The direction of flow of the Niger River on the arrow map. River Niger or mystical river

Niger - most important river in West Africa. The length is 4180 km, the basin area is 2,117,700 km², the third according to these parameters in Africa after the Nile and the Congo. The source of the river is on the slopes of the Leono-Liberian Upland in southeastern Guinea. The river flows through the territory of Mali, Niger, along the border with Benin, and then through the territory of Nigeria. It flows into the Gulf of Guinea of the Atlantic Ocean, forming a delta in the area of its confluence. Largest influx Niger - Benue River. The exact origin of the name of the river is unknown and there has been a debate about this among researchers for a long time. A popular belief is that the name of the river comes from the Tuareg nehier-ren - “river, flowing water”. According to one hypothesis, the name of the river comes, in turn, from the words “Egerev n’Egerev”, which in Tamashek (one of the Tuareg languages) means “ great river"or "river of rivers." This was the name given to the Niger and some other peoples who lived on its banks.

There is also a hypothesis according to which the derivative of the name of the river is Latin word niger, that is, “black”. This hypothesis assumes that historically the words “Niger” and “negro” are of the same root, since the latter also comes from the word “black”.
The aborigines living close to the banks call the river differently in certain sections of its course: Joliba (in the Mandingo language - “ big river"), Mayo, Eghirreu, Iso, Quorra (Quarra, Kowara), Baki-n-ruu, etc., but the vast majority of these names mean “river” when translated.

Hydrography

The source is located on the slopes of the Leon-Liberian Upland in southeastern Guinea. In its upper reaches the river is called Djoliba. The river flows northeast, crossing the border with Mali. In its upper and lower reaches, the Niger has rapids and flows mainly in a narrow valley. In its middle reaches, the Niger has the character of a flat river. From the Guinean city of Kourousa to the Malian capital of Bamako, and also below the city of Segou, the Niger flows through a wide valley and is navigable. Below the Malian city of Ke Masina, the Niger divides into several branches, forming an internal delta. In the inland delta region, the Niger Valley is heavily swamped. Previously, the Niger flowed into an endorheic lake at this point. In the Timbuktu region, numerous branches are connected into one channel. The river then flows east along the southern border of the Sahara for 300 km. Near the town of Burem, the Niger turns southeast and flows in a wide valley all the way to its mouth, and is navigable. The river flows through the territory of Niger, where there are numerous dry riverbeds (wadis) that once flowed into Niger, along the Benin border, then flows through Nigeria and flows into the Gulf of Guinea, forming a vast delta with an area of 24 thousand km². The longest branch of the delta is Nun, but the deeper Forcados branch is used for navigation.
The main tributaries of the Niger: Milo, Bani (right); Sokoto, Kaduna and Benue (left).
The Niger is a relatively “clean” river; compared to the Nile, the turbidity of its water is about ten times less. This is due to the fact that the upper reaches of the Niger pass through rocky terrain and do not carry much silt. Like the Nile, the Niger floods every year. It begins in September, peaks in November, and ends by May.
Unusual feature The river is the so-called internal Niger delta, formed in a place where the longitudinal channel slope is greatly reduced. The area is an area of multi-branch channels, marshes and lakes the size of Belgium. It has a length of 425 km with an average width of 87 km. Seasonal floods make the inland delta extremely favorable for fishing and agriculture.
Niger loses approximately two-thirds of its flow in the inland delta section between Ségou and Timbuktu due to evaporation and seepage.
Even the waters of the Bani River flowing into the delta near the city of Mopti are not enough to compensate for these losses. The average loss is estimated at 31 km³/year (the amount varies greatly from year to year). After the inland delta, many tributaries flow into the Niger, but evaporation losses remain very high. The volume of water entering Nigeria in the Yola region was estimated at 25 km3/year before the 1980s and 13.5 km3/year during the eighties. The most important tributary of the Niger is the Benue, which joins it at Lokoja. The volume of tributaries in Nigeria is six times greater than the volume of the Niger itself when it enters the country. Towards the delta, Niger's flow increases to 177 km3/year (data before the 1980s, during the eighties - 147.3 km3/year.

