Description of the niger river. Niger River Regime: Special Features
Herodotus on a journey to southern Africa
Greek Herodotus, nicknamed "the father of history", spoke about a trip from Libya to the southwest African five young nomads from tribe nasamon... The Nasamons set out on a journey, trying to penetrate as far as possible to southern Africa. They crossed the sandy deserts and reached fertile country, teeming with various unfamiliar plants. But here they were captured by some small people with black skin, who spoke a language they did not understand, and took them away with them. The prisoners passed through vast wetlands, beyond which they saw big river flowing from west to east; they paid attention to a large number of crocodiles in her waters. After many adventures, the young Nasams returned home safely.Herodotus' erroneous assumption that Niger is a tributary of the Nile
It can hardly be said with certainty whether the Nammon journey actually took place or whether it was fiction. Based on the story of Herodotus, Europe first learned about the existence of a large river deep in West Africa, flowing from west to east... But at the same time, Herodotus made a mistake, understandable and justified at the then level of human knowledge about the world in which he lives, but finally refuted only in the 19th century. The Greeks had no idea about the actual size of the African continent, but they already knew quite well the Nile, in the valley of which great civilization Ancient egypt- Greece owed her a lot. It is therefore natural that Herodotus suggested as if the big river, which was discussed in the story he recorded about the journey of the Namons, - west tributary of the Nile ... And this look lasted more than two millennia. Geographical representations of Herodotus became the basis on which maps of the interior regions of Africa were created, which appeared in the writings of such ancient scholars as the Roman Pliny the Elder(1st century AD) and especially the great geographer the ancient world Claudius Ptolemy... Exactly Ptolemy's map for many centuries it became a source of geographical information for people of the Middle Ages. This card, for all its imperfection, for its time was largest scientific achievement.Cultural heritage of the Middle East
Knowledge accumulated by scientists of antiquity, medieval Europe received mainly in the transmission of Arab scholars: on Middle east cultural heritage was preserved much better than in the early medieval states of Europe, where the omnipotent Catholic Church was suspicious of most of the monuments of paganism, and the closed subsistence economy feudal society did not really stimulate the development of geography. In the Middle East, at this time, there were huge flourishing cities. with a developed craft and lively trade links.The Arabs were attracted by the geographical composition of Ptolemy
It is clear that Arabs were attracted by the geographical work of Ptolemy... A native of Central Asia, a great mathematician, Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khorezmi in the IX century. revised the "Geography" of Ptolemy, supplementing it with the information that the Arabs were able to accumulate by that time. A century later, a certain Suhrab in turn, he revised the "Book of the Image of the Earth" by al-Khorezmi, supplementing and enriching the appearance of the then known part with new features the globe drawn by Ptolemy.
But neither al-Khwarizmi nor Suhrab made any significant changes to the map of West Africa. Arab geography of that time was a "book" science and was based on ancient and Hellenistic theories. And Muslim merchants, by the IX century. well mastered trade routes to Ghana - largest state in West Africa of that period, they were not too interested in the nature of this part of the continent: trade routes or goods that could be obtained here absorbed all their attention. Real knowledge is accumulating about the interior of Africa
But gradually, as they accumulated real knowledge of the interior of Africa, the Arab geographers are beginning to get more complicated ideas about these areas. Of course, this does not mean that they could give a clear answer to the question of what, for example, the basins of the Nile and Niger look like. The complication of the picture was expressed mainly in the appearance (starting from the third quarter of the 10th century) in the works of Arab geographers and on the maps compiled by them, along with the familiar and well-known "Nile of Egypt" of several more Niles: "Nile of the Blacks", "Nila Zinjs" and others. At the same time, the majority of Arab writers, as it were, tacitly adhered to the old point of view of Herodotus: for them, the connection Nile West African With By the Nile of Egypt was taken for granted. In the same way, they had no doubts that the "big river" on the map of West Africa ("Land of the Blacks") flows from west to east.Conflicting information about the rivers Niger and Sinegal
