, despite all the potential dangers.

Flowing through the arid lands of West Africa to the Atlantic Ocean, the Niger River is not navigable along its entire length: in the section between Mali and Niger, it is rapids and dangerous for rafting.

LIFE ITSELF

In many regions and cities of West Africa, life is possible mainly thanks to the Niger River.

Taking its origin under the name Joliba on the Leono-Liberian Upland, Niger rushes west to the Gulf of Guinea of ​​the Atlantic Ocean, absorbing a lot of large and small tributaries along the way and gradually accelerating its course. At the confluence with its largest tributary - the Benue River - Niger acquires the greatest strength. Here, its width reaches three kilometers, and the depth in some areas is kept at the level of twenty meters. The Niger is navigable from Kurusa to Bamako, from the falls of Sotuba to Ansongo, and from Niamey to the mouth. The Niger Delta begins 180 km from the ocean near the city of Aba.

A real oasis is formed along the shores of the Niger in the area of ​​​​its inner delta Masina, in the very place where the waters of the lake that dried up over time splashed. Now this region belongs to the state of Mali (it gained independence in 1960). About half a million people live here. Most of the local settlements belong to the Dogon. Near the Bandiagara ledge one can find their small villages, consisting of adobe houses, merging with the surrounding rocky landscape, and their fields and melons stretch along the Niger coast. Niger sheltered on its shores the Fulbe tribes, who adhere to the ancient traditions of a nomadic lifestyle and animal husbandry. Living conditions here are not easy, even taking into account the proximity of the river: the wind brings hot dry air from the Sahara desert, and temperatures throughout the year can jump up to + 40 ° C. From here the river rushes on, deviating to the east

and approaching the southern outskirts of the Sahara. Here, river water is an invaluable and perhaps the only source of life, including for the Malian city of Timbuktu, standing in a bend (inner delta) of Niger. Until the beginning of the 20th century. along the Niger, Timbuktu could only be reached when the water level in the river rose after the summer monsoon rains. The first European to reach this city, previously known only from descriptions, was a British officer, Major Alexander Leng, and this happened in 1825.

There are other, larger cities on the banks of the Niger (the population of Timbuktu is only a little more than 50 thousand people). Downstream of the Inner Delta lies the Malian capital of Bamako, with a population of nearly two million, Africa's fastest growing city. Complex natural conditions West Africans leave their imprint on the appearance of this capital city. At first glance, it may seem that Bamako is not so big. The houses here are low-rise, and the streets, with a fairly high population density, are not so busy (green minibuses of the local fixed-route taxi here sometimes there are much more than private cars).

On the banks of the great African river is located the capital of the Republic of Niger - Niamey. Founded in the 18th century, it really flourished only towards the end of the 19th century, during the French colonization. During the day, living in a bustle, brightly sparkling in the evening lights, this city is one of the largest African centers of trade, both retail and wholesale. And here one can observe, it seems, an ineradicable African paradox: next to the circulation of goods and money - poverty and begging.

CURIOUS FACTS

■ To say that the Niger Basin is a densely populated area is like saying nothing. Only in the delta region of this African river, the population is about thirty-one million people.

■ The Republic of Niger is one of the largest suppliers of oil among African countries. Every day, about two million barrels of black gold are mined in the Niger Delta. True, this figure is far from the limit: before production was three million barrels per day, but in recent years the country's oil industry has lost ground.

■ Steamships are rare in Niger, mostly small sailing ships.

■ Documentary filmmaker and ethnographer Jean Rouch (1917-2004), who explored the Niger in 1946, called the river a living liana that coiled around West Africa, noting the variability of its waters.

■ The most delicious fish found in the waters of Niger is the captain fish.

■ The city of Mopti in Mali, located at the confluence of the Bani River with the Niger, is called the “African Venice”. But not always, but in winter, when, after the monsoon rains, the Niger floods and Mopti is surrounded by water from all sides.

