Forgotten World (89): Niger
Historically a gateway between North and sub-Saharan Africa, Niger is a large, landlocked country bordered by seven others. It came under French rule in the late 1890s. After independence in 1960, its progress was held back by political instability and a five-year drought which devastated livestock and crops.
Today Niger is rated by the United Nations as one of the world’s least-developed nations. With little primary education, it has one of the lowest literacy rates in the world. Its health system is basic and disease is widespread. Its 13M citizens have a life expectancy of only 44 years.
The country’s main export, uranium, is prone to price fluctuations and agriculture is threatened by the encroaching desert.