History of the Niger River

In the Middle Ages, Arab geographers believed that the Niger was connected to the Nile. This idea was started by Greek geographers - according to Herodotus, for example, Nager was the source of the Nile flowing from the Atlas. One of the first to challenge this opinion in his essay “Travels in Africa” (1799) was W. G. Brown. In 1796, a young Scottish doctor, Mungo Park, was the first European to reach Niger. The park established that the Niger flows to the east and has nothing to do with either Senegal or the Gambia - Europeans previously believed that the Niger was divided into these two rivers. M. Park was going to find out where the actual current of the Niger was directed, but due to tropical fever he was forced to turn back. In 1805, he again visited the Niger and explored its course from Bamako to Bussang, where he was killed by local residents. At that time, nothing was known about the lower reaches of the Niger, but it was believed that it flowed into the Gulf of Guinea. This opinion was confirmed by the travels of Dixon Denham and Hugh Clapperton in 1825 and a second trip by Clapperton in 1827. At the end of the 20s of the 19th century, the French traveler Rene Callier visited Timbuktu, posing as an Arab merchant. In 1830, the British government sent Richard Lander, Clapperton's companion on a previous trip, to the banks of the Niger to more thoroughly study the course of the river. Lander and his brother reached Bussang by land and descended from there. downstream and, having sailed a distance of 900 km, reached the Gulf of Guinea. In 1832, Lander entered the Niger through the Bay of Benin and sailed up the river; Laird made the same journey, simultaneously with him. and Oldfield, of which the latter sailed to Rabbi, 750 km from the mouth. Tales (English) Russian, together with English naval officers, explored the lower reaches of the Niger to Rabb in 1857-64 and founded missions and trading stations along its banks. The middle course of the river, from Timbuktu to Sai, was explored by Barth in 1854. The course of the Niger between the mouth of the Benue and the Rabba was explored by Ralph in 1867, but as early as 1832 Lang had almost reached the source of the Niger, the main springs of which, the Tembi, were discovered by Moustier and Zweifel in 1879. An accurate study of the current of the Niger between Gammaki and Timbuktu, with its charting, has been made French officer Caron in 1887.
In the 19th century, the French established themselves in the upper middle reaches of the Niger, near Timbuktu. Trade from here was directed to the west, that is, to the lower reaches of the Senegal River. Meanwhile, European trading posts had long existed in the lower reaches of the Niger - in the 80s of the 19th century, the British bought French trading posts.
On October 24, 1946, three Frenchmen, Jean Sauvy, Pierre Ponty and film director Jean Rouch, all former employees of the African
French colonies, decided to travel along the entire length of the river, which, most likely, no one had ever done before. They began their journey from the very source of the Niger in the region of Kissidougou, Guinea-Bissau, first on foot, since conditions did not allow the use of a raft. They then made the journey in a wide variety of craft as the river widened and deepened. Pierre Ponty stopped the journey at Niamey, and the other two reached the ocean on March 25, 1947. They filmed their journey with a 16mm camera, from which Jean Rouch edited his first two ethnographic documentaries: “Au pays des mages noirs” and “La chasse à l’hippopotame”. The film served as an illustration for Rouch's later book, Le Niger En Pirogue (1954), as well as for the book Descente du Niger (2001). Pierre Ponty also carried a typewriter with him and sent articles to newspapers along the way.
In 2005, Norwegian explorer Helge Hjelland undertook another expedition along the entire length of the Niger, starting his journey to Guinea-Bissau in 2005. He also made a documentary about his journey, which he called "The Cruellest Journey".

River Bend

Niger has one of the most unusual shapes beds in plan among large rivers. Similar to a boomerang, this direction has baffled European geographers for almost two millennia. The source of the Niger is located only 240 kilometers from the Atlantic Ocean, but the river begins its journey directly opposite direction, into the Sahara, after which it turns sharply to the right about ancient city Timbuktu and flows southeast to the Gulf of Guinea. The ancient Romans thought that the river near Timbuktu was part of the Nile, as Pliny, for example, believed. Ibn Battuta shared the same point of view. The first European explorers believed that the upper Niger flows to the west and connects with the Senegal River.
This very unusual direction probably arose due to the combination of two rivers into one in ancient times. The Upper Niger, which began west of Timbuktu, ended approximately at the bend of the modern river, emptying into a now defunct lake, while the lower Niger began from the hills near that lake and flowed south into the Gulf of Guinea. After the development of the Sahara in 4000-1000. BC e., two rivers changed their directions and merged into one as a result of interception (English Stream capture).

River transport

In September 2009, the Nigerian government allocated 36 billion naira for dredging of the Niger from Baro
(English: Baro (Nigeria)) to Warri in order to clear the bottom of silt. Dredging was intended to facilitate the transportation of goods to settlements located far from the Atlantic Ocean. Similar work was supposed to be carried out several decades ago, but it was postponed. Nigerian President Umaru Yar'Adua noted that the project will provide year-round navigation in Niger, and expressed hope that by 2020 Nigeria will become one of the twenty most industrialized countries in the world. Alhayi Ibrahim Bio, Nigeria's Minister of Transport, said the ministry will do everything possible to complete the project within the allotted time frame. Concerns have been raised that such work could have a negative impact on villages located in coastal areas. At the end of March 2010, the Niger dredging project was 50% complete.

Information

Length: 4180 km
Pool: 2,117,700 km²
Water consumption: 8630 m³/s (mouth)
Estuary: Gulf of Guinea

Source. wikipedia.org

The Niger flows through the territory of: ,. The Niger is the third largest river after and the 2nd most abundant river in the west, bearing various names among the coastal natives, of which the name Joliba predominates in the upper reaches, in the middle - Eguirreu, in the lower reaches - Kvara or Quorra, the Arabs call it Nil-el -Abid (Nile of Slaves). The Niger originates at 8°36` and 10°33` West longitude (from Greenwich) in the East of the Kong Mountains, in Kuranko, at an altitude of 850 meters above sea level and at the beginning flows North towards, then turns to the South East and South and, through several branches, of which the largest are Sombrero, Nene, Brass and Forcado, pours into the Gulf of Guinea.

140 kilometers from its source, which, being sacred, is inaccessible to foreigners and precise definition, Niger, still called Tembi, receives on the left the wide Faliko River with its tributary Tamikon, after which, under the name Djoliba, it flows north to 10 ° northern latitude. Turning to the North-East, it receives several small tributaries on the left, and significant tributaries on the right: Mifu and Yandan, or Nianna, turning again to the north it receives Milo and Tankisso; here the slope of the Niger is reduced to half (only 329 meters above sea level), its bed becomes wider, but shallower - and for 400 kilometers it flows to the northeast, forming the border line between and the kingdom of Ségou. At Bomak, the Niger in high water is up to 800 meters wide and forms rapids, capriciously changing the width of the channel; near Niamina it becomes navigable and turns south; its slope becomes even smaller, its bed lower; at Massino it divides into two main branches, which head north to Lake Debu. At Diafaraba, these branches are connected to each other by natural channels, which, intersecting, form an island network of Burgu of 200 square kilometers; on one of these islands lies the ancient Djenné, or Guineve, ch. The land of the blacks, from which the whole country received its name Guinea. Further, the Niger enters the territory of the fellahs, where it is called Issoy and heads to the North, crossing Lake Debo, receives many tributaries and is again divided into the Danko and Mayo Balleo branches; near Kabara, the harbor of the city, reaches 17° north latitude and flows east along the desert; on this route, the rapids of Tozaye impede navigation when slow flow and among the extremely low-lying banks of the Niger reaches the country of Ussa, where it bears the new name Gulbi-nkovary, or Kovara. At Burrum the river turns sharply to the Southeast and enters, after the lowlands of Massina and the rocky desert of Timbuktu, into a hilly country with a tropical one and again forms a whole network of branches near Gago, the ancient capital of the Sanray empire. Having broken through the rapids surrounding the island of Bornu Guntu, the Niger spreads out like a wide tablecloth and only at Akarambai, to the south of the island of Ansongo, it narrows again, constrained by the walls of rocks, to a width of 30 meters.

