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Niger
Geography
Location: Western Africa, southeast of Algeria
Geographic coordinates: 16 00 N, 8 00 E
Map references: Africa
Area:
total: 1.267 million sq km
land: 1,266,700 sq km
water: 300 sq km
Area—comparative: slightly less than twice the size of Texas
Land boundaries:
total: 5,697 km
border countries: Algeria 956 km, Benin 266 km, Burkina Faso 628 km, Chad 1,175 km, Libya 354 km, Mali 821 km, Nigeria 1,497 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
Climate: desert; mostly hot, dry, dusty; tropical in extreme south
Terrain: predominately desert plains and sand dunes; flat to rolling plains in south; hills in north
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Niger River 200 m
highest point: Mont Greboun 1,944 m
Natural resources: uranium, coal, iron ore, tin, phosphates, gold, petroleum
Land use:
arable land: 3%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 7%
forests and woodland: 2%
other: 88% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 660 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: recurring droughts
Environment—current issues: overgrazing; soil erosion; deforestation; desertification; wildlife populations (such as elephant, hippopotamus, giraffe, and lion) threatened because of poaching and habitat destruction
Environment—international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea
Geography—note: landlocked
People
Population: 9,962,242 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 48% (male 2,445,536; female 2,346,844)
15-64 years: 50% (male 2,421,971; female 2,518,248)
65 years and over: 2% (male 121,253; female 108,390) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.95% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 52.31 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 22.78 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.12 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 112.79 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 41.96 years
male: 42.22 years
female: 41.7 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 7.24 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Nigerien(s)
adjective: Nigerien
Ethnic groups: Hausa 56%, Djerma 22%, Fula 8.5%, Tuareg 8%, Beri Beri (Kanouri) 4.3%, Arab, Toubou, and Gourmantche 1.2%, about 1,200 French expatriates
Religions: Muslim 80%, remainder indigenous beliefs and Christians
Languages: French (official), Hausa, Djerma
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 13.6%
male: 20.9%
female: 6.6% (1995 est.)
Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Niger
conventional short form: Niger
local long form: Republique du Niger
local short form: Niger
Data code: NG
Government type: republic
Capital: Niamey
Administrative divisions: 7 departments (departements, singular—departement), and 1 capital district* (capitale district); Agadez, Diffa, Dosso, Maradi, Niamey*, Tahoua, Tillaberi, Zinder
Independence: 3 August 1960 (from France)
National holiday: Republic Day, 18 December (1958)
Constitution: the constitution of January 1993 was revised by national referendum on 12 May 1996
Legal system: based on French civil law system and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Ibrahim BARE Mainassara (since 28 January 1996); note—the president is both chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Ibrahim BARE Mainassara (since 28 January 1996); note—Ibrahim MAYAKI (since 27 November 1997) was appointed prime minister by the president but does not exercise any executive authority and is only the implementor of the president's programs; the president is both chief of state and head of government
note: President Ibrahim BARE was assasinated on the 9 April 1999
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; last held 7-8 July 1996 (next to be held NA 2001); note—Ibrahim BARE Mainassara initially became president when he ousted President Mahamane OUSMANE in a coup on 27 January 1996 and subsequently defeated him in the flawed election of July 1996
election results: percent of vote—Ibrahim BARE Mainassara 52.22%, Mahamane OUSMANE 19.75%, Tandja MAMADOU 15.65%, Mahamadou ISSOUFOU 7.60%, Moumouni AMADOU Djermakoye 4.77%
Legislative branch: two-chamber National Assembly; one chamber with 83 seats (members elected by popular vote for five-year terms); selection process for second chamber not established
elections: last held 23 November 1996 (next to be held NA 2001)
election results: percent of vote by party—NA; seats by party—UNIRD 59, ANDPS-Zaman Lahiya 8, UDPS-Amana 3, coalition of independents 3, MDP-Alkwali 1, UPDP-Shamuwa 4, DARAJA 3, PMT-Albarka 2
Judicial branch: State Court or Cour d'Etat; Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel
Political parties and leaders: Alliance for Democracy and Progress or ADP-AUMUNCI [Issoufou BACHARD, chairman]; DARAJA [Ali TALBA, chairman]; Democratic and Social Convention-Rahama or CDS-Rahama [Mahamane OUSMANE]; Movement for Development and Pan-Africanism or MDP-Alkwali [Mai Manga BOUCAR, chairman]; National Movement of the Development Society-Nassara or MNSD-Nassara [Tandja MAMADOU, chairman]; National Union of Independents for Democratic Revival or UNIRD [President Ibrahim BARE Mainassara]; Niger Progressive Party-African Democratic Rally or PPN-RDA [Dandiko KOULODO]; Niger Social Democrat Party or PADN [Malam Adji WAZIRI]; Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism-Tarayya or PNDS-Tarayya [Mahamadou ISSOUFOU]; Nigerien Alliance for Democracy and Social Progress-Zaman Lahia or ANDPS-Zaman Lahia [Moumouni Adamou DJERMAKOYE]; PMT-Albarka [Idi Ango OMAR]; Union for Democracy and Social Progress-Amana or UDPS-Amana [Mohamed ABDULLAHI]; Union of Patriots, Democrats, and Progressives-Shamuwa or UPDP-Shamuwa [Professor Andre' SALIFOU, chairman]; Union of Popular Forces for Democracy and Progress-Sawaba or UFPDP-Sawaba [Issoufou ASSOUMANE, secretary general]; Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP [leader NA]
International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, MIPONUH, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB, WAEMU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Joseph DIATTA
chancery: 2204 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 483-4224 through 4227
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Charles O. CECIL
embassy: Rue Des Ambassades, Niamey
mailing address: B. P. 11201, Niamey
telephone: [227] 72 26 61 through 72 26 64
FAX: [227] 73 31 67
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of orange (top), white, and green with a small orange disk (representing the sun) centered in the white band; similar to the flag of India, which has a blue spoked wheel centered in the white band
Economy
Economy—overview: Niger is a poor, landlocked Sub-Saharan nation, whose economy centers on subsistence agriculture, animal husbandry, reexport trade, and increasingly less on uranium, its major export since the 1970s. The 50% devaluation of the West African franc in January 1994 boosted exports of livestock, cowpeas, onions, and the products of Niger's small cotton industry. The government relies on bilateral and multilateral aid for operating expenses and public investment and is strongly induced to adhere to structural adjustment programs designed by the IMF and the World Bank. Short-term prospects depend largely on upcoming negotiations on debt relief and extended aid.
