Niger

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

Agriculture

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

Budget

revenues: $188 million expenditures: $400 million, including capital expenditures of $125 million (1993 est.)

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 production: 200 million kWh consumption per capita: 42 kWh (1992)

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%

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

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

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% 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

Terrain

predominately desert plains and sand dunes; flat to rolling plains in south; hills in north lowest point: Niger River 200 m highest point: Mont Greboun 1,944 m

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

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 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 cabinet: National Salvation Council was 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

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

total population: 40.66 years male: 41.05 years female: 40.25 years (1996 est.)

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.) total population: 13.6% male: 20.9% female: 6.6%

Nationality

noun: Nigerien(s) adjective: Nigerien

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

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 all ages: 1 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate

7.44 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Airports

total: 23 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: 2 with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 1 with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 11 (1995 est.)

Highways

total: 11,258 km paved: 3,265 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