Niger << NY juhr >> River is the third longest river in Africa. Only the Nile and Congo rivers are longer. The Niger flows about 2,600 miles (4,180 kilometers) in western Africa. It carries more water than any other African river except the Congo. The Niger drains about 580,000 square miles (1,500,000 square kilometers) of land in the countries of Benin, Guinea, Mali, Niger, and Nigeria.
The Niger begins in the highlands of southern Guinea, about 150 miles (240 kilometers) from the Atlantic Ocean, near Guinea’s border with Sierra Leone. The river then flows northeast into Mali, where it turns southeastward. After leaving Mali, the river cuts through the southwestern part of Niger and the northern tip of Benin. It then flows through western Nigeria, where it is joined by its main tributary, the Benue River. Near the coast of southern Nigeria, the Niger flows through a large delta region and empties into the Gulf of Guinea, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean.
Fishing and the transportation of passengers and freight are important activities on the Niger. Boats can navigate the river for about 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) in Mali and about 400 miles (640 kilometers) in Nigeria the year around. Rapids, waterfalls, and other obstacles prevent navigation on other parts of the Niger.
The delta region of the Niger has major deposits of petroleum. The Niger is an important source of hydroelectric power. The Kainji Dam in Nigeria is one of the largest power projects on the river. The dam, which holds back the Niger to form Kainji Lake, produces much of Nigeria’s electric power.
The Niger’s name probably came from a Tuareg phrase meaning river of rivers. The Scottish explorer Mungo Park was the first European to explore its course, leading expeditions in 1796 and 1797 and in 1805 and 1806. See Park, Mungo.
