1995 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1995 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Area
total area: 1.267 million sq km land area: 1,266,700 sq km comparative area: slightly less than twice the size of Texas
Climate
desert; mostly hot, dry, dusty; tropical in extreme south
Coastline
0 km (landlocked)
Environment
current issues: overgrazing; soil erosion; deforestation; desertification; wildlife populations (such as elephant, hippopotamus, and lion) threatened because of poaching and habitat destruction natural hazards: recurring droughts international agreements: party to - Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the Sea
International disputes
Libya claims about 19,400 sq km in northern Niger; demarcation of international boundaries in Lake Chad, the lack of which has led to border incidents in the past, is completed and awaiting ratification by Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria; Burkina and Mali are proceeding with boundary demarcation, including the tripoint with Niger
Irrigated land
320 sq km (1989 est.)
Land boundaries
total 5,697 km, Algeria 956 km, Benin 266 km, Burkina 628 km, Chad 1,175 km, Libya 354 km, Mali 821 km, Nigeria 1,497 km
Land use
arable land: 3% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 7% forest and woodland: 2% other: 88%
Location
Western Africa, southeast of Algeria
Map references
Africa
Maritime claims
none; landlocked
Natural resources
uranium, coal, iron ore, tin, phosphates
Note
landlocked
Terrain
predominately desert plains and sand dunes; flat to rolling plains in south; hills in north
People and Society
Age structure
0-14 years: 49% (female 2,275,338; male 2,275,999) 15-64 years: 49% (female 2,314,857; male 2,188,938) 65 years and over: 2% (female 107,432; male 117,644) (July 1995 est.)
Birth rate
54.8 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate
20.8 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Ethnic divisions
Hausa 56%, Djerma 22%, Fula 8.5%, Tuareg 8%, Beri Beri (Kanouri) 4.3%, Arab, Toubou, and Gourmantche 1.2%, about 4,000 French expatriates
Infant mortality rate
109.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Labor force
2.5 million wage earners (1982) by occupation: agriculture 90%, industry and commerce 6%, government 4%
Languages
French (official), Hausa, Djerma
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 45.07 years male: 43.42 years female: 46.77 years (1995 est.)
Literacy
age 15 and over can read and write (1988) total population: 11% male: 17% female: 5%
Nationality
noun: Nigerien(s) adjective: Nigerien
Net migration rate
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Population
9,280,208 (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate
3.4% (1995 est.)
Religions
Muslim 80%, remainder indigenous beliefs and Christians
Total fertility rate
7.35 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Government
Administrative divisions
7 departments (departements, singular - departement); Agadez, Diffa, Dosso, Maradi, Niamey, Tahoua, Zinder
Capital
Niamey
Constitution
approved by national referendum 16 December 1992; promulgated January 1993
Digraph
NG
Diplomatic representation in US
chief of mission: Ambassador Adamou SEYDOU chancery: 2204 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 483-4224 through 4227
Executive branch
chief of state: President Mahamane OUSMANE (since 16 April 1993); election last held 17 March 1993 (next to be held NA February 1998) head of government: Prime Minister Hama AMADOU (since 21 February 1995) cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the president on recommendation of the prime minister
FAX
[227] 73 31 67
Flag
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
Independence
3 August 1960 (from France)
Judicial branch
State Court (Cour d'Etat), Court of Appeal (Cour d'Apel)
Legal system
based on French civil law system and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch
unicameral
Member of
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEAO, ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Names
conventional long form: Republic of Niger conventional short form: Niger local long form: Republique du Niger local short form: Niger
National Assembly
elected by proportional representation for 5 year terms; elections last held 12 January 1995 (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (83 total) MNSD-NASSARA 29, CDS 24, PNDS 12, ANDP-Z 9, UDFP 3, UDPS 2, PADN 2, PPN-RDA 1, UPDP 1
National holiday
Republic Day, 18 December (1958)
Political parties and leaders
National Movement of the Development Society (MNSD-NASSARA), Mamadou TANDJA, chairman; Democratic and Social Convention (CDS), Jacoub SANOUSSI; Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism (PNDS), Mahamadou ISSOUFOU; Nigerien Alliance for Democracy and Progress-Zamanlahia (ANDP-Z), Moumouni Adamou DJERMAKOYE; Union of Popular Forces for Democracy and Progress-Sawaba (UDFP), Djibo BAKARY, chairman; Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS), Akoli DAOUEL; Niger Social Democrat Party (PADN), Malam Adji WAZIRI; Niger Progressive Party-African Democratic Rally (PPN-RDA), Dori ABDOULAI, chairman; Union of Patriots, Democrats, and Progressives (UPDP), Professor Andre SALIFOU, chairman
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Type
republic
US diplomatic representation
chief of mission: Ambassador John S. DAVISON embassy: Rue Des Ambassades, Niamey mailing address: B. P. 11201, Niamey telephone: [227] 72 26 61 through 72 26 64
Economy
Agriculture
accounts for roughly 40% of GDP and 90% of labor force; cash crops - cowpeas, cotton, peanuts; food crops - millet, sorghum, cassava, rice; livestock - cattle, sheep, goats; self-sufficient in food except in drought years
Budget
revenues: $188 million expenditures: $400 million, including capital expenditures of $125 million (1993 est.)