ATTRACTION

■ Bamako (Mali): National Museum Mali - dedicated to the history of the country since ancient times; Bamako Cathedral Mosque is one of the most tall buildings Bamako; the VCEAO tower - the bank building, the tallest in West Africa; Palace of Culture Amado - one of the main centers for cultural events;
■ Niamey (Niger): National Museum of Niger; Nigerian zoo; city ​​market - the largest shopping center of the Republic of Niger; Great Mosque of Nizmey;
■ Kainji Lake National Park;
■ Upper Niger National Park;
■ Western Niger National Park.

Atlas. The whole world is in your hands №66

Read in this issue:

dunav river niger, volga river niger
Niger(French Niger, English Niger, Yoruba Niger, Ọya) is the most important river in West Africa. The length is 4180 km, the basin area is 2,117,700 km², the third in Africa after the Nile and the Congo in terms of these parameters.

The source of the river is located on the slopes of the Leono-Liberian Upland in southeastern Guinea. The river flows through the territory of Mali, Niger, along the border with Benin, and then through the territory of Nigeria. It flows into the Gulf of Guinea of ​​the Atlantic Ocean, forming a delta in the confluence area. The largest tributary of the Niger is the Benue River.

• 1 Etymology
• 2 Hydrography
• 3 Hydrological regime
• 4 History
• 5 The direction of the river in the plan
• 6 Economic use
• 7 River transport
• 8 Funding
• 9 Cities
• 10 Protected areas
• 11 See also
• 12 Notes
• 13 Literature

Etymology

The exact origin of the name of the river is unknown, and among researchers there has long been a dispute on this matter. It is only known that the name of the river could not have arisen from the word “Negro” or its derivatives (the term “Negro” appeared in European languages ​​only by the 17th century, while the name of the river is much older), despite the widespread presence of representatives of the Negroid race there. However, according to one of the hypotheses, these words are historically of the same root.

Popular is the opinion that the name of the river comes from the Tuareg nehier-ren - "river, flowing water." According to one hypothesis, the name of the river comes in turn from the words "jaegerev n'egerev", which in Tamashek (one of the Tuareg languages) means "great river" or "river of rivers". So called Niger and some other peoples who lived on its shores.

There is also a hypothesis according to which the Latin word niger, that is, "black", is a derivative of the name of the river. Such a hypothesis admits that historically the words "Niger" and "Negro" have the same root, since the latter also comes from the word "black".

The natives, living near the coast, in some sections of the course call the river differently: Joliba (in the Mandingo language - “big river”), Mayo, Eghirreu, Izo, Quorra (Kuarra, Kovara), Baki-n-ruu, etc. etc., but at the same time, the vast majority of these names in translation mean "river".

Hydrography

The source is located on the slopes of the Leono-Liberian Upland in southeastern Guinea. the upper course of the river is called Joliba. The river flows northeast, crossing the border with Mali. the upper and lower reaches of the Niger are rapids, flowing mainly in a narrow valley. the middle course of the Niger has the character of a flat river. From the Guinean city of Kurusa to the Malian capital of Bamako, and also below the city of Segou, the Niger flows through a wide valley and is navigable. Below the Malian city of Ke Masina, the Niger divides into several branches, forming an inland delta. In the Inner Delta, the Niger Valley is heavily swamped. Previously, in this place, the Niger flowed into an endorheic lake. In the Timbuktu region, numerous branches are connected into one channel. The river then flows east along the southern border of the Sahara for 300 km. Near the town of Burem, the Niger turns to the southeast and flows in a wide valley to the very mouth, navigable. The river flows through the territory of Niger, where there are numerous dry riverbeds (wadis) that once flowed into Niger, along the border of Benin, then flows through Nigeria and flows into the Gulf of Guinea, forming a vast delta with an area of ​​24 thousand km². The longest arm of the delta is the Nun, but the deeper Forcados arm is used for navigation.

Major tributaries of the Niger: Milo, Bani (right); Sokoto, Kaduna and Benue (left).

The Niger is a relatively “clean” river, compared to the Nile, the turbidity of its water is about ten times less. This is due to the fact that the upper reaches of the Niger pass through rocky terrain and do not carry much silt. Like the Nile, the Niger floods every year. It starts in September, peaks in November, and finishes by May.