GDP: purchasing power parity—$9.4 billion (1998 est.)
GDP—real growth rate: 4.5% (1998 est.)
GDP—per capita: purchasing power parity—$970 (1998 est.)
GDP—composition by sector:
agriculture: 40%
industry: 18%
services: 42% (1997)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3%
highest 10%: 29.3% (1992)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.8% (1998)
Labor force: 70,000 receive regular wages or salaries
Labor force—by occupation: agriculture 90%, industry and commerce 6%, government 4%
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $370 million (including $160 million from foreign sources)
expenditures: $370 million, including capital expenditures of $186 million (1998 est.)
Industries: cement, brick, textiles, food processing, chemicals, slaughterhouses, and a few other small light industries; uranium mining
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity—production: 170 million kWh (1996)
Electricity—production by source:
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1996)
Electricity—consumption: 365 million kWh (1996)
Electricity—exports: 0 kWh (1996)
Electricity—imports: 195 million kWh (1996)
note: imports electricity from Nigeria
Agriculture—products: cowpeas, cotton, peanuts, millet, sorghum, cassava (tapioca), rice; cattle, sheep, goats, camels, donkeys, horses, poultry
Exports: $269 million (f.o.b., 1997)
Exports—commodities: uranium ore 50%, livestock products 20%, cowpeas, onions (1996 est.)
Exports—partners: Greece 21%, Canada 18%, France 12%, Nigeria 7% (1996 est.)
Imports: $295 million (c.i.f., 1997)
Imports—commodities: consumer goods, primary materials, machinery, vehicles and parts, petroleum, cereals
Imports—partners: France 17%, Cote d'Ivoire 7%, US 5%, Belgium-Luxembourg 4%, Nigeria (1996 est.)
Debt—external: $1.2 billion (1998 est.)
Economic aid—recipient: $222 million (1995)
Currency: 1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1—560.01 (January 1999), 589.95 (1998), 583.67 (1997), 511.55 (1996), 499.15 (1995), 555.20 (1994)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 14,000 (1995 est.)
Telephone system: small system of wire, radiotelephone communications, and microwave radio relay links concentrated in southwestern area
domestic: wire, radiotelephone communications, and microwave radio relay; domestic satellite system with 3 earth stations and 1 planned
international: satellite earth stations—2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 15, FM 6, shortwave 0
Radios: 620,000 (1995 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 10 (in addition, there are seven low-power repeaters) (1997)
Televisions: 105,000 (1995 est.)
Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways:
total: 10,100 km
paved: 798 km
unpaved: 9,302 km (1996 est.)
Waterways: Niger river is navigable 300 km from Niamey to Gaya on the Benin frontier from mid-December through March
Ports and harbors: none
Airports: 27 (1998 est.)
Airports—with paved runways:
total: 9
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 6
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1998 est.)
Airports—with unpaved runways:
total: 18
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 15
under 914 m: 2 (1998 est.)
Military
Military branches: Army, Air Force, National Gendarmerie, Republican Guard, National Police
Military manpower—military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower—availability:
males age 15-49: 2,117,868 (1999 est.)
Military manpower—fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 1,143,355 (1999 est.)
Military manpower—reaching military age annually:
males: 102,762 (1999 est.)
Military expenditures—dollar figure: $20 million (FY96/97)
Military expenditures—percent of GDP: 1.1% (FY96/97)
Transnational Issues
Disputes—international: Libya claims about 19,400 sq km in northern Niger; delimitation of international boundaries in the vicinity of Lake Chad, the lack of which led to border incidents in the past, is completed and awaits ratification by Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria
*Information obtained from the Central Intelligence Agency’s World Fact Book.
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