But as the Muslim merchants moved south, complications arose: having become acquainted with two different rivers - Niger and Senegal, merchants, and after them geographers begin to mix them up. This is the first time such a mixture of these large western African rivers appears in the "Book of Ways and States" by the Spanish-Arab geographer and historian al-Bekri in the middle of the XI century. Sam al-Bekri was not in West Africa , he described it from the rich archives of Cordoba, which contained many reports of Muslim merchants from different cities of Spain. These merchants traded more than any other with the peoples of the sub-Saharan region. And al-Bekri either did not pay attention to the contradiction between different documents that spoke about big river in ancient Ghana and adjacent countries (some documents stated that the river flows from east to west, and in others - from west to east), or, as Arab historians and geographers of the Middle Ages often did, he cited information from both , relying on the usual formula in such cases: "Allah knows best!" But if al-Bekri simply recorded a contradiction, then the great geographer al-Idrisi(XII century) adopted a point of view that was directly opposite to the prevailing earlier. It also mixes Niger and Senegal, but its West African "Nile" flows only from east to west. The scientific authority of al-Idrisi turned out to be large enough for this mistake (however, one of many) fix for several centuries... It could not be refuted by the very definite testimony of the traveler. Ibn Battuta(XIV century) that the "Nile of the Blacks" flows from west to east. But Ibn Battuta was the first of the authors of Arabic geographical writings to personally visit Niger... At the same time, being a man of practice, far from scientific discussions, he firmly adhered to the old point of view: "The Nile of Egypt" and "The Nile of the Blacks" are one and the same river. Of course, in the eyes of people involved in geographical science, the testimony of a simple merchant could not compete with the opinion of such a scientist as al-Idrisi.African lion saw Niger
Moreover, even when through a century and a half after Ibn Battuta, the region lying along the Niger was twice visited by the North African traveler and scientist al-Hasan ibn-Wazzaz al-Fasi, known in Europe as African lion, the authority of al-Idrisi remained decisive. African lion Not only saw niger with my own eyes; he sailed on it more than once and went down this river from Timbuktu to Jenne. It seemed that he could not but know in which direction the river flows! But, unfortunately, in his "Description of Africa", which made his name famous, African Leo did not say a single word about the direction in which Niger flows... And this silence was perceived as agreement with al-Idrisi.
For two and a half centuries, the book of African Leo remained in Europe the main source of information about the African continent.... And it never occurred to anyone to refute the opinion of al-Idrisi about the direction of the flow of the Niger. Of course, it cannot be said that the accumulation of information on the geography of the interior regions of West Africa has completely stopped. European scientists heard vague rumors about the existence somewhere far from the coast of a huge lake, to which you can go through the lands of the Hausa people, that is, through the present Northern Nigeria. And a major geographer at the end of the 16th century. Ortelius associated with this lake - real Lake Chad- the current of the Niger. On his map, the river begins south of the equator, crosses it, flows into Chad, and from there flows to the west, to a certain "Lake Guber". After passing this supposed lake, the Niger flows into the Atlantic Ocean in the region the actual mouth of Senegal... Ortelius' representations are interesting, by the way, because they contain a lot of quite real, but absolutely fantastically mixed material. Knowledge of the Portuguese about West Africa
Portuguese probably already at the end of the 15th century. it became known about the existence of several lakes along the upper reaches of the Niger above Timbuktu - lake Debo, Fagibin, Tanda and others. Something was learned about the wealthy Hausan cities further to the east; one of the most important among them was Gobir... And in 1564, on the map of the Italian, Giacomo di Castaldi appears in the depths West Africa a huge "Lake Huber" (by the way, for the first time about Huber, Europeans learned everything from the same "Description of Africa" by African Leo). “Lake Huber” was regularly reproduced on their maps by everyone who studied the geography of Africa until the end of the 18th century. And almost all this time continued to consider Niger and Senegal as one river... True, in these erroneous views there was also a certain positive side: already didn't mix nigga with the nile, and the very name "Niger" from the XVI century. firmly established on European maps.Expanding geographical knowledge about Africa
But in general expanding geographic knowledge of Africa in the period between the appearance in 1550 of the first Italian edition of the "Description of Africa" and the first expedition Mungo Park in the mid-90s of the 18th century. went much slower than at the beginning of the era of the Great geographical discoveries XV - first quarter of the XVI century. The discovery of America and the successful penetration of Europeans into the regions of the South Seas led to the fact that the leading role in the economy of Europe passed from the Mediterranean countries to the countries of the Atlantic coast. At the same time, the capture of almost all North Africa The Ottoman Empire contributed to an even greater weakening of the usual contacts of Southern Europe with the Middle East. And in Africa itself, the main ties with the Europeans moved to the west coast: from here to New World the main export commodity was shipped - slaves for plantations and mines... Africa was turning, in the words of Karl Marx, into a “reserved field for hunting blacks”.Slave trade
