Niger

Definition

Niger is a landlocked country in West Africa, named after the Niger River. Like Senegal, it was also part of the French Colonial Empire and gained independence in 1960.

Analogy

Think of Niger as another sibling in our large family (the French Colonial Empire). It too grew up under the same parent (France) and moved out to live independently around the same time as its sibling Senegal.

Related terms

Niamey: Niamey is the capital city of Niger - think of it as Niger's 'hometown'.

Landlocked Countries: These are countries entirely surrounded by land with no direct access to an ocean. Imagine living in a house without any doors leading directly outside; you'd have to go through someone else's property first!

Colonialism: This refers to the practice by which a powerful country controls other countries or territories. In our analogy, this would be like having strict parents who make all decisions for their children until they're old enough to do so themselves.