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Government

A semi-presidential system is a system of government in which a president exists along with a prime minister and a cabinet, with the latter two being responsible to the legislature of a state.

Celebrations

Eid al-Fitr is the 'Festival of the Breaking of the Fast', which marks the end of Ramadan. During the month of Ramadan, Muslims fast during daylight hours. At the end of this time, there is a big celebration and feast. Eid al-Adha is the 'Festival of Sacrifice'. It remembers the time when God tested Abraham by asking him to sacrifice his own son, but gave him a lamb in a nearby bush instead.

Women's Roles

Frequently women are left behind for months or years while men go off to graze herds or find work in towns and neighbouring countries.

Language

However, most Nigeriens speak one of a number of local languages as their mother tongue. The West Chadic language of Hausa is the most common.

Music

In strongly Muslim Niger, music as entertainment is not readily accepted, and for many years after independence there was little cultural policy, unlike in Mali or Guinea. However after the death of the military dictator, Seyni Kounché in 1987, the new governmnet looked to music as a means of bringing cultures together.

Life

Niger is a Muslim country and men sometimes have more than one wife (up to four). Each Nigerien woman has an average of seven children.

History

Niger was incorporated into French West Africa in 1896. There were frequent rebellions, but when order was restored in 1922, the French made the area a colony. In 1958, the voters approved the French constitution and voted to make the territory an autonomous republic within the French Community. The republic adopted a constitution in 1959 but the next year withdrew from the Community, proclaiming its independence.

Geography

Niger, in West Africa's Sahara region, is four-fifths the size of Alaska.The Niger River in the southwest flows through the country's only fertile area. Elsewhere the land is semiarid.

Food

Porridge, wheat dumplings, and beignets are some of Niger's popular snacks.

Economy

with about 90% of the workforce engaged in farming (largely of a subsistence type