In search of new sources of this terrible product, European sailors quickly surveyed the Atlantic coast of Africa and mapped it accurately enough. But with the deep regions, the situation was different. Since slaves were brought to the coast by African rulers, there was no need for a European to move away from coastal markets and penetrate inland. Moreover, slave trade was so profitable for the African rulers themselves that they would hardly have welcomed the penetration of Europeans into the interior of the country. Therefore, the difficulties and obstacles in the way of those who tried to move at least a little from the coastal forts-trading posts were great. For a while, this situation more or less suited European merchants and African leaders. But in the second half of the 18th century. circumstances began to change rapidly. In European countries, the positions of those who sought to ban the slave trade... Many reasons contributed to this, and not the least role was played by the desire of British merchants and industrialists to impede the development of the economy of the former North American colonies, which was largely based on the massive use of plantation slavery.The Industrial Revolution triumphed in England
In the same time in England finally won the industrial revolution I am; the capitalist mode of production became undividedly dominant in the country's economy. The strengthened British bourgeoisie needed new sources of raw materials, new strongholds in all parts of the world. After the successful end of the Seven Years' War for England in 1763 the question of ownership of India was decided in favor of the British. Britain's colonial interests moved east from North America and the West Indies... But this did not at all mean a weakening of attention to other parts of the world. It is no coincidence that just at this time in England, interest in the geographical research of overseas lands and among these lands is growing unusually rapidly. Africa is one of the first places... But discoveries could only be expected with a certain level of organizational and financial support for research enterprises. Well, the British bourgeoisie was rich enough, and entrepreneurial enough, and far-sighted enough to provide such support to their compatriots who would dare to take on the hard work of exploring unknown lands.Creation of the African Society
In 1788, London was organized by the African Society(Society for the Promotion of the Discovery of the Interior of Africa). It is characteristic that, announcing the creation of the society, its founders specifically drew attention to the fact that European ideas about the interior regions of Africa are almost entirely based on the information provided by al-Idrisi and Leo Africanus. And in the first place among the tasks to be solved, it was set to determine where does Niger begin and where it flows... In the announcement of the founding meeting of the company, it was said:"The course of the Niger, the places of its source and end, and even its existence as an independent river have not been determined to this day."In this way, from the end of the 18th century. a systematic exploration of inner Africa begins... Already in the first year of its existence, the society sent two researchers to Africa who were to cross the continent in different directions. First, John Ledyard, it was ordered to pass "from east to west in the latitude of Niger." Second, Simon Lucas, had
"Cross the Sahara Desert, moving from Tripoli to Fezzan",and then return to England
"Through the Gambia or through the Guinean coast."Neither Ledyard nor Lucas failed to complete these tasks... The first died, not even having time to leave Cairo, and the second, having landed in Tripoli in October 1788, could not wait for the end of the war, which was waged between the nomadic tribes who lived along the main caravan road to Fezzan. And without this there was nothing to think about traveling. In July 1789 Lucas returned to England. Then the leaders of the society decided to try another path to Niger - through the Gambia (this path was shorter, although they did not know about it yet).
Houghton's voyage to Africa
It was from here that he began his journey to the hinterland. African retired major Houghton, who served for several years in the colonial troops on the coast of West Africa. In November 1790 he moved east from the mouth of the Gambia with a mission to visit"The cities of Timbuktu and Hausa"... He managed to reach the Bamboo region in the upper reaches of Senegal, and Houghton hoped to reach Timbuktu. But, having crossed Senegal, not far from the present Malian city of Nioro, Houghton died. Scientific results of the Houghton expedition despite his death, were very important... Houghton found:
- that Niger flows from west to east.
- His news from Africa confirmed that the river in its middle course passes through the areas inhabited by the Hausa people.
Mungo Park Expedition
And only in 1795 a young Scottish doctor offered his services to the society Mungo Park... He went in May 1795 from the mouth of the Gambia in the same way as Houghton... It took him more than a year to reach the city of Segou (in the modern Republic of Mali), where he first saw Niger. It was July 20, 1796.“I,” wrote Park, “with great pleasure saw main goal my expedition - the majestic Niger, about which I thought for so long, wide, like the Thames at Westminster, sparkling in the morning sun and flowing to the east "... Park was the first European of modern times who saw with his own eyes that the river, after all, flows from west to east(Houghton's data was based on numerous interviews with local residents who had a good idea of the real picture). Of course, it was a great success. However, no less success was the fact that Park managed to return to England and in 1799 publish an account of his journey... The book was accompanied by a voluminous note by the largest geographer of England at that time James Rennell dedicated to the scientific results of the Park's journey. In it, Rennel put forward the hypothesis that the Niger flows into "vast lakes" in eastern Africa, from where excess water evaporates due to the large area of the water table. This theory has received almost universal acceptance.
