| |
| Background: |
Not until 1993, 33 years after
independence from France, did Niger hold its first free and open
elections. A 1995 peace accord ended a five-year Tuareg insurgency in the
north. Coups in 1996 and 1999 were followed by the creation of a National
Reconciliation Council that effected a transition to civilian rule in
December 1999. |
| Location: |
Western Africa, southeast of
Algeria |
| Geographic coordinates: |
16 00 N, 8 00 E
|
| 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; one of the hottest
countries in the world: northern four-fifths is desert, southern one-fifth
is savanna, suitable for livestock and limited agriculture
|
| Population: |
10,355,156 (July 2001 est.)
|
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years: 47.97%
(male 2,528,484; female 2,439,051)
15-64 years:
49.75% (male 2,518,400; female 2,633,677)
65 years and
over: 2.28% (male 123,589; female 111,955) (2001 est.)
|
| Population growth rate: |
2.72% (2001 est.)
|
| Birth
rate: |
50.68 births/1,000 population (2001
est.) |
| Death
rate: |
22.71 deaths/1,000 population (2001
est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
-0.73 migrant(s)/1,000 population
(2001 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: 1.1 male(s)/female
total
population: 1 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
|
| Infant
mortality rate: |
123.57 deaths/1,000 live births
(2001 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total population:
41.59 years
male: 41.74 years
female: 41.44 years (2001 est.)
|
| Total
fertility rate: |
7.08 children born/woman (2001
est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
1.35% (1999 est.)
|
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
64,000 (1999 est.)
|
| HIV/AIDS
- deaths: |
6,500 (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.) |
| Country
name: |
conventional long
form: Republic of Niger
conventional short
form: Niger
local long form: Republique du
Niger
local short form: Niger
|
| Government type: |
republic
|
| Administrative divisions: |
7 departments (departements,
singular - departement), and 1 capital district* (capitale district);
Agadez, Diffa, Dosso, Maradi, Niamey*, Tahoua, Tillaberi, Zinder
|
| Independence: |
3 August 1958 (from France)
|
| National
holiday: |
Republic Day, 18 December (1958)
|
| Constitution: |
the constitution of January 1993
was revised by national referendum on 12 May 1996 and again by referendum
on 18 July 1999 |
| 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 Mamadou TANDJA (since 22 December 1999); note - the president is
both chief of state and head of government
head of
government: President Mamadou TANDJA (since 22 December 1999);
note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; Prime
Minister Hama AMADOU (since 31 December 1999) was appointed by the
president and shares some executive responsibilities with the president
note: President Ibrahim BARE was assassinated on 9
April 1999; subsequent elections were held under the nine-month
provisional government of Major Daouda Mallam WANKE
cabinet: 23-member cabinet appointed by President
TANDJA
elections: president elected by popular vote
for a five-year term; last held 24 November 1999 (next to be held NA 2004)
election results: Mamadou TANDJA elected president;
percent of vote - Mamadou TANDJA 59.9%, Mahamadou ISSOUFOU 40.1%
|
| Legislative branch: |
unicameral National Assembly (83
seats, members elected by popular vote for five-year terms)
elections: last held 24 November 1999 (next to be
held NA 2004)
election results: percent of vote by
party - NA%; seats by party - MNSD-Nassara 38, CDS-Rahama 17, PNDS-Tarayya
16, RDP-Jama'a 8, ANDPS-Zaman Lahiya 4 |
| Judicial
branch: |
State Court or Cour d'Etat; Court
of Appeal or Cour d'Appel |
| Political parties and leaders: |
Democratic Rally of the
People-Jama'a or RDP-Jama'a [Hamid ALGABID]; Democratic and Social
Convention-Rahama or CDS-Rahama [Mahamane OUSMANE]; National Movement for
a Developing Society-Nassara or MNSD-Nassara [Mamadou TANDJA, chairman];
Nigerien Alliance for Democracy and Social Progress-Zaman Lahiya or
ANDPS-Zaman Lahiya [Moumouni Adamou DJERMAKOYE]; Nigerien Party for
Democracy and Socialism-Tarayya or PNDS-Tarayya [Mahamadou ISSOUFOU];
Union of Democratic Patriots and Progressives-Chamoua or UPDP-Chamoua
[Professor Andre' SALIFOU, chairman] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders: |
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, MONUC, 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
- overview: |
Niger is a poor, landlocked
Sub-Saharan nation, whose economy centers on subsistence agriculture,
animal husbandry, reexport trade, and increasingly less on uranium,
because of declining world demand. 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 - which was suspended following the April
1999 coup d'etat - for operating expenses and public investment. In 2000,
the World Bank approved a structural adjustment loan of $35 million to
help support fiscal reforms. However, reforms could prove difficult given
the government's bleak financial situation. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power parity - $10
billion (2000 est.) |
| GDP -
real growth rate: |
3.5% (2000 est.)