In the middle reaches, the Niger receives: Gorajende, flowing from Libtako, Kassani, or Tederimt, Sirbia, or Chirba, and Gulbi-n-Sokoto at Gomba. From Gomba to the rapids of Bussa, the Niger is navigable; steamships sail between Rabba and Lokoja, although sandy shoals sometimes interfere with navigation here. Here Kaduna, or Liful, and a little further Gurara flow into the Niger; the same significant influx it, the Benue, flows at Lokoja, rising north of Ngawandare at Adamei, and in the rainy season it joins the lake. From Lokoja at the Ebo (at the head of the delta) the Niger, connected with the Benue, flows in a majestic stream, rushing southward among the rocks and, sloping in gradual terraces, receives on the left a parallel tributary, the Amambaru. The width of the Niger is increasing, and it flows towards the Gulf of Guinea, into which it flows through the aforementioned branches. The Niger Delta covers an area of 25,000 square kilometers and is low-lying, marshy and covered with mangroves. The navigability of the Niger depends, in addition to rapids and waterfalls, on its high or shallow waters. In the upper reaches of the Niger to Timbuktu, high water occurs from July to early January, and here it is navigable from Bammako to Timbuktu; in the middle reaches of the Niger there is plenty of water and is navigable from the Gabba to Lokoja, from June to October; in the lower reaches from Lokoja to Akassa, thanks to the influx of Benue waters, the Niger is high from June to the end of September and has a secondary high from January to the end of April, depending on the high water in the upper reaches; Here it is navigable at all times of the year.

Niger's way of eating: The river is fed by summer waters.

Tributaries of the Niger: Milo (right), Bani (right), Sokoto (left), Kaduna (left), Benue (left).

Inhabitants of Niger: in Niger it is very developed, the main commercial species fish are: carp, perch, barbel (or barbel) and others.

Niger Freeze: doesn't freeze.

The river's source is on the slopes of the Leono-Liberian Upland in southeastern Guinea. The river flows through the territory of Mali, Niger, along the border with Benin, and then through the territory of Nigeria. It flows into the Gulf of Guinea of the Atlantic Ocean, forming a delta in the area of its confluence. The Niger's largest tributary is the Benue River.

Etymology

The exact origin of the name of the river is unknown and there has been a debate about this among researchers for a long time.

A popular belief is that the name of the river comes from Tuareg nehier-ren- “river, flowing water.” According to one hypothesis, the name of the river comes in turn from the words “Egerev n’Egerev”, which in Tamashek (one of the Tuareg languages) means “great river” or “river of rivers”. This was the name given to the Niger and some other peoples who lived on its banks.

There is also a hypothesis according to which the derivative of the name of the river is the Latin word niger, that is, “black.” This hypothesis assumes that historically the words “Niger” and “negro” are of the same root, since the latter also comes from the word “black”.

The aborigines living close to the banks call the river differently in certain sections of the course: Joliba (in the Mandingo language - “big river”), Mayo, Eghirreu, Iso, Quorra (Quarra, Kowara), Baki-n-ruu, etc. . etc., but the vast majority of these names in translation mean “river”.

Hydrography

The Niger is a relatively “clean” river; compared to the Nile, the turbidity of its water is about ten times less. This is due to the fact that the upper reaches of the Niger pass through rocky terrain and do not carry much silt. Like the Nile, the Niger floods every year. It begins in September, peaks in November, and ends by May.

An unusual feature of the river is the so-called internal Niger delta, formed at a site where the longitudinal channel gradient is greatly reduced. The area is an area of multi-channel channels, marshes and lakes the size of Belgium. It has a length of 425 km with an average width of 87 km. Seasonal floods make the inland delta extremely favorable for fishing and agriculture.

Niger loses approximately two-thirds of its flow in the inland delta section between Ségou and Timbuktu due to evaporation and seepage. Even the waters of the Bani River flowing into the delta near the city of Mopti are not enough to compensate for these losses. Average losses are estimated at 31 km 3 /year (their size varies greatly from year to year). After the inland delta, many tributaries flow into the Niger, but evaporation losses remain very high. The volume of water entering Nigeria in the Yola region was estimated at 25 km 3 /year before the 1980s and 13.5 km 3 /year during the eighties. The Niger's most important tributary is the Benue, which joins it at Lokoja. The volume of tributaries in Nigeria is six times greater than the volume of the Niger itself when it enters the country. Towards the delta, Niger's expenses increase to 177 km 3 /year (data before the 1980s, during the eighties - 147.3 km 3 /year.

Hydrological regime

Niger is fed by the waters of the summer monsoon rains. In the upper reaches, the flood begins in June and near Bamako reaches its maximum in September - October. In the lower reaches, the rise of water begins in June from local rains, and in September it reaches its maximum. The average annual water flow of the Niger at the mouth is 8630 m³/s, the annual flow is 378 km³, flow rates during floods can reach 30-35 thousand m³/s.

In 2005, Norwegian explorer Helge Hjelland undertook another expedition along the entire length of the Niger, starting his journey to Guinea-Bissau in 2005. He also made a documentary about his journey, which he called "Nightmare Journey" ( "The Cruellest Journey") .

