Niger or the Niger[12][13] (/niːˈʒɛər, ˈnaɪdʒər/ nee-ZHAIR, NY-jər,[14][15] French: [niʒɛʁ]),[a] officially the Republic of the Niger[12][13] (French: République du Niger; Hausa: Jamhuriyar Nijar), is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is a unitary state bordered by Libya to the northeast, Chad to the east, Nigeria to the south, Benin and Burkina Faso to the southwest, Mali to the west, and Algeria to the northwest. It covers a land area of almost 1,270,000 km2 (490,000 sq mi), making it the largest landlocked country in West Africa. Over 80% of its land area lies in the Sahara. Its predominantly Muslim population of about 25 million[16][17] lives mostly in clusters in the south and west of the country. The capital Niamey is located in Niger's southwest corner.