Niger

Internet country code

.ne

Internet hosts

134 (2003)

Internet users

15,000 (2002)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 5, FM 6, shortwave 4 (2001)

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: country code - 227; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean)

Telephones - main lines in use

22,400 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular

24,000 (2003)

Television broadcast stations

3 (plus seven low-power repeaters) (2002)

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

revenues: $320 million - including $134 million from foreign sources expenditures: $320 million, including capital expenditures of $178 million (2002 est.)

Currency

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

Currency code

XOF

Debt - external

$1.6 billion (1999 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

50.5 (1995)

Economic aid - recipient

$341 million (1997)

Economy - overview

Niger is a poor, landlocked Sub-Saharan nation, whose economy centers on subsistence agriculture, animal husbandry, and 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 2000-01, the World Bank approved a structural adjustment loan of $105 million to help support fiscal reforms. However, reforms could prove difficult given the government's bleak financial situation. 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. Further disbursements of aid occurred in 2002. Future growth may be sustained by exploitation of oil, gold, coal, and other mineral resources.

Electricity - consumption

325.1 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports

100 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - production

242 million kWh (2001)

Exchange rates

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 581.2 (2003), 696.988 (2002), 733.039 (2001), 711.976 (2000), 615.699 (1999)

Exports

$280 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities

uranium ore, livestock, cowpeas, onions

Exports - partners

France 42.2%, Nigeria 28.9%, Japan 17.2%, Spain 4.4% (2003)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $9.062 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 39% industry: 17% services: 44% (2001)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $800 (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

3.8% (2003 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 0.8% highest 10%: 35.4% (1995)

Imports

$400 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities

foodstuffs, machinery, vehicles and parts, petroleum, cereals

Imports - partners

France 16.4%, Cote d'Ivoire 13.8%, China 10.5%, Nigeria 7.7%, US 5.5%, Japan 4.9% (2003)

Industrial production growth rate

NA (2001 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3% (2002 est.)

Labor force

70,000 receive regular wages or salaries (2002 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

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

Oil - consumption

5,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA (2001)

Oil - imports

NA (2001)

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line

63% (1993 est.)

Unemployment rate

NA (2002 est.)

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 Bagzane 2,022 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, 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; one of the hottest countries in the world: northern four-fifths is desert, southern one-fifth is savanna, suitable for livestock and limited agriculture

Irrigated land

660 sq km (1998 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: 3.54% permanent crops: 0.01% other: 96.45% (2001)

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

Administrative divisions

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

Capital

Niamey

Constitution

a new constitution was adopted 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

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Gail Dennise Thomas MATHIEU 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, 72-31-46

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 FAX: [1] (202)483-3169

Executive branch

chief of state: President TANDJA Mamadou (since 22 December 1999); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government head of government: President TANDJA Mamadou (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 cabinet: 23-member Cabinet appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; second round last held 4 December 2004 (next to be held December 2009); prime minister appointed by the president election results: TANDJA Mamadou reelected president; percent of vote - TANDJA Mamadou 65.5%, Mahamadou ISSOUFOU 34.5%

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, AU, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (subscriber), ITU, MONUC, NAM, OIC, ONUB, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNOCI, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

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 (113 seats; note - expanded from 83 seats; members elected by popular vote for five-year terms) elections: last held 4 December 2004 (next to be held December 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - MNSD 47, CDS 22, PNDS 17, Social Democratic Rally 7 RDP 6i ANDP 5, Party for Socialism and Democarcy in Niger 1, other 8

National holiday

Republic Day, 18 December (1958)

Political parties and leaders

Alliance for Democracy and Progress or ANDP [leader NA]; 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]; Party for Socialism and Democracy in Niger [leader NA]; Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP [leader NA]; Union of Democratic Patriots and Progressives-Chamoua or UPDP-Chamoua [Professor Andre' SALIFOU, chairman]

Political pressure groups and leaders

NA

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

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 by December 1999. Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world with minimal government services and insufficient funds to develop its resource base. The largely agrarian and subsistence-based economy is frequently disrupted by extended droughts common to the Sahel region of Africa.

Military branches

Army, Air Force, National Intervention and Security Force

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$21.7 million (2003)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

1.1% (2003)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 2,460,637 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 1,333,027 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - military age and obligation

18 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 2 years (2004)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males: 122,363 (2004 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 47.5% (male 2,749,039; female 2,643,479) 15-64 years: 50.4% (male 2,799,125; female 2,925,133) 65 years and over: 2.1% (male 128,101; female 115,661) (2004 est.)

Birth rate

48.91 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate

21.51 deaths/1,000 population (2004 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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

1.2% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

4,800 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

70,000 (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 122.66 deaths/1,000 live births male: 126.96 deaths/1,000 live births female: 118.24 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)

Languages

French (official), Hausa, Djerma

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 42.18 years male: 42.38 years female: 41.97 years (2004 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 17.6% male: 25.8% female: 9.7% (2003 est.)

Median age

total: 16.2 years male: 15.7 years female: 16.7 years (2004 est.)

Nationality

noun: Nigerien(s) adjective: Nigerien

Net migration rate

-0.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Population

11,360,538 (July 2004 est.)

Population growth rate

2.67% (2004 est.)

Religions

Muslim 80%, remainder indigenous beliefs and Christian

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: 1.11 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate

6.83 children born/woman (2004 est.)

Disputes - international

Libya claims about 25,000 sq km in a currently dormant dispute; much of Benin-Niger boundary, including tripoint with Nigeria, remains undemarcated, and ICJ ad hoc judges have been selected to rule on disputed Niger and Mekrou River islands; Lake Chad Commission continues to urge signatories Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria to ratify delimitation treaty over the lake region, which remains the site of armed clashes among local populations and militias

Airports

27 (2003 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 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 18 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 14 under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.)

Highways

total: 10,100 km paved: 798 km unpaved: 9,302 km (1999 est.)

Ports and harbors

none

Waterways

300 km note: Niger River is navigable to Gaya between September and March (2004)