River Bend

The Niger has one of the most unusual bedforms of any major river. Similar to a boomerang, this direction has baffled European geographers for almost two millennia. The source of the Niger is located only 240 kilometers from the Atlantic Ocean, but the river begins its journey in exactly the opposite direction, into the Sahara, after which it turns sharply to the right near the ancient city of Timbuktu and flows southeast to the Gulf of Guinea. The ancient Romans thought that the river near Timbuktu was part of the Nile, as Pliny, for example, believed. The same point of view was shared by. The first European explorers believed that the upper Niger flows to the west and connects with the Senegal River.

This very unusual direction probably arose due to the combination of two rivers into one in ancient times. The Upper Niger, which began west of Timbuktu, ended approximately at the bend of the modern river, emptying into a now defunct lake, while the lower Niger began from the hills near that lake and flowed south into the Gulf of Guinea. After the development of the Sahara in 4000-1000. BC e., two rivers changed their directions and merged into one as a result of interception (eng. Stream capture ).

Economic use

The most fertile lands are in the inland delta and estuarine delta. The river brings 67 million tons of silt per year.

Many dams and waterworks have been built on the river. The Egrette and Sansanding dams raise water for irrigation canals. The largest waterworks on Niger, Kainji, was built in the 1960s. The power of the hydroelectric power station is 960 MW, the reservoir area is about 600 km².

Navigation on the river is developed only in some sections, especially from the city of Niamey to its confluence with the ocean. Lives in the river large number fish (perch, carp, etc.), so fishing is developed among local residents.

River transport

In September 2009, the Nigerian government allocated 36 billion naira for dredging of Niger from Baro. Baro (Nigeria) ) to Warri in order to clear the bottom of silt. Dredging was intended to facilitate the transport of goods to settlements located far from the Atlantic Ocean. Similar work was supposed to be carried out several decades ago, but it was postponed. Nigerian President Umaru Yar'Adua noted that the project will provide year-round navigation in Niger, and expressed hope that by 2020 Nigeria will become one of the twenty most industrialized countries in the world. Alhayi Ibrahim Bio, Nigeria's Minister of Transport, said the ministry will do everything possible to complete the project within the allotted time frame. Concerns have been raised that such work could have a negative impact on villages located in coastal areas. At the end of March 2010, the Niger dredging project was 50% complete.

Financing

Most investments in the development of Niger are made from aid funds. For example, the construction of the Kandaji Dam is financed by the Islamic Development Bank, the African Development Bank, and the development fund of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. The World Bank confirmed a low interest loan in July 2007 for financing projects in the Niger Basin over a twelve year period. In addition to the goals of restoring dams in Niger, the loan also targets ecosystem restoration and economic capacity building.

Cities

downstream

Guinea 22x20px Guinea
Mali Mali
Niger Niger
Nigeria Nigeria

Protected areas

Niger Basin Management
Upper Niger National Park
Western National Park
Kainji National Park

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Notes

F. L. Ageenko.. - M: ENAS, 2001.
Gleick, Peter H. (2000), The World's Water, 2000-2001: The Biennial Report on Freshwater, Island Press, p. 33, ISBN 1-55963-792-7; online at
Niger (river in Africa) / Muranov A.P. // Great Soviet Encyclopedia: [in 30 volumes] / ch. ed. A. M. Prokhorov. - 3rd ed. - M. : Soviet Encyclopedia, 1969-1978.
V.K. Gubarev.. retravel.ru. Retrieved March 7, 2012. .
Friedrich Hahn. Africa. - 2nd ed. - St. Petersburg: Printing house of the Enlightenment partnership, 1903. - P. 393-395. - 772 p. - (World Geography under the general editorship of Prof. V. Sivers.).
Niger // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron
, p. 191
, pp. 191–192
FAO: , 1997
Baugh, Brenda , Documentary Education Resources , . Retrieved January 27, 2010.
New encyclopedia of Africa, Volume 4. John Middleton, Joseph Calder Miller, p.36
Niger // Dictionary of modern geographical names. - Ekaterinburg: U-Factoria. Under the general editorship of academician. V. M. Kotlyakova. 2006.
. BBC (10 September 2009). Retrieved September 11, 2009. .
Wole Ayodele. (inaccessible link - ). This Day Online (September 9, 2009). Retrieved September 11, 2009. .
(inaccessible link - ). Punch on the web (March 25, 2010). Retrieved May 11, 2010. .
Voice of America: July 4, 2007
World Bank: , accessed on January 9, 2010

Literature

Niger // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg. , 1890-1907.
Dmitrevsky Yu. D. Inland waters Africa and their use / Rep. ed. Doctor of Geography Sciences M. S. Rozin. - L.: Gidrometeoizdat, 1967. - 384 p. - 800 copies.
Zotova Yu. N., Kubbel L. E. In search of Niger. - M.: Science. Main editorial office of oriental literature, 1972. - 242 p. - (Travel to Eastern countries). - 15,000 copies.

River studies and recommendations on improvement of Niger and Benue. - Amsterdam: North-Holland Pub. Co., 1959.
Reader, John (2001), Africa, Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society, ISBN 0-620-25506-4
Thomson, J. Oliver (1948), History of Ancient Geography, Biblo & Tannen Publishers, ISBN 0-8196-0143-8
Welcomme, R.L. (1986), "The Niger River System", in Davies, Bryan Robert & Walker, Keith F., The Ecology of River Systems, Springer, pp. 9–60, ISBN 90-6193-540-7

Characteristic
Niger
English Nigeria
250px Bridge over the Niger in Bamako
Length
[]	2,117,700 km²
Water consumption	8630 m³/s (mouth)

Source
- Location
- Height
- Coordinates
Estuary
- Location
- Height
- Coordinates	/ / 5.316667; 6.416667 (Niger, mouth)Coordinates:
River slope

Water system

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Excerpt characterizing the Niger (river)