An unusual feature of the river is the so-called Inner Niger Delta, formed at the site of a strong decrease in the longitudinal channel slope. The area is an area of ​​multi-channel channel, marches and lakes the size of Belgium. It has a length of 425 km with an average width of 87 km. Seasonal floods make the inland delta extremely favorable for fishing and agriculture.

Niger loses approximately two-thirds of its flow in the section of the inner delta between Segou and Timbuktu due to evaporation and seepage. Even the waters of the Bani River flowing into the delta near the city of Mopti are not enough to compensate for these losses. Average losses are estimated at 31 km3/year (which varies greatly from year to year). After the inner delta, many tributaries flow into the Niger, but evaporative losses are still very large. The volume of water entering Nigeria in the Yola region was estimated at 25 km3/year before the 1980s and 13.5 km3/year during the eighties. The most important tributary of the Niger is the Benue, which merges with it at Lokoji. The volume of inflows into Nigeria is six times greater than the volume of Niger itself when it enters the country. By the Niger Delta, the discharge of Niger increases to 177 km3 / year (data until the 1980s, during the eighties - 147.3 km3 / year.

Hydrological regime

The Niger is fed by the waters of the summer monsoon rains. the upper reaches of the flood begins in June and near Bamako reaches a maximum in September - October. in the lower reaches, the rise of water begins in June from local rains, in September it reaches a maximum. The average annual water flow of the Niger at the mouth is 8630 m³/s, the annual flow is 378 km³, the discharge during floods can reach 30-35 thousand m³/s.

The water regime of Niger is confined to the subequatorial latitudes of Africa and belongs to the so-called Sudanese type. Rivers of this type are fed mainly by rainwater and are characterized by pronounced seasonal flow and runoff (the maximum is usually reached in late summer and autumn, the minimum in winter and spring). The main features of the Niger water regime are related to the fact that its upper and lower reaches are located in areas rich in precipitation, and the middle reaches are characterized by great dryness and strong evaporation.

According to data obtained over 40 years of observations (from 1952 to 1992) in the area of ​​the Malanville hydrometric station (English) Russian. (located in the north of Benin, approximately 1100 km upstream from the mouth of the Niger), the average water discharge is approximately 1053 m³ / s, the maximum is 2726 m³ / s, the minimum is 18 m³ / s.

Story

In the Middle Ages, Arab geographers believed that the Niger was connected to the Nile. The beginning of this idea was laid by Greek geographers - according to Herodotus, for example, Nager was the source of the Nile, flowing down from the Atlas. One of the first to challenge this opinion in his work "Travels in Africa" ​​(1799) was W. G. Brown. In 1796, the young Scottish physician Mungo Park was the first European to reach the Niger. The park found that the Niger flows to the east and has nothing to do with either Senegal or the Gambia - earlier Europeans believed that the Niger was divided into these two rivers. M. Park was going to find out where the actual current of the Niger was directed, but due to tropical fever he was forced to turn back. In 1805, he again visited the Niger and explored its course from Bamako to Bussang, where he was killed by local residents. At that time, nothing was known about the lower course of the Niger, but it was believed that it flows into the Gulf of Guinea. This opinion was confirmed by the voyages of Dixon Denham and Hugh Clapperton in 1825 and Clapperton's second voyage in 1827. In the late 20s of the XIX century, the French traveler Rene Calle visited Timbuktu, posing as an Arab merchant. In 1830, the British government sent Richard Lander (English) Russian, Clapperton's companion on a previous journey, to the banks of the Niger, to more carefully study the course of the river, Lander, with his brother (English) Russian, reached Bussang by land, went down from there downstream and, having sailed a path of 900 km, reached the Gulf of Guinea. 1832 Lander entered the Niger through the Bay of Benin and sailed up the river; the same journey, at the same time, was made by Laird (English) Russian. and Oldfield, of which the latter sailed to Rabbi, 750 km from the mouth. Tales (English) Russian, together with English naval officers, explored in 1857-64 the lower reaches of the Niger to Rabba and founded missions and trading stations along its banks. The middle course of the river, from Timbuktu to Sai, was explored by Barth in 1854. The course of the Niger between the mouth of the Benue and the Rabbah was explored by Ralph in 1867, but as early as 1832 Lang almost reached the headwaters of the Niger, the main springs of which, Thembi, were discovered by Mustier and Zweiffel in 1879. Accurate Research the current of the Niger between Gammaki and Timbuktu, with its drawing on the map, was made by the French officer Caron in 1887.

