Niger

Republic of Niger conventional short form: Niger local long form: Republique du Niger local short form: Niger

republicIndependence 3 August 1958 (from France)

Niger as the 2001 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 113 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalNiamey

Position16 00 N, 8 00 E

Area1.267 million sq km land: 1,266,700 sq km water: 300 sq km

LocationWestern Africa, southeast of Algeria

Populationas each edition published it

10.36 million July 2001 est. · 7.97m in 1990

Population growth% a year

2.72% 2001 est. · 3.49% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 16.1 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

41.59 years 2001 est. · 44.15 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

7.08 children per woman 2001 est. · 7.4 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

123.57 deaths per 1,000 live births 2001 est. · 131 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$1,000 2000 est. · $290 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

3.5% 2000 est. · 1.9% in 1993

Introduction

1 field

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.

Geography

Western Africa, southeast of Algeria

18 fields

Area

1.267million

sq km land: 1,266,700 sq km water: 300 sq kmslightly less than twice the size of Texas

Coastline

0km

(landlocked)Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

Irrigated land

660sq km

(1993 est.)

Location

Western Africa, southeast of Algeria

Geographic coordinates

16 00 N, 8 00 E

Map references

Africa

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

Climate

desert;
mostly hot, dry, dusty;
tropical in extreme south

Terrain

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

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Niger River 200 m highest point: Mont Greboun 1,944 m

Natural resources

uranium, coal, iron ore, tin, phosphates, gold, petroleum

Land use

arable land: 3% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 7% forests and woodland: 2% other: 88% (1993 est.)

Natural hazards

recurring droughts

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

Geography - note

landlocked

People

18 fields

Population

10,355,156

(July 2001 est.)growth rate: 2.72% (2001 est.)

Per 1,000 population(2001 est.)

Birth

50.68Death

22.71Net migration

-0.73

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

1.35%

(1999 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 47.97% (male 2,528,484; female 2,439,051) 15-64 years: 49.75% (male 2,518,400; female 2,633,677) 65 years and over: 2.28% (male 123,589; female 111,955) (2001 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.1 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate

123.57 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 41.59 years male: 41.74 years female: 41.44 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate

7.08 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

64,000 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

6,500 (1999 est.)

Nationality

noun: Nigerien(s) adjective: Nigerien

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

Religions

Muslim 80%, remainder indigenous beliefs and Christians

Languages

French (official), Hausa, Djerma

Literacy

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

Government

Republic; President Mamadou TANDJA (since 22 December 1999)

19 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

59.9%

Mamadou TANDJA 59.9%Mahamadou ISSOUFOU 40.1%

National Assembly, 83 seatsone dot, one seat

MNSD-Nassara 38CDS-Rahama 17PNDS-Tarayya 16RDP-Jama'a 8ANDPS-Zaman Lahiya 4

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of Niger conventional short form: Niger local long form: Republique du Niger local short form: Niger

Government type

republic

Capital

Niamey

Administrative divisions

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

Independence

3 August 1958 (from France)

National holiday

Republic Day, 18 December (1958)

Constitution

the constitution of January 1993 was revised by national referendum on 12 May 1996 and again by referendum on 18 July 1999

Legal system

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

chief of state:: President Mamadou TANDJA (since 22 December 1999);
note - the president is both chief of state and head of government 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 were held under the nine-month provisional government of Major Daouda Mallam WANKE cabinet: 23-member cabinet appointed by President TANDJA elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
last held 24 November 1999 (next to be held NA 2004) election results: Mamadou TANDJA elected president;
percent of vote - Mamadou TANDJA 59.9%, Mahamadou ISSOUFOU 40.1%

Legislative branch

unicameral National Assembly (83 seats, members elected by popular vote for five-year terms) elections: last held 24 November 1999 (next to be held NA 2004) 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 Lahiya 4

Judicial branch

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

Political parties and leaders

Democratic Rally of the People-Jama'a or RDP-Jama'a [Hamid ALGABID];
Democratic and Social Convention-Rahama or CDS-Rahama [Mahamane OUSMANE];
National Movement for a Developing Society-Nassara or MNSD-Nassara [Mamadou TANDJA, chairman];
Nigerien Alliance for Democracy and Social Progress-Zaman Lahiya or ANDPS-Zaman Lahiya [Moumouni Adamou DJERMAKOYE];
Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism-Tarayya or PNDS-Tarayya [Mahamadou ISSOUFOU];
Union of Democratic Patriots and Progressives-Chamoua or UPDP-Chamoua [Professor Andre' SALIFOU, chairman]

Political pressure groups and leaders

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, MONUC, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, 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

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

Economy

32 fields

Real growth rate

3.5%

(2000 est.)industrial production growth: NA%

Inflation, consumer prices

2.8%

(2000 est.)

Population below poverty line

63%

(1993 est.)

Debt - external

$1.3billion

(1999 est.)

Trading partnersexports left, imports right

45%

France

22%

27%

Nigeria

Cote d'Ivoire

15%

11%

Exports $385 million (f.o.b., 1999)Imports $317 million (f.o.b., 1999)(1999)

Electricity

Electricity production

200 million (1999)Electricity consumption

401 million (1999)Electricity imports

215 million (1999)

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, because of declining world demand. 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. In 2000, the World Bank approved a structural adjustment loan of $35 million to help support fiscal reforms. However, reforms could prove difficult given the government's bleak financial situation.

GDP

purchasing power parity - $10 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $1,000 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 40% industry: 18% services: 42% (1998)

Labor force

70,000 receive regular wages or salaries

Labor force - by occupation

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

Unemployment rate

NA%

Budget

revenues: $377 million, including $146 million from foreign sources expenditures: $377 million, including capital expenditures of $105 million (1999 est.)

Industries

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

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999)

Agriculture - products

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

Exports

$385 million (f.o.b., 1999)

Exports - commodities

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

Imports

$317 million (f.o.b., 1999)

Imports - commodities

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

Economic aid - recipient

$341 million (1997) note: the IMF approved a $73 million poverty reduction and growth facility for Niger in 2000 and announced $115 million in debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative

Currency

Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States

Currency code

XOF

Exchange rates

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 699.21 (January 2001), 711.98 (2000), 615.70 (1999), 589.95 (1998), 583.67 (1997), 511.55 (1996);
note - from 1 January 1999, the XOF is pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 XOF per euro

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

10 fields

Mobile cellular

13,000

(1995)

Internet users

(2000)

Fixed lines

16,000

(1997) · country code .ne

Telephone system

general assessment:: small system of wire, radio telephone communications, and microwave radio relay links concentrated in the southwestern area of Niger 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)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 5, FM 5, shortwave 4 (1998)

Radios

680,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations

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

Televisions

125,000 (1997)

Internet users

3,000 (2000)

Transportation

7 fields

Military

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

7 fields

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

1.1%

(FY96)

Transnational Issues