He pushed me further. And then I suddenly realized what seemed so strange to me... The room did not end!.. In appearance it seemed small, but continued to “lengthen” as we moved through it!.. It was incredible! I looked at Sever again, but he just nodded, as if saying: “Don’t be surprised by anything, everything is fine.” And I stopped being surprised... A man “came out” right from the wall of the room... Startled in surprise, I immediately tried to pull myself together so as not to show surprise, since for everyone else living here, this was apparently completely familiar. The man came straight up to us and said in a low, sonorous voice:
- Hello, Isidora! I am the Magus Isten. I know it’s hard for you... But you chose the path yourself. Come with me - I'll show you what you've lost.
We moved on. I followed a wonderful man from whom incredible power emanated, and sadly thought how easy and simple everything would be if he wanted to help! But, unfortunately, he didn’t want to either... I walked, deep in thought, completely not noticing how I found myself in an amazing space, completely filled with narrow shelves, on which rested an incredible number of unusual gold plates and very old “packages” similar to ancient manuscripts kept in my father’s house, with the only difference being that those stored here were made on some very thin unfamiliar material, which I had never seen anywhere before. The plates and scrolls were different - small and very large, short and long, as tall as a man. And in this strange room there were a great many of them...
– This is KNOWLEDGE, Isidora. Or rather, a very small part of it. You can absorb it if you wish. It will not harm, and may even help you in your quest. Try it, honey...
Isten smiled affectionately, and it suddenly seemed to me that I had always known him. A wonderful warmth and peace emanated from him, which I so missed all these terrible days fighting Caraffa. He apparently felt all this very well, because he looked at me with deep sadness, as if he knew what an evil fate awaited me outside the walls of Meteora. And he mourned me in advance... I approached one of the endless shelves, “filled to the top” with semicircular gold plates, to see how Isten suggested... But before I even had time to bring my hand closer, a flurry of stunning things literally fell on me. wonderful visions!!! Stunning pictures, unlike anything I had ever seen, flashed through my exhausted brain, replacing each other with incredible speed... Some of them for some reason remained, and some disappeared, immediately bringing with them new ones that I I almost didn’t have time to look at it either. What was that?!.. The life of some long-dead people? Our Great Ancestors? The visions changed, rushing by at crazy speed. The stream did not end, carrying me into some amazing countries and worlds, not allowing you to wake up. Suddenly one of them flashed brighter than the others, and a stunning city was revealed to me... it was airy and transparent, as if created from White Light.
- What is this??? – I whispered quietly, afraid to scare him away. – Could this be real?..
- This is the Holy City, dear. City of our Gods. He’s been gone for a very long time...” Isten said quietly. “This is where we all once came from... Only on Earth no one remembers him,” then suddenly catching himself, he added: “Be careful, dear, it will be hard for you.” No need to look anymore.
But I wanted more!.. Some kind of scorching thirst burned my brain, begging me not to stop! The unfamiliar world beckoned and bewitched with its pristineness!.. I wanted to plunge into it headlong and, plunging deeper and deeper, draw from it endlessly, without missing a single moment, without wasting a single precious minute... which, as I understood, there was very, very little of me left here... Each new plate revealed itself to me with thousands of stunning images, which were surprisingly bright and now somehow understandable, as if I had suddenly found a magic key to them that had long been lost by someone. Time flew by, but I didn’t notice it... I wanted more and more. And it was very scary that right now someone would definitely stop me, and it would be time to leave this wonderful storehouse of someone’s incredible memory, which I would never again be able to comprehend. It was very sad and painful, but, unfortunately, I had no way back. I chose my life myself and was not going to renounce it. Even if it was incredibly difficult...
- Well, that's all, honey. I can't show you anymore. You are an “apostate” who didn’t want to find out... And your way here is closed. But I’m sincerely sorry, Isidora... You have a great Gift! You could easily DO all this... If you wanted to. Not everyone has it that easy... Your nature craves it. But you chose a different path, so you must leave now. My thoughts will be with you, child of Light. Walk with FAITH, let it help you. Goodbye Isidora...
The room disappeared... We found ourselves in some other stone room, also filled with many scrolls, but they looked different, perhaps not as ancient as the previous ones. I suddenly felt very sad... To the point of pain in my soul, I wanted to comprehend these other people’s “secrets”, to see the wealth hidden in them, but I left... never to return here.
- Think, Isidora! – as if sensing my doubt, Sever said quietly. – You haven’t left yet, stay.
I just shook my head negatively...
Suddenly my attention was attracted by a familiar, but still incomprehensible phenomenon - as we moved forward, the room lengthened here as we walked further. But if in the previous room I didn’t see a soul, then here, as soon as I looked around, I saw a lot of people - young and old, men and women. There were even children here!.. They were all studying something very carefully, completely withdrawing into themselves, and detachedly comprehending some “wise truths”... Not paying any attention to those who entered.
– Who are all these people, North? Do they live here? – I asked in a whisper.
– These are Witches and Sorcerers, Isidora. Your father was once one of them... We train them.
My heart ached... I wanted to howl with a wolf’s voice, feeling sorry for myself and my short lost life!.. Throwing everything away, sit down with them, with these happy Sorcerers and Witches, in order to know with my mind and heart the whole depth of the wonderful, so generously revealed to them great KNOWLEDGE! Burning tears were ready to flow like a river, but I tried with all my might to somehow hold them back. There was no way to do this, since tears were another “forbidden luxury” to which I had no right if I considered myself a real Warrior. The soldiers did not cry. They fought and won, and if they died, it certainly wasn’t with tears in their eyes... Apparently, I was just very tired. From loneliness and pain... From constant fear for my family... From an endless struggle in which I did not have the slightest hope of emerging victorious. I really needed a sip fresh air, and this air for me was my daughter, Anna. But for some reason, she was nowhere to be seen, although I knew that Anna was here, with them, on this wonderful and strange, “closed” land.
