1998 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1998 (Internet Archive)
Geography
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
Climate
desert; mostly hot, dry, dusty; tropical in extreme south
Coastline
0 km (landlocked)
Elevation extremes
lowest point: Niger River 200 m highest point: Mont Greboun 1,944 m
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, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Geographic coordinates
16 00 N, 8 00 E
Geography-note
landlocked
Irrigated land
660 sq km (1993 est.)
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
Land use
arable land: 3% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 7% forests and woodland: 2% other: 88% (1993 est.)
Location
Western Africa, southeast of Algeria
Map references
Africa
Maritime claims
none (landlocked)
Natural hazards
recurring droughts
Natural resources
uranium, coal, iron ore, tin, phosphates, gold, petroleum
Terrain
predominately desert plains and sand dunes; flat to rolling plains in south; hills in north
People and Society
Age structure
0-14 years: 48% (male 2,374,482; female 2,277,176) 15-64 years: 50% (male 2,345,773; female 2,447,951) 65 years and over: 2% (male 119,644; female 106,822) (July 1998 est.)
Birth rate
53.01 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate
23.38 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
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
Infant mortality rate
114.39 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Languages
French (official), Hausa, Djerma
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 41.52 years male: 41.83 years female: 41.21 years (1998 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 13.6% male: 20.9% female: 6.6% (1995 est.)
Nationality
noun: Nigerien(s) adjective: Nigerien
Net migration rate
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Population
9,671,848 (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate
2.96% (1998 est.)
Religions
Muslim 80%, remainder indigenous beliefs and Christians
Sex ratio
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 (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate
7.3 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Government
Administrative divisions
7 departments (departements, singular-departement), and 1 capital district* (capitale district); Agadez, Diffa, Dosso, Maradi, Niamey*, Tahoua, Tillaberi, Zinder
Constitution
the constitution of January 1993 was revised by national referendum on 12 May 1996
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
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); Prime Minister Ibrahim MAYAKI (since 27 November 1997) was appointed by the president; note - the president is both chief of state and head of government cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by President BARE elections: the president is elected by popular vote for a five-year term; last election 7-8 July 1996 (next election 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 total vote-Ibrahim BARE Mainassara 52.22%, Mahamane OUSMANE 19.75%, Tandja MAMADOU 15.65%, Mahamadou ISSOUFOU 7.60%, Moumouni AMADOU Djermakoye 4.77%
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
Government type
republic
Independence
3 August 1960 (from France)
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, 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
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 [leader NA]; Niger Progressive Party-African Democratic Rally or PPN-RDA [Dori ABDOULAI]; 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; Union for Democracy and Social Progress-Amana or UDPS-Amana [Akoli DAOUEL]; 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 [Djibo BAKARY, chairman]
Legal system
based on French civil law system and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch
two chamber National Assembly; one chamber with 83 seats directly elected by proportional representation 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
National capital
Niamey
National holiday
Republic Day, 18 December (1958)
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Economy
Agriculture-products
cowpeas, cotton, peanuts, millet, sorghum, cassava (tapioca), rice; cattle, sheep, goats, camels, donkeys, horses, poultry
Budget
revenues: $370 million (including $160 million from foreign sources) expenditures: $370 million, including capital expenditures of $186 million (1998 est.)
Currency
1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
Debt-external
$1.3 billion (1996 est.)
Economic aid
recipient: ODA; bilateral donors: France, Germany, EU, Japan
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. Terms of trade with Nigeria, Niger's largest regional trade partner, have improved dramatically since the 50% devaluation of the West African franc in January 1994; this devaluation 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. The US terminated bilateral assistance to Niger after the coup of 1996. Other donors have reduced their aid.
Electricity-capacity
63,000 kW (1995)
Electricity-consumption per capita
40 kWh (1995)
Electricity-production
170 million kWh (1995) note: imports about 200 million kWh of electricity from Nigeria
Exchange rates
CFA francs (CFAF) per US$1-608.36 (January 1998), 583.67 (1997), 511.55 (1996), 499.15 (1995), 555.20 (1994), 283.16 (1993) 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
total value: $188 million (f.o.b., 1996) commodities: uranium ore 67%, livestock products 20%, cowpeas, onions partners: France 41%, Nigeria 22%, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Japan 18%
Fiscal year
calendar year Communications
GDP
purchasing power parity-$6.3 billion (1997 est.)
GDP-composition by sector
agriculture: 41% industry: 18% services: 41% (1996)
GDP-per capita
purchasing power parity-$670 (1997 est.)
GDP-real growth rate
4.5% (1997 est.)
Imports
total value: $374 million (c.i.f., 1996) commodities: consumer goods, primary materials, machinery, vehicles and parts, petroleum, cereals partners: France 24%, Nigeria 19%, Cote d'Ivoire, China, Belgium-Luxembourg
Industrial production growth rate
0.5% (1994 est.)
Industries
cement, brick, textiles, food processing, chemicals, slaughterhouses, and a few other small light industries; uranium mining
Inflation rate-consumer price index
5.3% (1996)
Labor force
total: 70,000 receive regular wages or salaries by occupation: agriculture 90%, industry and commerce 6%, government 4%
Radio broadcast stations
AM 15, FM 6, 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 stations in a single network (1995)
Televisions
38,000 (1992 est.)
Unemployment rate
NA%
Transportation
Airports
27 (1997 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 (1997 est.) Airports-with unpaved runways: total: 18 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 14 under 914 m: 3 (1997 est.)
Highways
total: 10,100 km paved: 798 km unpaved: 9,302 km (1996 est.)
Railways
0 km
Waterways
Niger river is navigable 300 km from Niamey to Gaya on the Benin frontier from mid-December through March Ports and harbors: none
Military and Security
Military branches
Army, Air Force, National Gendarmerie, Republican Guard, National Police
Military expenditures-dollar figure
$23 million (FY97/98)
Military expenditures-percent of GDP
1.3% (FY92/93)
Military manpower-availability
males age 15-49: 2,049,296 (1998 est.) Military manpower-fit for military service: males: 1,105,821 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-military age
18 years of age
Military manpower-reaching military age annually
males: 98,946 (1998 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes-international
Libya claims about 19,400 sq km in northern Niger; demarcation 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