Writings by Friedrich Hornemann
However, some researchers preferred to continue to believe that Niger is connecting with the Nile. The flow of the Niger into the Nile was also mentioned in the diaries sent from Fezzan by Friedrich Hornemann, a young German scientist who was suggested by the African society to try to approach Niger from the north. The last records in the diary that I kept Horneman, which contains the assumption of the connection of Niger with the Nile, date back to April 1800, after which no information about Horneman was reported. Later it became known that he managed to reach the state of Nupe in the lower Niger and died there. After the great success of the Park expedition science had only hypotheses about the origins of the Niger and its mouth... And only new travels could confirm or deny them. By this time in the organization geographic research English scientists to Africa there has been a significant change. Under pressure from the British bourgeoisie, interested in opening up new markets, the British government decisively involved in the planning and financing of the expeditions.Second expedition to Mungo Park
List of government expeditions opened by second expedition to Mungo Park, which went to Africa from England in January 1805, the Park was supposed to reach Niger and go down it to the mouth, wherever it was. The traveler was going to repeat his route, which he took ten years ago. He intended to build a ship in Segu and go downstream (it was for this purpose that he included carpenters-shipbuilders in the expedition). In total, the Park group included forty-four Europeans and one African guide. Perhaps this choice of satellites largely predetermined the tragic failure of the entire enterprise: last letter Park, written by him in November 1805, it was reported that only five Europeans survived - the unusual climate and tropical diseases did their job. And although the Park managed to go down through Niger for more than one and a half thousand kilometers (to the city of Busa in modern Nigeria), the expedition ended in complete disaster: on the rapids near Busa, Park and three of his companions who survived by that time died. The expedition did not produce any scientific results. All of Park's records died with him..
Before the departure of the Park on the second expedition, a new hypothesis was put forward that Niger and Congo are one river(v early XIX v. European sailors knew only the mouth of the third great river in Africa, although the first Portuguese ships reached this mouth more than three hundred years earlier). To test the hypothesis that Niger and Congo are one river, the British government tried in 1816. Captain Takki's expedition
Captain Takki's expedition was to climb up the Congo, and the second expedition, led by the major Paddy, go to the Niger and go downstream. But almost all members of both expeditions died from diseases during the trip, and these expeditions also remained unsuccessful... Then in England for some time they abandoned attempts to pass to Niger from the ocean side, and the northern direction again came to the fore.Ritchie and Lyon Expedition
Already in next year from Tripoli moved south Ritchie and Lyon expedition whose task was to achieve Timbuktu... But she also failed to do it. The travelers only got to Murzuka, center Fezzan region: here Ritchie died, and Lyon, who tried to continue on his way, soon had to return due to lack of funds. However, Lyon, after asking big number Africans, in one form or another involved in the caravan trade across the Sahara, came to the conclusion that the waters of Niger are connected to the great Nile of Egypt.Dr. Audni's expedition
The first successful attempt in the exploration of the interior regions of West Africa from the Mediterranean coast belongs to the expedition, which set off on a journey in 1821. It was led by Dr. Audney, the expedition included Major Denham and navy lieutenant Clapperton... Coming out of Tripoli, the expedition, after long months of struggle with the harsh nature and obstacles that were repaired by the warlike tribes roaming the desert, reached Lake Chad... True, this did not in the least bring Denham and his comrades closer to solving the Niger problem, although Denham very much hoped that the solution would be found precisely here. But already that for the first time Europeans reached Lake Chad, it was a significant event... Denham remained in the Bornu state on the shores of Chad, while Clapperton and Audney moved west, intending to survey the Hausa areas and, if possible, reach Niger. But Clapperton alone arrived in Kano, the largest of the Hausa cities; Audney died on the road. At Cano, Clapperton heard for the first time that Quorra(as Niger was called here) flows into the ocean in the Yoruba country (in the south-west of present-day Nigeria), where European ships come. True, this thought in itself was not unexpected: after all, at the beginning of the century, the German geographer Karl Reichard wrote about such a probability. But then his point of view did not meet with support: it was believed that the path to the Bay of Benin was blocked by a chain of granite mountains.
From Kano, Clapperton moved further west. In Sokoto, the capital of the huge sultanate just created by the Fulbe people, he was warmly received by the Sultan Muhammad Bello... In conversations with a European, the Sultan confirmed that it is really possible to get to the sea along the big river. However, on the map that Muhammad Bello drew for his guest, Niger was connected to the Nile, and in order to avoid misunderstanding, an explanation was given to the map: "This is the Quorra River that reaches Egypt and is called the Nile."Now it is difficult to say how the unexpected contradiction between the words of the Sultan and his map can be explained: admiration for the traditional ideas of Muslim geographers or sober political calculation. After all, Muhammad Bello had sufficient information to fear the penetration of the British into his country. The Sultan fully imagined that in addition to losing the benefits of mediation in trade, the penetration of the guest's compatriots into his country could lead to unpleasant political consequences. No wonder during Clapperton's second visit to Sokoto in 1827, he was told:
"If the British are too encouraged, they will certainly come to Sudan one by one, until they are strong enough to take over the country ... as they did in India, which was snatched from the hands of the Muslims."Perhaps it was difficult to say more clearly. Be that as it may, Clapperton was not allowed to see Niger. He had to return to Bornu. Denham, who remained here, was also collecting information about the Niger and heard confirmation that this river merges with the Nile. Thus, the expedition, despite its undoubted success, did not establish the main thing - where Niger begins and where it flows: neither the source nor the mouth of the Niger was still found... In 1824 Denham and Clapperton returned to their homeland. After their journey, to a certain extent, the misconception regarding the junction of the Niger and the Nile... But in fact, by this time it had already been irrefutably proven that merging with Neilom Niger can't, no matter which direction it flows. Moreover, this was proved not speculatively, but strictly experimentally, based on barometric measurement absolute height the most likely source of the great West African river... The man who made this discovery was called
The Niger River is the largest in West Africa and the third longest on the entire continent, after the Nile and. 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 closed lake, the second flowed to the east of this place and was not connected with the first. But time dried up the lake, and these two rivers gradually changed the 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 the branches of the Niger, although in fact they flow to the north.