|
| GDP -
per capita: |
purchasing power parity - $1,000
(2000 est.) |
| GDP -
composition by sector: |
agriculture: 40%
industry: 18%
services: 42%
(1998) |
| Population below poverty line: |
63% (1993 est.)
|
| Household income or consumption by percentage
share: |
lowest 10%: 0.8%
highest 10%: 35.4% (1995) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices): |
2.8% (2000 est.)
|
| Labor
force: |
70,000 receive regular wages or
salaries |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
agriculture 90%, industry and
commerce 6%, government 4% |
| Budget: |
revenues: $377
million, including $146 million from foreign sources
expenditures: $377 million, including capital
expenditures of $105 million (1999 est.) |
| Industries: |
uranium mining, cement, brick,
textiles, food processing, chemicals, slaughterhouses
|
| Industrial production growth rate: |
NA% |
| Electricity - production: |
200 million kWh (1999)
|
| Electricity - production by source: |
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999) |
| Electricity - consumption: |
401 million kWh (1999)
|
| Electricity - exports: |
0 kWh (1999)
|
| Electricity - imports: |
215 million kWh (1999)
|
| Agriculture - products: |
cowpeas, cotton, peanuts, millet,
sorghum, cassava (tapioca), rice; cattle, sheep, goats, camels, donkeys,
horses, poultry |
| Exports: |
$385 million (f.o.b., 1999)
|
| Exports
- commodities: |
uranium ore 65%, livestock
products, cowpeas, onions (1998 est.) |
| Exports
- partners: |
France 45%, Nigeria 27%, UK 11%
(1999) |
| Imports: |
$317 million (f.o.b., 1999)
|
| Imports
- commodities: |
consumer goods, primary materials,
machinery, vehicles and parts, petroleum, cereals
|
| Imports
- partners: |
France 22%, Cote d'Ivoire 15%,
Nigeria 8%, US 3% (1999) |
| Debt -
external: |
$1.3 billion (1999 est.)
|
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
$341 million (1997)
note: the IMF approved a $73 million poverty
reduction and growth facility for Niger in 2000 and announced $115 million
in debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative
|
| Currency: |
Communaute Financiere Africaine
franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West
African States |
| Exchange
rates: |
Communaute Financiere Africaine
francs (XOF) per US dollar - 699.21 (January 2001), 711.98 (2000), 615.70
(1999), 589.95 (1998), 583.67 (1997), 511.55 (1996); note - from 1 January
1999, the XOF is pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 XOF per euro
|
| Fiscal
year: |
calendar year
|
| Telephones - main lines in use: |
16,000 (1997)
|
| Telephones - mobile cellular: |
13,000 (1995)
|
| Telephone system: |
general assessment:
small system of wire, radio telephone communications, and microwave radio
relay links concentrated in the southwestern area of Niger
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 5, FM 5, shortwave 4 (1998)
|
| Television broadcast stations: |
10 (plus seven low-power repeaters)
(1997) |
| Televisions: |
125,000 (1997)
|
| Internet
country code: |
.ne |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
1 (2000)
|
| Internet
users: |
3,000 (2000)
|
| Highways: |
total: 10,100 km
paved: 798 km
unpaved: 9,302 km
(1996) |
| Waterways: |
300 km
note:
the Niger River is navigable from Niamey to Gaya on the Benin frontier
from mid-December through March |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total: 9
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437
m: 6
under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.)
|
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total: 18
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523
m: 15
under 914 m: 2 (2000 est.)
|
| 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:
2,202,608 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - fit for military service: |
males age 15-49:
1,190,787 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - reaching military age annually: |
males: 108,993 (2001
est.) |
| Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$20 million (FY96)
|
| Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
1.1% (FY96)
|
| 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, has
been completed and awaits ratification by Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and
Nigeria |
|
|
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