Customs and customs in Niger
The Republic of Niger is located in central and western Africa. It is a landlocked country on the southern edge of the Sahara Desert and one of the hottest countries in the world. The average annual temperature is 30 ° C. April and May are the hottest seasons, and the daytime temperature can reach 50 degrees. The country is bordered by Algeria and Libya to the north, Nigeria and Benin to the south, Mali and Burkina Faso to the west, and Chad to the east. The land area is 1.267 million square kilometers. Most of it belongs to the Sahara Desert. The terrain is high in the north and low in the south, and the average altitude of the entire territory is 300 meters.
capital is Niamey. In the local Jerma language,"Niamey" means "the bank where my mother draws water." It is also the country's political, economic, cultural and transportation center. Its official language is French, and each ethnic group has its own language. Hausa can be spoken in most parts of the country.
The total population of Niger is about 16.3 million (statistics in 2012). The main tribes are: Haussa, accounting for 55.4% of the national population. They are mainly distributed in the south and are good at doing business; the Jerma-Sanghai people Zarma-Songhai accounts for 21%, mainly distributed in the western Niger River Basin and is engaged in agriculture; Touareg accounts for 9.3%, mainly distributed in the north and west, and is a nomadic tribe; Peuhl accounts for 8.5%, scattered throughout the country, and many people are engaged in animal husbandry; Kanouri accounts for 4.7%, mainly distributed between Zinder, Guray and Lake Chad, and engages in agriculture. In addition, there are also Arabs, Toubou, and Gourmantche, each with about 40,000 people.
are very simple to dress and dress up for people in Niger, with the characteristics of typical tropical and hot areas. The nomadic tribes are basically shirtless and wear shorts sewn from various animal skins. Many girls wear brightly colored tube skirts, and most Tuareg people still maintain the traditional custom of wearing veils. Women here are also keen on tattoos, some since they were girls. The clothes of men in Niger are relatively simple. They usually wear a robe on the upper body and fat bloomers on the lower body. Men in Niger do not grow beards and hair. Women have more particular points. Most of them like to braid, and the more braids they have, the more proud they will become. Most women in Niger use a loincloth from waist to ankles and wear a short coat on the upper body. They are used to inserting something on the right side of their nostrils as decorations.
People in Niger generally get married early. Men are 18-20 years old, and the standard age for marriage for women is 14 years old. If a woman exceeds this age and has not yet married, she becomes an "old girl". Unless the betrothal gift requirements are lowered, it will be difficult to marry. Among the marriage customs of many ethnic groups, the marriage customs of the Sanghai people are very interesting. First of all, the fiancee is not allowed to visit his father-in-law before marriage. Sanghai people all like to marry people from their own tribe. After the matchmaker agreed, after the man and the woman met, if both parties were satisfied, the man would give a cow to the woman as a betrothal gift. If the woman accepted, the marriage would be confirmed. Secondly, the woman builds a house to organize the wedding. Once the new house is built, the wedding can be officially held. On the first day of the wedding, the bridegroom was helped by relatives and friends in the new house to wrap a white turban around his head and accept gifts from guests. The villagers sing and dance all night long. The next night, the bride was accompanied by her girlfriend to the bride's house. After the bride passes through, her mother-in-law still takes care of the housework. A year later, my mother-in-law handed her pot to her daughter-in-law. From then on, the newlyweds lived independently.