In the 19th century, the French established themselves in the upper part of the middle reaches of the Niger, near Timbuktu. Trade from here was directed to the west, that is, to the lower reaches of the Senegal River. Meanwhile, in the lower reaches of the Niger, European trading posts had long existed - in the 80s of the 19th century, the British bought French trading posts.

Island in Niger in Mali

On October 24, 1946, three Frenchmen, Jean Sauvy, Pierre Ponty and film director Jean Rouch, all former employees in the African French colonies, decided to make a trip along the entire length of the river, which, most likely, no one had ever done before them. They began their journey from the very source of the Niger in the region of Kisidougou, Guinea-Bissau, at first on foot, as conditions did not allow the use of a raft. They then traveled in a wide variety of watercraft as the river widened and deepened. Pierre Ponty stopped the journey at Niamey and two others reached the ocean on 25 March 1947. They filmed their journey with a 16mm camera, from which Jean Rouch edited his first two ethnographic documentaries: "Au pays des mages noirs" and "La chasse à l'hippopotame". The film served as an illustration for Rusch's later published book, Le Niger En Pirogue (1954), as well as Descente du Niger (2001). Pierre Ponty also carried a typewriter with him and sent articles to newspapers along the way.

In 2005, Norwegian traveler Helge Hjelland undertook another expedition along the length of the Niger, starting in Guinea-Bissau in 2005. He also made a documentary about his journey called The Cruellest Journey.

The direction of the river in the plan

The Niger has one of the most unusual channel plans among major rivers. Like a boomerang, this direction has baffled European geographers for almost two millennia. The source of the Niger is located only 240 kilometers from the Atlantic Ocean, but the river begins its journey in the opposite direction, into the Sahara, after which it turns sharply to the right near the ancient city of Timbuktu and flows southeast to the Gulf of Guinea. The ancient Romans thought that the river near Timbuktu is part of the Nile, for example, Pliny believed. Ibn Battuta also held the same point of view. The first European explorers believed that the upper Niger flows west and joins the Senegal River.

Such a very unusual direction arose, probably due to the union of two rivers into one in ancient times. The upper Niger, beginning west of Timbuktu, ended approximately at the bend of the modern river, emptying into a now defunct lake, while the lower Niger began from the hills near that lake and flowed south into the Gulf of Guinea. After the development of the Sahara in 4000-1000 BC. e., two rivers changed their directions and merged into one as a result of interception (eng. Stream capture).

Economic use

The most fertile lands are in the inner delta and the mouth delta of the river. The river brings 67 million tons of silt per year.

Many dams and hydropower facilities have been built on the river. The Egrette and Sansanding dams raise water for irrigation canals. The largest hydroelectric complex in Niger, Kainji, was built in the 1960s. The power of the hydroelectric power plant is 960 MW, the reservoir area is about 600 km².

Navigation on the river is developed only in some areas, especially from the city of Niamey to the confluence with the ocean. The river is inhabited by a large number of fish (perch, carp, etc.), so fishing is developed among the locals.

At the confluence of the river in the Gulf of Guinea, there is a seaport in the city of Port Harcourt.

River transport

In September 2009, the Nigerian government allocated 36 billion naira to dredging the Niger from Baro (Nigeria) to Warri to clear the bottom of silt. Dredging was intended to facilitate the transportation of goods to settlements located far from the Atlantic Ocean. Similar work was supposed to be carried out several decades ago, but they were postponed. Nigerian President Umaru Yar'Adua noted that the project will enable year-round navigation in Niger and expressed his hope that Nigeria will become one of the twenty most industrialized countries in the world by 2020. Alhayi Ibrahim Bio, Nigeria's transport minister, said the ministry would do its best to complete the project within the allotted time frame. Concerns were raised that such work could have a negative impact on the villages located in the coastal zones. At the end of March 2010, the Niger dredging project was 50% complete.

