1996 Edition

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

Location

16 00 N, 8 00 E -- Western Africa, southeast of Algeria Flag ----

Area

comparative area

slightly less than twice the size of Texas

land area

1,266,700 sq km

total area

1.267 million sq km

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

international agreements

party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Desertification, Law of the Sea

natural hazards

recurring droughts

Geographic coordinates

16 00 N, 8 00 E

Geographic note

landlocked

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 Faso and Mali are proceeding with boundary demarcation, including the tripoint with Niger

Irrigated land

320 sq km (1989 est.)

Land boundaries

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

total

5,697 km

Land use

arable land

3%

forest and woodland

2%

meadows and pastures

7%

other

88%

permanent crops

0%

Location

Western Africa, southeast of Algeria

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural resources

uranium, coal, iron ore, tin, phosphates

Terrain

predominately desert plains and sand dunes; flat to rolling plains in south; hills in north

highest point

Mont Greboun 1,944 m

lowest point

Niger River 200 m

Age structure

0-14 years: 48% (male 2,233,157; female 2,138,096) 15-64 years: 50% (male 2,202,413; female 2,317,188) 65 years and over: 2% (male 117,337; female 104,810) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate

54.46 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate

24.57 deaths/1,000 population (1996 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

117.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages

French (official), Hausa, Djerma

Life expectancy at birth

female

40.25 years (1996 est.)

male

41.05 years

total population

40.66 years

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)

female

6.6%

male

20.9%

total population

13.6%

Nationality

adjective

Nigerien

noun

Nigerien(s)

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population

9,113,001 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate

2.99% (1996 est.)

Religions

Muslim 80%, remainder indigenous beliefs and Christians

Sex ratio

all ages

1 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years

1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.12 male(s)/female

Total fertility rate

7.44 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Administrative divisions

7 departments (departements, singular - departement), and 1 capital district* (capitale district); Agadez, Diffa, Dosso, Maradi, Niamey*, Tahoua, Tillaberi, Zinder

Capital

Niamey

Constitution

the constitution of January 1993 was revised by national referendum on 12 May 1996

Data code

NG

Diplomatic representation in US

chancery

2204 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Adamou SEYDOU

telephone

[1] (202) 483-4224 through 4227

Executive branch

cabinet

National Salvation Council was appointed by President BARE

chief of state

President Colonel Ibrahim BARE Mainassara (since 28 January 1996 when he ousted President Mahamane OUSMANE in a coup); Mahamane OUSMANE had been elected for a five-year term by universal suffrage; election last held 17 March 1993 (next to be held 7 July 1996)

head of government

Prime Minister Boukary ADJI (since NA January 1996) appointed by President BARE

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)

International organization participation

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNAMIR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO

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

Name of country

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 a five-year term; election last held 12 January 1995 (next to be held NA September 1996); 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; note - this National Assembly dissolved by President BARE after the coup on 28 January 1996

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 of government

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

Agriculture

cowpeas, cotton, peanuts, millet, sorghum, cassava (tapioca), rice; cattle, sheep, goats

Budget

expenditures

$400 million, including capital expenditures of $125 million (1993 est.)

revenues

$188 million

Currency

1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes

Economic aid

recipient

ODA, $NA

Economic overview

Niger is one of the world's poorest countries, with recent GDP growth barely matching 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.

Electricity

capacity

60,000 kW

consumption per capita

42 kWh (1992)

production

200 million kWh

Exchange rates

CFA francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 500.56 (January 1996), 499.15 (1995), 555.20 (1994), 283.16 (1993), 264.69 (1992), 282.11 (1991)

note

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

$232 million (f.o.b., 1994 est.)

commodities

uranium ore 67%, livestock products 20%, cowpeas, onions

partners

France 77%, Nigeria 8%, Cote d'Ivoire, Italy

External debt

$1.41 billion (1995 est.)

Fiscal year

1 October - 30 September

GDP

purchasing power parity - $5.5 billion (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture

38.5%

industry

17.9%

services

43.6% (1993)

GDP per capita

$600 (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate

6.7% (1995 est.)

Imports

$234 million (c.i.f., 1994 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

NA%

Industries

cement, brick, textiles, food processing, chemicals, slaughterhouses, and a few other small light industries; uranium mining

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

35.6% (1994 est.)

Labor force

2.5 million wage earners (1982)

by occupation

agriculture 90%, industry and commerce 6%, government 4%

Unemployment rate

NA%

Branches

Army, Air Force, National Gendarmerie, Republican Guard, National Police

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $32 million, 1.3% of GDP (FY92/93)

Manpower availability

males age 15-49

1,920,244

males fit for military service

1,035,218

males reach military age (18) annually

92,132 (1996 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 15, FM 5, shortwave 0

Radios

500,000 (1992 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)

Telephones

14,000 (1991 est.)

Television broadcast stations

18

Televisions

38,000 (1992 est.) Defense

Airports

total

23

with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m

6

with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m

2

with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m

1

with paved runways under 914 m

2

with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m

1

with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m

11 (1995 est.)

Highways

paved

3,265 km

total

11,258 km

unpaved

7,993 km (1990 est.)

Ports

none

Railways

0 km

Waterways

Niger river is navigable 300 km from Niamey to Gaya on the Benin frontier from mid-December through March