Dry season is during October to May. Heavy rains and very high temperatures are common in July and August.
GMT +1.
Communauté Financiaire Africaine franc (CFAfr) = 100 centimes.
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Niger facts
Capital: Niamey
Language: French.
People: Hausa, Djerma and Songhai, Fulani, Tuareg.
Religion: Muslim (95%), Christian and Animist minorities.
Size (sq km): 1,267,000.
Population: 13,272,679.
Population density/sq km: 10.40.
Etiquette
Casual wear is widely suitable, but women should avoid wearing revealing clothes. Traditional beliefs, together with Muslim customs, should be respected. Permits are required for photography and filming in Niger, obtainable from police stations.
Shopping
Multi-coloured blankets, leather goods, engraved calabashes, silver jewellery, swords and knives.
Food & drink
Local dishes usually based around millet, rice or niebé, a type of bean. Beef and mutton supplement these staples. Brochettes of meat are commonly sold on street stalls. Alcohol available but restricted.
International Airports
Niamey (NIM) 10 km from the city.
Internal travel
Some domestic flights, and charter planes available. Only major roads are all weather, and others are impassable during heavy rain. Government and private buses operate widely. Bush taxis are ubiquitous but slower. Petrol stations are infrequent. Car hire available with a licenced guide.
Red tape
Visas
Required.
Vaccinations
BCG, Cholera, Diphtheria, Hep. A, Hep. B, Malaria, Meningitis ACWY, Polio, Rabies, Typhoid, Y. Fever1.
Driving requirements
International Driving Permit, Carnet de Passage. Drivers must be at least 23-years-old.
Reps in UK/US
UK: n/a, nearest 154 rue du Longchamp, 75116 Paris, France, tel (1) 4504 8060, fax (1) 733 685. US: 2204 R Street, NW, Washington, DC 20008, tel (202) 483 4224, fax (202) 483 3169, email ambassadeniger@hotmail.com.
UK/US reps in Niger
UK: The British Embassy in Abidjan (see Côte d'Ivoire) deals with enquiries relating to Niger. US: BP 11201, Rue des Ambassades, Niamey, tel 733 169, fax 753 107, email niamy@dfait-maeci.gc.ca.
Currency
Communauté Financiaire Africaine franc (CFAfr) = 100 centimes.
Finance
Credit cards and traveller's cheques accepted on a limited basis.
Business hours
0730-1230, 1500-1800 Monday to Friday, 0730-1230 Saturday.
Safety & life expectancy
Safety information
Border areas with Chad, Algeria and Mali should be avoided due to banditry. Corruption is rife. Ongoing and increasing risk of violence in the Agadez region.
Life expectancy
Life expectancy: M 44.3, F 44.26.
Useful websites for travel
www.nigerembassyusa.org, http://niamey.usembassy.gov/, www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/africa/niger.
Local media
No newspapers in English.
Tourist boards
n/a.
Dry season is during October to May. Heavy rains and very high temperatures are common in July and August.
GMT +1.
Communauté Financiaire Africaine franc (CFAfr) = 100 centimes.
Get foreign currency online