There have been many attempts to uncover the mystery of the river. Since the so-called African Association was founded in 1788, the purpose of which was a detailed study of African lands, including the Niger current: 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 explorer Mungo Park (1771-1806) reached its waters. Having explored the sources of the rivers of Senegal and Gambia, he reached Niger and during his voyage discovered that Niger had nothing to do with Senegal and Gambia. But Park could not thoroughly study Niger: he fell ill with tropical 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 in June 1797 reached the English trading settlement of Pisania ... But the collected materials reported. They formed the basis for a book published in 1799, which brought Mungo Park credibility in scientific circles and fame among inquisitive compatriots.
This inspired the Scotsman to travel to Niger in 1805. The expedition started from the Niger Delta, was well prepared and armed. However, due to illness, heat and endless clashes with local tribes, Mungo Park lost most of his team (out of forty people, only eleven made it to 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 envoys of the Park themselves barely survived. Although Europe already knew about the obstinate nature of Niger, there are quite a few extreme lovers who want to travel along this river (and are still there). Real researchers sad fate The park warned ... But in 1946, a significant geographical event nevertheless happened: for the first time a man managed to overcome absolutely all obstacles on the way from the source of the Niger to its mouth. It was a French expedition - documentary filmmaker and African connoisseur 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 uniqueness of its world, bewitchingly attractive, despite all the potential dangers. 
Taking its origin under the name of Joliba on the Leon-Liberian Uplands, Niger rushes westward 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, the Niger gains its greatest strength. Here its width reaches three kilometers, and the depth in some areas is kept at the level of twenty meters. Niger is navigable from Kurusa to Bamako, from Sotuba Falls to Ansongo and from Niamey to the estuary. The Niger Delta begins 180 km from the ocean near the city of Aba.
A real oasis is formed along the banks of the Niger in the area of its inner Masina delta, in the very place where the waters of a lake that dried up over time once 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, you can find their small villages, consisting of adobe houses, merging with the surrounding rocky landscape, and along the Niger's shores, their fields and melons stretch. Niger also sheltered the Fulbe tribes on its shores, adhering 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 ° С. From here, the river rushes further, deviating to the east and approaching the southern outskirts of the Sahara. Here, river water is an invaluable and almost the only source of life, including for the Malian city of Timbuktu, which stands in the bend (inner delta) of Niger. Until the beginning of the XX century. through 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, known only from the descriptions of the city, was a British officer, Major Alexander Leng, and this happened in 1825.
There are others on the shores of the Niger, more big cities(the population of Timbuktu is only slightly more than 50 thousand people). Downstream of the inner delta is the Malian capital Bamako, with a population of nearly two million, the fastest growing city in Africa. Complex natural conditions West Africa leave their mark on the appearance of this capital city. At first glance, it may seem that Bamako is not that great. The houses here are low-rise, and the streets, with a fairly high population density, are not so busy (there are sometimes much more green minibuses of the local minibus here than private cars).
The capital, Niamey, is also located on the banks of the great African river. Founded in the 18th century, it really flourished only towards the end of the 19th century, during the French colonization. Living in the bustle during the day, sparkling brightly in the evening lights, this city is one of the largest African centers of trade, retail and wholesale. And then one can observe, it seems, an ineradicable African paradox: next to the circulation of goods and money - poverty and begging.
general information
River in West Africa.
The third river in length and basin area in Africa (after the Nile and Congo).
Main tributaries: Benue, Milo, Bani, Sokoto, Kaduna.
Countries through which Niger flows: Guinea, Mali, Niger, Benin, Nigeria.
The most important cities in the basin: Timbuktu, Bamako (Mali), Niamey (Niger), Lokoja, Onicha (Nigeria).
