Niger River essays

Niger River essays The Niger River is located in West Africa. It is 2,590 miles long, the third largest river in Africa. The mouth of the river starts in the Gulf of Guinea. This river goes though six countries Guinea, Nigeria, Mali, Jebba, Ontisha, and Niger. It also hits eight major cities in this rivers path. These cities are as named Niana, Timbuktu, Gao, Bonny, Nembe, Onitsha, Malnville, and Niamey. The city Tembakounda is the origin of the Niger. Tembakounda lies in the tropical highlands of Guinea, 200 miles away from the Atlantic Ocean. The Niger River flows northeastward through grasslands into Mali, then to Sahel a brown desert-like area. The Niger then does almost a ninety degree turn southeast, entering the Republic of Niger, for a while acting as the boundary between that republic and Dahomey. The river enters the jungle again in Nigeria, reaching the Atlantic through numbers of swamps and estuaries. There is lots agriculture on the Niger River. Some of the things grown are sorghum, yams, cassava, tobacco, peanuts, millet fields, breeding grounds for fish, cocoa, groundnuts, bananas, oil palm products, maize, and rice patties. Fishing boats, Kayaks, Paddle wheelers, Cargo ships and boats, Dugout canoes and reed rafts are the way of transportation on the river. There is only one two-lane highway on the river and there are no railroads. Drinking water from the Niger River, which is supplied from wells that tap into underground water tables, is not really healthy. There is a waterborne disease that usually causes parasites. Housing near the river are usually mud huts with straw roofs. The clothing is usually brightly colored fabrics, cotton shirts and pants, skullcap and fez hats. Foods eaten in this area are normally rice, boiled chicken, stew, millet porridge, fish, and peanuts During the flooding seasons the Niger River widens up to sixty miles. The flood changes the dry dusty land in to fertile green plains. Lakes and streams cov...