Sever stood next to me on the edge of the gorge, and deep sadness lurked in his gray eyes. I wanted to ask him - will I ever see him? But there was not enough strength. I didn't want to say goodbye. I didn't want to leave. Life here was so wise and calm, and everything seemed so simple and good!.. But there, in my cruel and imperfect world, they died good people, and it was time to return to try to save at least someone... This was truly my world, no matter how terrible it was. And my father, who remained there, perhaps suffered cruelly, unable to escape from the clutches of Caraffa, whom I firmly decided, no matter what the cost, to destroy, even if for this I had to give up my short and so dear to me life...
– Can I see Anna? – I asked Sever with hope in my soul.
– Forgive me, Isidora, Anna is undergoing “cleansing” from the bustle of the world... Before she enters the same hall where you were just now. She won't be able to come to you now...
– But why didn’t I need to “clean” anything? – I was surprised. – Anna is still a child, she doesn’t have too much worldly “dirt”, does she?
- She has to absorb too much into herself, comprehend the whole infinity... And you will never return there. There is no need for you to forget anything “old”, Isidora... I am very sorry.
“So I’ll never see my daughter again?” I asked in a whisper.
- You'll see. I'll help you. And now do you want to say goodbye to the Magi, Isidora? This is your only opportunity, don't miss it.
Well, of course, I wanted to see them, the Lords of this entire Wise World! My father told me so much about them, and I dreamed about them for so long! Only I could not imagine then how sad our meeting would be for me...
North raised his palms and the rock, shimmering, disappeared. We found ourselves in a very high, round hall, which at the same time seemed like a forest, a meadow, a fairy-tale castle, or just “nothing”... No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t see its walls or what was happening around. The air shimmered and shimmered with thousands of shiny “drops”, similar to human tears... Overcoming my excitement, I inhaled... The “rainy” air was surprisingly fresh, clean and light! From him, spreading with life-giving power, the finest living threads of “golden” warmth ran throughout his body. The feeling was wonderful!..
“Come in, Isidora, the Fathers are waiting for you,” whispered Sever.
I stepped further - the trembling air “moved apart”... The Magi stood right in front of me...
“I came to say goodbye, prophets.” Peace be with you...” I said quietly, not knowing how I should greet them.
Never in my life have I felt such a complete, all-encompassing, Great POWER!.. They did not move, but it seemed that this entire hall was swaying with warm waves of some kind of power unprecedented for me... It was real LIFE!!! I didn’t know what other words could be used to call it. I was shocked!.. I wanted to embrace it with myself!.. To absorb it into myself... Or just fall to my knees!.. Feelings overwhelmed me with a stunning avalanche, hot tears flowed down my cheeks...
- Be healthy, Isidora. – the voice of one of them sounded warmly. - We pity you. You are the daughter of the Magus, you will share his path... The power will not leave you. Walk with FAITH, my dear...
My soul strove for them with the cry of a dying bird!.. My wounded heart rushed towards them, breaking against an evil fate... But I knew that it was too late - they forgave me... and pitied me. Never before had I “heard” the deep meaning of these wonderful words. And now the joy from their marvelous, new sound surged, filling me, not allowing me to sigh from the feelings that overwhelmed my wounded soul...
In these words there lived a quiet, bright sadness, and the acute pain of loss, the beauty of the life that I had to live, and huge wave Love, coming from somewhere far away and, merging with the Earth, flooding my soul and body... Life rushed by like a whirlwind, catching every “edge” of my nature, leaving no cell that would not be touched by the warmth of love. I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to leave... And, probably because of the same fear, I immediately woke up from a wonderful “farewell”, seeing next to me people amazing in their inner strength and beauty. Around me stood tall elders and young men, dressed in dazzling white clothes, like long tunics. Some of them had a red belt, and two had a patterned wide “belt” embroidered in gold and silver.
Oh look! – my impatient friend Stella unexpectedly interrupted the wonderful moment. – They are very similar to your “star friends”, as you showed them to me!.. Look, is it really them, what do you think?! Well, tell me!!!
To be honest, even when we saw the Holy City, it seemed very familiar to me. And I also had similar thoughts as soon as I saw the Magi. But I immediately drove them away, not wanting to entertain vain “rosy hopes”... It was too important and too serious, and I just waved my hand to Stella, as if saying that we’ll talk later, when we’re alone. I understood that Stella would be upset, because, as always, she wanted to immediately get an answer to her question. But in at the moment, in my opinion, it was not nearly as important as what Isidora told wonderful story, and I mentally asked Stella to wait. I smiled guiltily at Isidora, and she responded with her wonderful smile and continued...
My gaze was riveted by a powerful, tall old man who had something subtly similar to my beloved father, who suffered in the basements of Caraffa. For some reason, I immediately understood - this was the Lord... the Great White Magus. His amazing, piercing, imperious gray eyes looked at me with deep sadness and warmth, as if he was telling me the last “Farewell!”...
– Come, Child of Light, we will forgive you...
From him suddenly came a wondrous, joyful white Light, which, enveloping everything around in a soft glow, embraced me in a gentle embrace, penetrating into the most hidden corners of my pain-torn Soul... The Light permeated every cell, leaving in it only goodness and peace, “ washing away pain and sadness, and all the bitterness that has accumulated over the years. I soared in a magical radiance, forgetting everything “earthly cruel”, everything “evil and false”, feeling only the wondrous touch of Eternal Existence... The feeling was amazing!!! And I mentally begged - if only it would not end... But, according to the capricious desire of fate, everything beautiful always ends faster than we would like it...
