2000 Edition

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.

Area

land

1,266,700 sq km

total

1.267 million 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

highest point

Mont Greboun 1,944 m

lowest point

Niger River 200 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, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea

Geographic coordinates

16 00 N, 8 00 E

Geography - note

landlocked

Irrigated land

660 sq km (1993 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%

forests and woodland

2%

other

88% (1993 est.)

permanent crops

0%

permanent pastures

7%

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

Age structure

0-14 years: 48% (male 2,461,391; female 2,373,617) 15-64 years: 50% (male 2,445,369; female 2,563,839) 65 years and over: 2% (male 121,570; female 109,725) (2000 est.)

Birth rate

51.45 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate

23.17 deaths/1,000 population (2000 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

124.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Languages

French (official), Hausa, Djerma

Life expectancy at birth

female

41.11 years (2000 est.)

male

41.43 years

total population

41.27 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

6.6% (1995 est.)

male

20.9%

total population

13.6%

Nationality

adjective

Nigerien

noun

Nigerien(s)

Net migration rate

-0.75 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Population

10,075,511 (July 2000 est.)

Population growth rate

2.75% (2000 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: 1.11 male(s)/female

total population

1 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate

7.16 children born/woman (2000 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 and again by referendum on 18 July 1999

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

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Barbro OWENS-KIRKPATRICK

embassy

Rue Des Ambassades, Niamey

mailing address

B. P. 11201, Niamey

telephone

72 26 61 through 72 26 64

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2204 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Joseph DIATTA

telephone

(202) 483-4224 through 4227

Executive branch

cabinet

24-member cabinet appointed by President TANDJA

chief of state

President Mamadou TANDJA (since 22 December 1999); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government

election results

Mamadou TANDJA elected president; percent of vote - Mamadou TANDJA 60%, Mahamadou ISSOUFOU 40%

elections

president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; last held 24 November 1999 (next to be held NA 2004)

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 held under the nine-month provisional government of Major Daouda Mallam WANKE

FAX

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, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB, WAEMU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Judicial branch

State Court or Cour d'Etat; Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel

Legal system

based on French civil law system and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch

unicameral National Assembly (83 seats, members elected by popular vote for five-year terms)

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 Lahia 4

elections

last held 24 November 1999 (next to be held NA 2004)

National holiday

Republic Day, 18 December (1958)

Political parties and leaders

Democratic Rally of the People-Jama'a or RDP-Jama'a ; Democratic and Social Convention-Rahama or CDS-Rahama ; Movement for Development and Progress-Alkwali or MDP-Alkwali ; National Movement for a Developing Society-Nassara or MNSD-Nassara [Tandja MAMADOU, chairman]; National Union of Independents for Democratic Renewal or UNIRD ; Nigerien Alliance for Democracy and Social Progress-Zaman Lahiya or ANDPS-Zaman Lahiya [Moumouni Adamou DJERMAKOYE]; Nigerien Democratic Front-Mutunci or FDN-Mutunci [Ide OUMAROU]; Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism-Tarayya or PNDS-Tarayya ; Nigerien Social Democrat Party-Alheri or PSDN-Alheri ; Party for People's Dignity-Daraja or PDP-Daraja ; Union of Democratic Patriots and Progressives-Chamoua or UPDP-Chamoua ; Union for Democracy and Social Progress-Amana or UDPS-Amana ; Union of Popular Forces for Democracy and Progress-Sawaba or UFPDP-Sawaba [Djibo BAKARY]; Workers' Movement Party-Albarka or PMT-Albarka [Omar Idi ANGO]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

cowpeas, cotton, peanuts, millet, sorghum, cassava (tapioca), rice; cattle, sheep, goats, camels, donkeys, horses, poultry

Budget

expenditures

$377 million, including capital expenditures of $105 million (1999 est.)

revenues

$377 million, including $146 million from foreign sources

Currency

1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes

Debt - external

$1.3 billion (1999 est.)

Economic aid - recipient

$222 million (1995)

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. 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. Short-term prospects depend on upcoming negotiations with the World Bank and the IMF on debt relief and extended aid.

Electricity - consumption

363 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports

196 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - production

180 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

100%

hydro

0%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (1998)

Exchange rates

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 670 (January 2000), 560.01 (January 1999), 589.95 (1998), 583.67 (1997), 511.55 (1996), 499.15 (1995)

note

since 1 January 1999, the CFAF is pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 CFA francs per euro

Exports

$269 million (f.o.b., 1997)

Exports - commodities

uranium ore 65%, livestock products, cowpeas, onions (1998 est.)

Exports - partners

US, Greece, Japan, France, Nigeria, Benin

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $9.6 billion (1999 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

40%

industry

18%

services

42% (1998)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $1,000 (1999 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

2% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 3% highest 10%: 29.3% (1992)

Imports

$295 million (c.i.f., 1997)

Imports - commodities

consumer goods, primary materials, machinery, vehicles and parts, petroleum, cereals

Imports - partners

France, Cote d'Ivoire, US, Benelux, Nigeria

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

uranium mining, cement, brick, textiles, food processing, chemicals, slaughterhouses

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

4.8% (1999)

Labor force

70,000 receive regular wages or salaries

Labor force - by occupation

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

Population below poverty line

NA%

Unemployment rate

NA%

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

1 (1999)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 5, FM 5, shortwave 4 (1998)

Radios

680,000 (1997)

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 - main lines in use

13,000 (1995)

Telephones - mobile cellular

0 (1995)

Television broadcast stations

10 (plus seven low-power repeaters) (1997)

Televisions

125,000 (1997)

Airports

27 (1999 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total

9 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 under 914 m: 1 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

18 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 15 under 914 m: 2 (1999 est.)

Highways

paved

798 km

total

10,100 km

unpaved

9,302 km (1996 est.)

Ports and harbors

none

Railways

0 km

Waterways

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

Military branches

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

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$20 million (FY96)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

1.1% (FY96)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 2,137,181 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 1,155,054 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - military age

18 years of age

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males

105,884 (2000 est.)

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

NIUE