Financing

Most investment in the development of Niger comes from aid funds. For example, the construction of the Kandaji dam is financed by the Islamic Development Bank, the African Development Bank, the Development Fund of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. The World Bank approved a low interest loan in July 2007 for financial projects in the Niger Basin for a twelve year period. In addition to dam restoration in Niger, the loan also aims to restore ecosystems and build economic potential.

Cities

downstream

• Guinea Guinea
  • Farana
  • Sigiri
• Mali
  • Bamako
  • Mopti
  • Timbuktu
• Niger
  • Tillabéri
  • Niamey
• Nigeria
  • Lokoja
  • Onycha

protected areas

• Management of the Niger Basin
• Upper Niger National Park
• Western National Park
• Kainji National Park

see also

• Azawad

Notes

1. F. L. Ageenko. Russian word stress. Dictionary of proper names. - M: ENAS, 2001.
2. Gleick, Peter H. (2000), "The World's Water, 2000-2001: The Biennial Report on Freshwater", Island Press, p. 33, ISBN 1-55963-792-7; online at Google Books
3. 1 2 3 4 5 Niger (river in Africa) - article from the Great Soviet Encyclopedia (3rd edition). Muranov A.P.
4. V. K. Gubarev. Niger RiverSights of the World. retravel.ru. Retrieved March 7, 2012. Archived from the original on June 2, 2012.
5. Friedrich Hahn. Africa. - 2nd ed. - St. Petersburg: Printing house of the partnership "Enlightenment", 1903. - S. 393-395. - 772 p. - (World Geography under the general editorship of Prof. V. Sievers.).
6. 1 2
7. 1 2 Reader 2001, p. 191
8. Reader 2001, pp. 191–192
9. 1 2 FAO: Irrigation potential in Africa: A basin approach, The Niger Basin, 1997
10. Baugh, Brenda, "About Jean Rouch", Documentary Education Resources, . Retrieved 27 January 2010.
11. Bergen International Film Festival - The Cruelest Journey
12. New encyclopedia of Africa, Volume 4. John Middleton, Joseph Calder Miller, p.36
13. Niger // Dictionary of modern geographical names. - Yekaterinburg: U-Factoria. Under the general editorship of Acad. V. M. Kotlyakova. 2006.
14. 1 2 3 Nigeria begins vast river dredge. BBC (10 September 2009). Retrieved September 11, 2009. Archived from the original on May 13, 2013.
15. 1 2 Wole Ayodele. Yar "Adua Flags off Dredging of River Niger (inaccessible link - history). This Day Online (September 9, 2009). Retrieved September 11, 2009. Archived from the original on September 14, 2009.
16. N36bn River Niger dredging project 50% completed – FG(unavailable link - history). Punch on the web (March 25, 2010). Retrieved May 11, 2010. Archived from the original on October 2, 2011.
17. Voice of America: RSS Feed World Bank Sending $500 Million Funding for Niger Basin Development, July 4, 2007
18. World Bank: Niger Basin Water Resources Development and Sustainable Ecosystems Management Project, accessed on January 9, 2010

Literature

• Dmitrevsky Yu. D. Internal waters of Africa and their use. - L .: Hydrometeorological Publishing House, 1967.
• River studies and recommendations on improvement of Niger and Benue. - Amsterdam: North-Holland Pub. Co., 1959.
• Reader, John (2001), "Africa", Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society, ISBN 0-620-25506-4
• Thomson, J. Oliver (1948), "History of Ancient Geography", Biblo & Tannen Publishers, ISBN 0-8196-0143-8
• Welcomme, R.L. (1986), "The Niger River System", in Davies, Bryan Robert & Walker, Keith F., "The Ecology of River Systems", Springer, pp. 9–60, ISBN 90-6193-540-7
• Niger // encyclopedic Dictionary Brockhaus and Efron: in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg, 1890-1907.

Niger Amazon River, Niger Volga River, Niger Dunav River, Niger Maritsa River

Niger (river) Information About