Journey through the people, cities and ideas that shaped Niger, from prehistoric communities to the republic of today.
Follow the Green Sahara, Agadez, Songhai, Hausa states and Damagaram, French colonial rule, independence and contemporary Niger.
Explore eight historical periods, rulers and heads of government, and 31 chapters of territorial change.
Sultans and chiefs, colonial governors, heads of state, prime ministers and political figures.
A Journey Through the Ages
Niger connects the Sahara and Sahel, from prehistoric communities and caravan routes to Agadez, Hausa states, colonial rule and independence. Explore 402 events across eight historical periods.
1,000,000,000 BCE – 1448
Dinosaurs, the Green Sahara and Gobero, rock art, Kawar salt, Kanem, early Songhai and the Tuareg.
1449 – 1803
The Sultanate of Agadez, Songhai remnants, Gobir, Katsina, Damagaram and the Niger valley.
1804 – 1898
Usman dan Fodio's jihad, Damagaram, Tuareg confederations and the visits of Barth and others.
1899 – 1959
Voulet-Chanoine, Tirmini, the Military Territory, Kaocen, the Colony, famine, war and the PPN-RDA.
1960 – 1973
Independence, one-party rule under Hamani Diori, uranium and the Sahel drought.
1974 – 1999
Kountché's coup, Saibou, the Tuareg rebellions, the National Conference, Ousmane and the coups of 1996 and 1999.
2000 – 2022
Tandja's rule, the 2010 coup, Issoufou, Boko Haram and the jihadist insurgency, and Bazoum.
2023 – present
The CNSP coup, ECOWAS sanctions, withdrawal of French and US forces, the AES and the Tchiani transition.
From the Green Sahara to the Sahel States, 112 million years ago – 2026
From dinosaur-age rivers and the Green Sahara to the sultanates of Agadez and Damagaram, the French colony, the republics and the coups, see which state or people held each part of present-day Niger and who ruled at every date.
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Gobero, rock art and historic caravan routes trace changing environments and connections between Saharan and Sahelian communities.
Agadez, Damagaram, Hausa states and the Niger valley preserve distinct histories of political authority, trade and cultural exchange.
Colonial administration, independence, military rule, democratic transitions and regional alliances shaped the modern republic.
The supplied ruler profiles and map retain source references and caveats. Structural validation does not establish historical accuracy.
Historical authority is presented through indicative regional cells. Approximate extents and overlapping rule are not surveyed frontiers. Credits and caveats remain in the map.
History is connected. Explore the bigger picture.
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