The most important port: Port Harcourt (Nigeria, located on the Bonnie River in the Niger Delta).
Numbers
Length: 4180 km.
Pool area: 2,117,700 km 2.
Delta area: 70,000 km 2.
Water consumption (at the mouth): 8630 m 3 / s.
Annual flow: 378 km 3.
Economy
The most important route of communication between the countries of West Africa.
Industry: hydropower (Kainji hydroelectric complex in Nigeria, with a reservoir of 600 km 2), oil production (in the Niger Delta).
Agriculture: growing oranges, bananas, legumes, corn, millet, rice, sugarcane, peanuts, sorghum, cassava, cotton; cattle breeding.
Fishing: carp, perch, barbel, captain fish and other species.
Trade is developed in coastal cities.
Climate and weather
Tropical desert in the north of the region, subequatorial in the south.
Average monthly temperatures throughout the year: from +20 to + 34ºС.
Sharp daily temperature drops are characteristic: in the morning the air temperature can be around + 10 ° C, and during the day it can rise to + 40 ° C.
Average annual rainfall: in the north of the region - less than 100 mm, in the south - up to 800 mm.
sights
■ Bamako (Mali): National Museum of Mali - dedicated to the history of the country since ancient times; Bamako Cathedral Mosque - one of the tallest buildings in Bamako; BCEAO Tower - the tallest bank building in West Africa; Amadou Cultural Palace - One of the main centers for cultural events;
■ Niamey (Niger): National Museum of Niger; Nigerian Zoo; the city market is the largest shopping center Republic of Niger; Great Mosque of Niemey;
■ National park Kainji Lake;
■ Upper Niger National Park;
■ Western National Park of Niger.
Curious facts
■ To say that the Niger Basin is a densely populated area is to say nothing. In the delta area of this African river alone, the population is about thirty one million people.
■ The Republic of Niger is one of the largest oil suppliers among African countries... About two million barrels of black gold are mined in the Niger Delta every day. True, this figure is far from the limit: before, production was three million barrels per day, but in last years the country's oil industry lost ground.
■ Steamships are rarely seen in Niger: mostly small sailing ships are in use here.
■ The documentary filmmaker and ethnographer Jean Rush (1917-2004), who explored the Niger in 1946, called this river a living liana, twisted around West Africa, noting the variability of the flow of its waters.
■ The most delicious fish, which is found in the waters of Niger, is considered a captain fish.
■ The city of Mopti in Mali, located at the confluence of the Bani River with the Niger, is called the "Venice of Africa". But not always, but in winter, when, after the monsoon rains, Niger overflows and Mopti is surrounded by water on all sides.
Niger is a West African river flowing through the territory of 5 states. In the world ranking, it occupies the 14th position in length, which is approximately 4180 km. This watercourse is unique and quite interesting, which is why it is important to find out what is the regime of the Niger River. This will be discussed in the article.
On the African continent, the Niger River is second only to the Congo and the Nile. Its waterway is unusual in its shape. It carries its waters like a boomerang from the Guinean Highlands to the bay of the same name. The place of confluence - the mouth - is the Atlantic Ocean. At the very source, Niger is called Djoliba and flows to the northeast, changing direction to the east in the Timbuktu region and turning southeast in the town of Burem. There are several versions about the origin of the name of the river. One of the most reliable is the translation from Tuareg, which literally means “river, flowing water”.
Features of currents
In the middle reaches, the Niger is a flat river. Rapids are often found in the upper and lower parts of it, where the path flows along the slopes of the Guinean Uplands. Originating from the northern side of the mountains, water stream flows over rough terrain, has several waterfalls. This affects the nature and regime of the Niger River. Here the watercourse is deep and swift. Starting from Salekh, the flow of the river slows down. It moves northeastward along the inner delta. More fast flow the river becomes, bypassing Timbuktu. Here the watercourse changes its direction of movement. The waters of the smaller rivers flowing into the lower basin re-saturate the Niger, making it deep. Among the many tributaries, the main ones are: Benue, Bani, Kaduna, Milano, Sokoto.
River transport
The Niger River regime allows the channel to be used for the passage of ships. Downstream the stream is navigable all year round, in the upper and middle - depending on the high water. Its peculiarity is that everything is different in different areas. For example, the water area of the river from Bammako to Timbuktu is navigable only from July to January. From June to October, the section between Gabba and Lokoji is available for ships.
Niger River feeding regime and water discharge
Like most other African rivers, Niger is rain fed. The catchment basin covers an area of more than 2.117 thousand square meters. km. Water is consumed in a volume of approximately 8630 cubic meters per second. Water consumption during floods increases significantly and reaches about 30-35 thousand cubic meters. meters per second. More than half of the moisture loss occurs through evaporation and filtration. The driest area is located between Segou and Timbuktu. These losses are not compensated even by the inflow of the Bani River, in the area of the city of Mopti. The river carries about 378 cubic meters per year. km of water.
