Discover NIGER: Where they organize a Beauty Contest for MEN | 10 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT IT
The beautiful country of Niger gets its name from River Niger which is the principal river in West Africa and the third longest river in Africa after the Nile and Congo rivers. The river flows through 5 West African countries from its source in Guinea through Mali, Niger, Benin and finally Nigeria into the Atlantic Ocean. The name River Niger is thought to come from the phrase ger-n-ger meaning river of rivers in Berber. Since Niger is landlocked the river is its main water source.
Niger has a land mass of around 1,270,000 km squared. According to the World Bank in 2021 Niger has a population of 24 million. Its capital Niamey is on the Niger River. Up to 80 percent of the country is covered by the Sahara desert. While the hot climate would be inhabitable for most people, Nigeriens have adapted to the climate. Nomadic pastoralists live in an intermediate zone between the Niger basin and the Sahara desert known as the sub-Saharan region but most of its population lives in the South of the country in the tropical climate near the edges of the Niger basin.
Niger’s official language is French spoken by most as a second language learnt in school. It also has 10 recognized national languages. The most widely spoken national languages are Hausa, Zarma-Songhay, Tamasheq spoken by the Tuareg and Fulfulde spoken by the Fulani. Arabic is also a national lanuage
Niger has a mixture of ethnic groups with some of the most unique cultures in Africa. The Tuareg people are a nomadic Berber group that inhabits countries in North Africa. Legend states that they moved to the Sahara in 400 AD under their first queen Tin Hinan. They are known for their Indigo veil that is worn by men but not women giving them the name the blue men of the Sahara. The veil is worn over the face to keep a moist flow of air as they breathe. The blue color also reduces the effects of UV radiation from the sun. The tuareg are muslims but they have also preserved many of their pre-Islamic traditions. Before colonialisms they were the merchants of the Sahara trading with Arabs and Europeans in the North and establishing rich and powerful kingdoms. When the French colonized West Africa they killed many Tuareg leaders. Tuareg people of Niger are also known to carry a cross of Agadez. Agadez is an ancient town in Niger built by the Tuareg.
Another famous tribe is the Woodabe tribe. The woodabe have a unique appreciation for beauty, but not female beauty as you’d expect, this tribe puts male beauty on a pedestal instead. This tribe is known worldwide for having a fertility festival that culminates in a male beauty pageant with female judges. The contestants shave the front of their heads and have long braids in the back; they paint their faces with ochre or saffron colored clay and paint their lips black to contrast their white teeth. They dress in exquisite robes and jewelry made of shells. Then the men dance for hours in the heat, rolling their eyes to show of how white their corneas are. Finally the female judges pick a winner. If a female judge picks a contestant, she can to have sex with him even if both are married. That is if she has permission from her husband.
Niger is also known for ancient historical sites like the town of Agadez, where the Tuareg cross of Agadez comes from. The town in known as the gateway to the desert and was established by the Tuareg Sultanate of Air in the 15th century. The town was an important center in the trans-Saharan caravan trade. Today it is still the largest and most important in the region and is divided into 11 quarters with buildings made of mud brick. The Grand mosque of Agadez was built in 1515 boasts a 27 meter tall minaret making it the tallest mud structure in the world. Agadez also has the Palace of the Sultan of Air.
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