Until the 19th century, power in the region was based on control of the great trans-Saharan trade routes, mostly dominated by the Hausa Kingdom until the advent of European traders. Then colonised by the French, Niger was part of French West Africa until 1958, and achieved independence in 1960. Hamani Diori was elected head of state and presided over a period of stability until its latter stages when severe drought from 1968 onwards brought about widespread civil unrest.

In 1974, the army staged a military coup under Lieutenant Colonel Seyni Kountché. By 1983, the legislative Council of Ministers was entirely composed of civilians. Kountché died in 1987, to be replaced by Ali Seibou. Seibou established the Mouvement Nationale pour une Société de Développement (MNSD), which became the sole legitimate political party.

In the early 1990s, the government came under internal and external pressure to introduce democratic government. After some uncertainty and opposition, the government installed an interim administration, prior to multi-party elections and the introduction of a new constitution. The National Assembly poll saw a victory for the six-party coalition, the Alliance des Forces de Changement (AFC).

The presidential election was then won by Mahamane Ousmane of the AFC coalition. Apart from the economy, the new government's main problem was a series of clashes between security forces and guerrillas belonging to the nomadic Tuareg people. The Tuareg had left Niger to escape the chronic Sahel drought of the 1980s. A series of agreements were brokered, providing for Tuareg land rights and defined future relations between the Tuareg and central government. Despite occasional problems, the agreement has held.

Following the January 1995 legislative elections, MNSD recovered control of the National Assembly and the government under ex-World Bank official Amadou Aboubacar Cissé. Friction between the Cissé government and President Ousmane steadily worsened until, exactly one year later, the military stepped in once again. Army chief of staff Colonel Ibrahim Bare Mainassara took control of the country. Under strong external pressure, particularly from Niger's main Western financial backers, the military moved quickly to restore a veneer of civilian government.

In April 1999, Mainassara was killed by his own head of security, after an escalating series of disputes with his erstwhile military colleagues. The uncertain political situation was resolved with the holding of simultaneous Presidential and legislative elections in November that year. The MNSD, the country's historic ruling party, recovered control of both the presidency – via Mamadou Tandja – and the National Assembly. Since then, the government has continued to be mired in mutiny and controversy.

Behind environmental and governmental crises, however, are the faces of Niger's ordinary people, who exude exceptional politeness and affability. These people mostly see past the barrenness and instead see a country with outstanding national parks, prolific wildlife, cambers of sand, black volcanic mountains and green oases.