1985 Edition

Agriculture

fodder and silage crops, about one-half of area planted in field crops; main products — wool, meat, dairy products; food surplus country

Aid

bilateral economic aid commitments (ODA and OOF), $338 million (1970-82)

Area

550 km Tasman Sea South Pacific Ocean North Is/and LLINGTON j South Island /Dunedin "™ Chatham • Islands Set regional map X Land 268,676 km2; the size of Colorado; 50% pasture; 16% forest; 10% park and reserve; 3% cultivated; 1% urban; 20% waste, water, or other; 4 principal islands, 2 minor inhabited islands, several minor uninhabited islands Water

Branches

unicameral legislature (92-member House of Representatives, commonly called Parliament); Cabinet responsible to Parliament; three-level court system (magistrates, courts, Supreme Court, and Court of Appeal)

Sandinista Popular Army, Sandinista War Navy, Sandinista Air Force/ Air Defense, Sandinista Popular Militia

executive authority exercised by President Seyni Kountche in the name of the Supreme Military Council (SMC), which is composed of army officers; office of prime minister created January 1 983; since November 1983, civilians have held all cabinet portfolios except Defense and Interior, which are held by President Kountche

Budget

(1984/85) expenditures, $7.3 billion; receipts, $6.0 billion; deficit, $1.3 billion

Capital

Wellington

Niamey

Coastline

about 15,134 km People

Communists

CPNZ about 300, SUP about

no Communist party; some sympathizers in outlawed Sawaba party

Elections

held at three-year intervals or sooner if Parliament is dissolved by Prime Minister; last election July 1984 Political parties and leaders: New Zealand Labor Party (NZLP; government), David Lange; National Party (NP; opposition), Jim McLay; Social Credit Political League (Socred), Bruce Beetham; New Zealand Party, Bob Jones; Socialist Unity Party (SUP; pro-Soviet), G. H. "Bill" Andersen

popular elections currently allowed only for choosing representatives for village Development Councils, which advise on local economic development Political parties and leaders: political parties banned

Electric power

7,300,000 kW capacity (1984); 27.08 billion kWh produced (1984), 8,330 kWh per capita

Ethnic divisions

87% European, 9% Maori, 2% Pacific Islander, 2% other

56% Hausa; 22% Djerma; 8.5% Fula; 8% Tuareg; 4.3% Beri Beri (Kanouri); 1.2% Arab, Toubou, and Gourmantche; about 4,000 French expatriates

Exports

$5.3 billion (f.o.b., 1983); principal products — beef, wool, dairy

Fiscal year

1 April-31 March Nicaragua (continued) Niger

Fishing

catch 1 16,000 metric tons (1982); exports—80,000 metric tons valued at $1 10 million (1982)

GNP

$ 1 6. 2 billion (year ending March 1 984), $5,063 per capita; real average annual growth (1974-84), 1.1%

Government leader

David LANGE, Prime Minister (since July 1984)

Brig. Gen. Seyni KOUNTCHE, President of Supreme Military Council, Chief of State (since 1974); Hamid ALGABID, Prime Minister (since November 1983)

Imports

$5.3 billion (c.i.f., 1983); principal products — petroleum, cars, trucks, iron and steel, petroleum products

Labor force

1,325,000(1981); 29.9% manufacturing, mining, and construction; 24.2% commerce and finance; 21.2% services; 10.7% agriculture; 8.3% transportation and communications; 2% other; unemployment 3.7% (February 1981)

2.5 million (1982) wage earners; 90% agriculture, 6% industry and commerce, 4% government

Land boundaries

5,745 km People

Language

English (official), Maori

French (official); Hausa, Djerma

Legal system

based on English law, with special land legislation and land courts for Maoris; constitution consists of various documents, including certain acts of the UK and New Zealand Parliaments; legal education at Victoria, Auckland, Canterbury, and Otago Universities; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

based on French civil law system and customary law; constitution adopted 1960, suspended 1974; committee appointed January 1984 to "reflect" on a new national charter; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Limits of territorial waters (claimed)

12 nm (economic, including fishing, 200 nm)

Literacy

98%

5%

Major industries

food processing, textile production, machinery, transport equipment, wood and paper products

Major trade partners

(trade year 1982/83) exports— 15% Japan, 15% Australia, 14% US, 11% UK; imports— 21% Japan, 20% Australia, 15% US, 4% FRG

Member of

ADB, ANZUS, ASPAC, Colombo Plan, Commonwealth of Nations, DAC, ESCAP, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ISO, ITU, OECD, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WSG Economy

Af DB, APC, CEAO, EAMA, EGA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB— Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ITU, Lake Chad Basin Commission, Niger River Commission, NAM, OAU, OCAM, OIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Military manpower

males 15-49, 676,000; 418,000 fit for military service; 33,000 reach military age (18) annually See regional mtp VII Land 1,267,000 km2; almost three times the size of California; 7.6% permanent meadow and pasture, 2.6% arable, 2.3% forest and woodland, .02% inland water, 87% other, remainder desert

Monetary conversion rate

NZ$2.13=US$1 (8 January 1985)

National holiday

Waitangi Day, 6 February

National holidays

Independence Day, 3 August; Republic Day, 18 December

Nationality

noun — New Zealander(s); adjective— New Zealand

noun — Nigerien(s) adjective — Nigerien

Official name

New Zealand

Republic of Niger

Organized labor

46% of labor force Government

negligible Government

Political subdivisions

239 territorial units (boroughs, counties, town and district councils); 657 special-purpose bodies

1 departments, 32 arrondissements

Population

3,295,000 (July 1985), average annual growth rate 1.4%

6,495,000 (July 1985), average annual growth rate 3.3%

Religion

81% Christian, 18% none or unspecified, 1% Hindu, Confucian, and other

80% Muslim, remainder indigenous beliefs and Christians

Suffrage

universal age 18 and over

universal adult

Telecommunications

low-capacity radiorelay and wire system; connection into Central American microwave net; Atlantic Ocean station; 60,000 telephones (2.2 per 100 popl.); 52 AM, 11 FM, 5 TV stations; Intersputnik communications satellite facility Defense Forces

Type

independent state within Commonwealth, recognizing Elizabeth II as head of state

republic; military regime in power since April 1974

Voting strength

(1981 election) Parliament— National Party, 47 seats; Labor Party, 43 seats; Social Credit, 2 seats