The famous Niger River flows in West Africa, its length is 4180 kilometers, which means that it ranks fourteenth in the world. In Africa, Niger is in third place after Congo and the Nile. Moreover, the river basin has an area of over two million square kilometers. In the Guinean Highlands, in the southeast of Guinea, the water flow of the Niger begins its way. And it ends in the Gulf of Guinea, in the Atlantic Ocean. Compare with.
Features of the Niger River
The waters of the Niger River are directed to the northeast towards the Sahara. From there, turn twenty kilometers from the ancient city of Timbuktu to the southeast. Only after such a trip does Niger rush to the Atlantic coast. According to experts, in ancient times, when there was no Sahara desert, two rivers flowed on this territory. They flowed into large lakes near the city of Timbuktu. From where flowed only one stream, bringing water to the Gulf of Guinea. Conditionally this place is called Lower Niger. Who knows ?
The Sahara began to form about five thousand years ago. For this reason, the rivers with their sources disappeared. The lake itself also disappeared, however, a new river was formed, which consisted of small rivers, including reservoirs of West Africa. From here began the Lower Niger, the source of which was on the Atlantic coast. In other words great desert Sahara has drastically changed geographic features Central and North Africa. In Guinea, the Niger River originates. On its territory you can see the Futa Jallon plateau in the province of Labe. The river is formed by the union of several streams. This river rushes along a narrow valley to the northeast, while on both sides it is squeezed by mountains.
The valley expands again into Mali and becomes more calm and full-flowing between the cities of Segou and Ba Mako. Further, as far as Timbuktu, a water stream splits into several branches, its waters rushing through the swampy plain region, where there are a large number of small lakes and channels. Note that it was here in ancient times that there was a lake, into which the northern rivers flowed.
The river again forms one channel outside the city of Timbuktu, and flows eastward along the southern limits of the Sahara. The length of this path is approximately 320 kilometers. River waters, reaching the village of Burey, immediately turn to the southeast side. Near the city of Ayora, the waters intersect with the state border into Niger. By the way, the capital of Niamey is located on the river, home to one million sixty thousand people. By the way, this city is spread out on both banks.
A little further, the river creates state border between Benin and Niger, and from there goes to Nigeria. It is quite difficult to list the entire route of the Niger River, but it is truly unique. Experts have not been able to fully explain this phenomenon. However, this does not prevent travelers who are hungry for adventure from coming here.
From dry facts you can go to interesting moments... The name of the river was formed from the Tuareg language and means "river" or "flowing water". One hypothesis claims that the name of the river comes from the words "huntsman", translated as "river of rivers" or " great river". Also, other peoples who lived on the shores of the Niger, called it that way. Of course, there are many assumptions, however, there is no exact information where the name came from. By the way, on the banks of the Niger live a large number of different tribes that adhere to ancient traditions and animal husbandry.
Many waterworks and dams were built on the river. However, navigation is developed only in some places of the river. This is especially the case for the Niamey city region.
In winter, the Niger River freezes over. Its waters are inhabited different kinds fish, for this reason fishing is well developed in this area. Basically, the locals hunt for: perch, carp and barbel. The vegetation on the banks of the river is very diverse and beautiful. A real oasis is formed along the banks. Thousands of tourists visit the Niger River every year. Let's just say that the journey is not easy, here at every step the travelers are in danger.
Thanks to the summer monsoons, the Niger River replenishes its water supplies. In June, floods begin, which last as long as possible until September and October. The feeding of the river is interestingly distributed along the course. The lower and upper reaches are located in regions with a solid amount of precipitation. But in the middle reaches, a predominantly dry climate reigns. The main tributaries of the Niger are Benue, Kaduna, Sokoto, Bani and Milo.
A large amount of oil was found in the estuary delta of the river; it is under the protection of the military. Most of the locals are engaged in fishing throughout their lives. This area is very developed in this region. The West African Stream is called relatively clean. Compared to the Nile, Niger replenishes the ocean with less water. This is for a reason rocks which give a minimum of silt. It is also worth mentioning that the Niger River is of great economic importance for West Africa.
Niger river on the map
The Niger River is one of the greatest rivers on earth, located in West Africa. It ranks third in length in Africa after the Nile and Congo. The length of the River is 4180 km, the basin area 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.
Poet Dennis Osadebay wrote about this river as follows: "You are 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
From ancient times to the present, there has been a dispute about the name of the river. 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: Djoliba, Mayo, Eghirreu, Izo, Quorra, Baki - n - ru, etc. However, all the names in translation mean "river". The exact name of the river is still in dispute.