Currency
1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
Economic aid
recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $380 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $3.165 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $504 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $61 million
Electricity
capacity: 60,000 kW production: 200 million kWh consumption per capita: 42 kWh (1992)
Exchange rates
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 529.43 (January 1995), 555.20 (1994), 283.16 (1993), 264.69 (1992), 282.11 (1991), 272.26 (1990) note: the official rate is pegged to the French franc, and beginning 12 January 1994, the CFA franc was devalued to CFAF 100 per French franc from CFAF 50 at which it had been fixed since 1948
Exports
$246 million (f.o.b., 1993 est.) commodities: uranium ore 67%, livestock products 20%, cowpeas, onions partners: France 77%, Nigeria 8%, Cote d'Ivoire, Italy
External debt
$1.2 billion (December 1991 est.)
Fiscal year
1 October - 30 September
Imports
$286 million (c.i.f., 1993 est.) commodities: consumer goods, primary materials, machinery, vehicles and parts, petroleum, cereals partners: France 23%, Cote d'Ivoire, Germany, Italy, Japan
Industrial production
growth rate -2.7% (1992 est.); accounts for 15% of GDP
Industries
cement, brick, textiles, food processing, chemicals, slaughterhouses, and a few other small light industries; uranium mining began in 1971
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
NA%
National product
GDP - purchasing power parity - $4.6 billion (1993 est.)
National product per capita
$550 (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate
1.4% (1993 est.)
Overview
Niger is one of the world's poorest countries, with GDP growth lagging behind the rapid growth of population. The economy is centered on subsistence agriculture, animal husbandry, and reexport trade, and increasingly less on uranium, its major export throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Uranium revenues dropped by almost 50% between 1983 and 1990 with the end of the uranium boom. Terms of trade with Nigeria, Niger's largest regional trade partner, have improved dramatically since the 50% devaluation of the African franc in January 1994; this devaluation boosted exports of livestock, peas, 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.
Unemployment rate
NA%
Communications
Radio
broadcast stations: AM 15, FM 5, shortwave 0 radios: NA
Telephone system
14,260 telephones; small system of wire, radiocommunications, and radio relay links concentrated in southwestern area local: NA intercity: wire, radiocommunications, and radio relay; 3 domestic satellite links, with 1 planned international: 2 INTELSAT (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) earth stations
Television
broadcast stations: 18 televisions: NA
Transportation
Airports
total: 29 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 1 with paved runways under 914 m: 3 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 1 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 16
Highways
total: 39,970 km paved: bituminous 3,170 km unpaved: gravel, laterite 10,330 km; earth 3,470 km; tracks 23,000 km
Inland waterways
Niger River is navigable 300 km from Niamey to Gaya on the Benin frontier from mid-December through March
Ports
none
Railroads
0 km
Military and Security
Branches
Army, Air Force, National Gendarmerie, Republican Guard, National Police
Defense expenditures
exchange rate conversion - $32 million, 1.3% of GDP (FY92/93) ________________________________________________________________________ NIGERIA
Manpower availability
males age 15-49 1,908,767; males fit for military service 1,029,384; males reach military age (18) annually 94,506 (1995 est.)