– We gifted you with FAITH, it will help you, Child... Hear it... And sling, Isidora...
I didn’t even have time to answer, but the Magi “flashed” with a wondrous Light and... leaving the smell of flowering meadows, they disappeared. Sever and I were left alone... I sadly looked around - the cave remained just as mysterious and sparkling, only it no longer had that pure, warm light that penetrated my very soul...
– This was the Father of Jesus, wasn’t it? – I asked carefully.
- Just like the grandfather and great-grandfather of his son and grandchildren, whose death also lies to blame on his soul...
– ?!..
“Yes, Isidora, He is the one who bears the bitter burden of pain... And you will never be able to imagine how great it is...” Sever answered sadly.
– Perhaps it would not be so bitter today if He had taken pity on the good people who were dying from the ignorance and cruelty of others?.. If He had responded to the call of his wonderful and bright Son, instead of giving him up to be tortured evil executioners? If he had not even now continued to only “observe” from his height how the “holy” accomplices of Caraffa burn Sorcerers and Witches in the squares?.. How is he better than Caraffa, if he does not prevent such Evil, North?! After all, if he is able to help, but does not want to, all this earthly horror will forever lie on him! And neither the reason nor the explanation is important when a beautiful human life!.. I will never be able to understand this, North. And I will not “leave” while good people are being destroyed here, while my earthly Home is being destroyed. Even if I never see my real one... This is my destiny. And therefore - goodbye...
- Goodbye, Isidora. Peace to your soul... Forgive me.
I was again in “my” room, in my dangerous and merciless existence... And everything that had just happened seemed like just a wonderful dream that I would never dream of again in this life... Or a beautiful fairy tale in which I was probably waiting someone's "happy ending." But not me... I felt sorry for my failed life, but I was very proud of my brave girl, who will be able to comprehend this whole great Miracle... if Caraffa does not destroy her before she can defend herself.
The door opened noisily - an enraged Caraffa stood on the threshold.
– Well, where did you “walk”, Madonna Isidora? – my tormentor asked in a feignedly sweet voice.
– I wanted to visit my daughter, Your Holiness. But I couldn't...
I didn't care what he thought or whether my "outing" made him angry. My soul hovered far away, in the amazing White City, which showed me the East, and everything around me seemed distant and miserable. But, unfortunately, Caraffa did not allow me to go into dreams for a long time... Immediately sensing my changed mood, “Holiness” panicked.
– Did they let you into Meteora, Madonna Isidora? – Karaffa asked as calmly as possible.
I knew that in his heart he was simply “burning”, wanting to get an answer faster, and I decided to torment him until he told me where my father was now.
– Does it matter, Your Holiness? After all, my father is with you, from whom you can ask everything that naturally I will not answer. Or have you not yet had time to interrogate him enough?
– I do not advise you to talk to me in such a tone, Isidora. His fate will largely depend on how you intend to behave. Therefore, try to be more polite.
– How would you behave if, instead of mine, your father, Holiness, was here?.. – trying to change what had become dangerous topic, I asked.
– If my father was a HERETIC, I would burn him at the stake! – Caraffa answered completely calmly.
What kind of soul did this “holy” man have?!.. And did he even have one?.. What then was there to talk about strangers, if he could answer this about his own father?..
“Yes, I was in Meteora, Your Holiness, and I really regret that I will never go there again...” I answered sincerely.
- Were you really kicked out of there too, Isidora? – Caraffa laughed in surprise.
– No, Holiness, I was invited to stay. I left on my own...
- This can’t be! There is no such person who would not want to stay there, Isidora!
- Well, why? And my father, Holiness?
“I don’t believe he was allowed to.” I think he should have left. It's just that his time is probably up. Or the Gift was not strong enough.
It seemed to me that he was trying, at all costs, to convince himself of what he really wanted to believe.
“Not all people love only themselves, you know...” I said sadly. – There is something more important than power or strength. There is still Love in the world...
Karaffa waved me off like an annoying fly, as if I had just said some complete nonsense...
– Love doesn’t rule the world, Isidora, but I want to rule it!
“A person can do anything... until he starts trying, Your Holiness,” I couldn’t resist, “biting.”
And remembering something that she definitely wanted to know about, she asked:
– Tell me, Your Holiness, do you know the truth about Jesus and Magdalene?
– Do you mean that they lived in Meteora? – I nodded. - Well, of course! That was the first thing I asked them!
“How is this possible?!..” I asked, stunned. – Did you also know that they were not Jews? – Caraffa nodded again. – But you don’t talk about this anywhere?.. Nobody knows about it! But what about the TRUTH, Your Holiness?!..
“Don’t make me laugh, Isidora!” Karaffa laughed sincerely. - You real child! Who needs your “truth”?.. The crowd that has never looked for it?!.. No, my dear, Truth is needed only by a handful of thinkers, and the crowd should simply “believe”, well, but what – it no longer matters of great importance. The main thing is that people obey. And what is presented to them is already secondary. TRUTH is dangerous, Isidora. Where the Truth is revealed, doubts appear, well, and where doubts arise, war begins... I am waging MY war, Isidora, and so far it gives me true pleasure! The world has always been based on lies, you see... The main thing is that this lie should be interesting enough so that it can lead “narrow-minded” minds... And believe me, Isidora, if at the same time you begin to prove to the crowd the real Truth that refutes them “faith” in who knows what, you will be torn apart by this same crowd... Coordinates 9°04′56″ n. w. 10°43′24″ W. d. HGIOL Coordinates 5°19′00″ n. w. 6°25′00″ E. d. HGIOL