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. Niger takes largest inflow Benue.
Source of Niger
The source of the Niger is at the top of Loma (1946 meters), which is located in the Lyon - Liberian mountains, stretching in a ridge along Atlantic coast West Africa. On the eastern side of Mount Loma, located in the south of Guinea, the Tembi Stream is the source of the Niger. Further, it flows northward inland. First, it flows through the mountains, then out onto the plains.
Features of the flow of the Niger
Niger, entering the plains, is divided into two branches, forming an inland delta. Approaching the Sahara Desert, and then, as if frightened 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. After leaving the Sahara, the river falls into an area of abundant tropical rain... Taking the most
a large tributary of the Benue River, which is called the "Mother of the Waters" in these parts, bringing as much water as it flows in Niger itself. After the confluence of the Niger with 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, along which a huge mass of water flows into the Gulf of Guinea of the Atlantic Ocean. Studying past geological eras, scientists have established that modern Niger is two connected big rivers- Joliba and Quorra. These names are still preserved, the first - until the turn from the Sahara desert, the second - for the rest of the river.
The nature of the flow
In the upper and lower reaches, the river is 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 Kurus to the capital of Mali, Bamako. In this section, the river is navigable. Below the city of Ke - Masina, the city of Mali, the Niger is divided into several branches, forming an internal delta. Strong waterlogging is observed in it. Used to be in this place
Niger emptied into a closed lake. In the Timbuktu area, 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 southeast and flows calmly to the mouth in a wide valley. On the territory of the state of Niger there are many dry river beds that once flowed into the river.
At the confluence of the river 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 Porkados. The Niger receives the right tributaries of the Milo and Bani, the left tributaries of Sokoto, Kaduna, Benue.
Inner delta
Niger. Inner delta
The inner delta is formed at the place where the longitudinal slope of the channel decreases. This delta is located near the main southeast turn of the river within the Republic of Mali. It is 425 km long and 87 km wide. Spills occur in the delta, which is favorable for agriculture and fishing. Niger loses 2/3 of its water consumption in
the area of the inner delta between the cities of Ségou and Timbuktu due to water evaporation and filtration. The average water loss is 31 km. cubic meter / year. In the delta area, water consumption increases to 177 km / cu / year. The presence of the inner delta of the Niger River represents some of the uniqueness of the nature of this river. Such phenomena are rare on rivers.
Mode and nutrition
Niger spills annually in September, with peak spills in September - October. In the upper reaches, the flood begins in June, its maximum is in September - October. In the lower reaches, the rise in water begins in June, with a maximum in September. Niger's average annual water consumption is
8630 cc m / sec., annual flow 378 km. cub. During floods, the runoff can be up to 35 thousand cubic meters. meters.
The river is fed by the Sudanese type, that is, the river is fed by rains, seasonal fluctuations in water discharge are sharply expressed on it. The river receives maximum water in late summer and autumn, and minimum in winter and spring. At the Malanville gauging station, during forty years of observations, the average water discharge was 1053 cubic meters / sec., The maximum - 2726 cubic meters / sec., At least 18 cubic meters. m / sec.
Discovery of Niger
Upper Niger
V ancient city Merchants, slavers, travelers, vagabonds, and adventurers came to Timbutu. All kinds of rumors about this river have penetrated into Europe. Some argued that Niger is the upper course of the Nile, others that the river feeds the Congo, and others considered it 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 to many countries of the world for 25 years, was in Niger, sailed on it. He was the first to name the river "Negro Nile". Europeans for a long time did not know anything reliable about Niger until the middle of the 18th century. For a long time there was no answer from geographers: "It is an independent river or a tributary of another river." Europeans
was given great importance this river to be used as waterway inside Africa. The Europeans undertook several journeys, but all ended in their death. The local population was unfriendly towards foreign travelers. However, a brave man was found, the Scotsman Mungo Park, a doctor by profession to make a trip to Niger. Accompanied by 2 servants - Negroes, 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 fleeing from slave traders. Then they moved to the river together. In the course of research a year later, M. Park found that Niger flows eastward, Senegal and Niger different rivers, Nigga starts on cr
ayu light. At the time, that 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 Niger was solved by the traveler Richard Lander, who went from the source on boats to the mouth of the Niger in 1832 -1833. Out of 50 people, only 8 people remained on his expedition. He failed to return to his homeland, since he died in 1834 from wounds received in clashes with blacks. This is how the answers to the questions about the riddle of Niger were found.
Niger is the great river of Africa, which hid its mysteries for a long time, in the course of solving which it took a considerable amount.
River use
Downstream of the Niger
Fertile soils from river sediments in the inner and estuarine delta are of particular value. Niger carries out 67 million tons of sludge per year.