The river's source is on the slopes of the Leono-Liberian Upland in southeastern Guinea. The height of the source is 745 m above sea level. [ ] The river flows through the territory of Mali, Niger, along the border with Benin, and then through the territory of Nigeria. It flows into the Gulf of Guinea of the Atlantic Ocean, forming a delta in the area of its confluence. The Niger's largest tributary is the Benue River.

Etymology

The exact origin of the name of the river is unknown and there has been a debate about this among researchers for a long time.

A popular belief is that the name of the river comes from Tuareg nehier-ren- “river, flowing water.” According to one hypothesis, the name of the river came in turn from the words Egerew n-Igerewen, which in Tamashek (one of the Tuareg languages) means “great river” or “river of rivers.” This was the name given to the Niger and some other peoples who lived on its banks.

Hydrography

Niger loses approximately two-thirds of its flow in the inland delta section between Ségou and Timbuktu due to evaporation and seepage. Even the waters of the Bani River flowing into the delta near the city of Mopti are not enough to compensate for these losses. The average loss is estimated at 31 km³/year (the amount varies greatly from year to year). After the inland delta, many tributaries flow into the Niger, but evaporation losses remain very high. The volume of water entering Nigeria in the Yola region was estimated at 25 km³/year before the 1980s and 13.5 km³/year during the eighties. The Niger's most important tributary is the Benue, which joins it at Lokoja. The volume of tributaries in Nigeria is six times greater than the volume of the Niger itself when it enters the country. Towards the delta, Niger's flow increases to 177 km³/year (data before the 1980s, during the eighties - 147.3 km³/year.

Hydrological regime

In 2005, Norwegian explorer Helge Hjelland undertook another expedition along the entire length of the Niger, starting in Guinea-Bissau in 2005. He also made a documentary about his journey, which he called "Nightmare Journey" ( "The Cruellest Journey") .

River Bend

The Niger has one of the most unusual bedforms of any major river. Similar to a boomerang, this direction has baffled European geographers for almost two millennia. The source of the Niger is located only 240 kilometers from the Atlantic Ocean, but the river begins its journey in exactly the opposite direction, into the Sahara, after which it turns sharply to the right near the ancient city of Timbuktu and flows southeast to the Gulf of Guinea. The ancient Romans thought that the river near Timbuktu was part of the Nile, as, for example, Pliny believed. The same point of view was shared by. The first European explorers believed that the upper Niger flows to the west and connects with the Senegal River.

Economic use

The most fertile lands are in the inland delta and estuarine delta. The river brings 67 million tons of silt per year.

Navigation on the river is developed only in some sections, especially from the city of Niamey to its confluence with the ocean. The river is home to a large number of fish (perch, carp, etc.), so fishing is developed among local residents.

River transport

In September 2009, the Nigerian government allocated 36 billion naira to dredge the Niger from Baro to Warri to clear the silt from the bottom. Dredging was intended to facilitate the transport of goods to settlements located far from the Atlantic Ocean. Similar work was supposed to be carried out several decades ago, but it was postponed. Nigerian President Umaru Yar'Adua noted that the project will provide year-round navigation in Niger, and expressed hope that by 2020 Nigeria will become one of the twenty most industrialized countries in the world. Alhayi Ibrahim Bio, Nigeria's Minister of Transport, said the ministry will do everything possible to complete the project within the allotted time frame. Concerns have been raised that such work could have a negative impact on villages located in coastal areas. At the end of March 2010, the Niger dredging project was 50% complete.

In February 2017, Nigeria's Minister of Transport Rotimi Amaechi announced the completion of dredging work in Niger and the start of work in Benue.

Financing

Cities

Protected areas

Notes

F. L. Ageenko. Russian word stress. Dictionary of proper names. - M: ENAS, 2001.
Gleick, Peter H. (2000), The World's Water, 2000-2001: The Biennial Report on Freshwater, Island Press, p. 33, ISBN 1-55963-792-7 ,
Niger (river in Africa) / Muranov A.P. // Great Soviet Encyclopedia: [in 30 volumes] / ch. ed. A. M. Prokhorov. - 3rd ed. - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia, 1969-1978.
V.K. Gubarev. Niger River. Sights of the world (undefined) . retravel.ru. Retrieved March 7, 2012.

The Niger is a West African river flowing through the territory of 5 states. In the world ranking it ranks 14th in terms of length, approximately 4180 km. This watercourse is unique and quite interesting, which is why it is important to find out what the regime of the Niger River is. This will be discussed in the article.

On the African continent, the Niger River is second only to the Congo and the Nile. Its waterway is unusual in its shape. It carries its waters like a boomerang from the Guinean Highlands to the bay of the same name. The place of confluence - the mouth - is considered Atlantic Ocean. At its very sources, the Niger is called Joliba and flows to the northeast, changing direction to the east in the Timbuktu region and turning to the southeast in the town of Burem. There are several versions about the origin of the name of the river. One, the most reliable, can be considered a translation from Tuareg, which literally means “river, flowing water.”

Features of currents

In the middle reaches of the Niger - lowland river. Rapids are often found in the upper and lower parts, where the path flows along the slopes of the Guinean Highlands. Originating in the northern side of the mountains, the water stream flows through rough terrain and has several waterfalls. This affects the character and regime of the Niger River. Here the watercourse is deep and swift. Starting from Saleh, the river flow slows down. It moves in a northeasterly direction along the inland delta. The river flow becomes faster when passing Timbuktu. Here the watercourse changes the direction of its movement. The waters of the smaller rivers flowing into the lower reaches of the basin again saturate the Niger, making it full of water. Among the many tributaries, the main ones are: Benue, Bani, Kaduna, Milano, Sokoto.

River transport

The regime of the Niger River allows the channel to be used for the passage of ships. Downstream the stream is navigable all year round, in the upper and middle - depending on the high water. Its peculiarity is that everything is different in different areas. For example, the river area from Bammako to Timbuktu is navigable only from July to January. From June to October the section between Gabba and Lokoji is accessible for ships.

Feeding regime of the Niger River and water flow

Like most of the others African rivers, Niger has rain power. The drainage basin covers an area of more than 2.117 thousand square meters. km. Water is consumed in a volume approximately equal to 8630 cubic meters per second. Water consumption during floods increases significantly and reaches about 30-35 thousand cubic meters. meters per second. More than half of moisture loss occurs through evaporation and filtration. The driest area is between Segou and Timbuktu. These losses are not compensated even by the infusion of water from the Bani River, near the city of Mopti. During the year, the river carries about 378 cubic meters. km of water.