Niger

Internet country code

.ne

Internet hosts

189 (2006)

Internet users

24,000 (2005)

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

24,000 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular

299,900 (2005)

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 (code)

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

Debt - external

$2.1 billion (2003 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

50.5 (1995)

Economic aid - recipient

$453.3 million (2003)

Economy - overview

Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world, ranking last on the United Nations Development Fund index of human development. It is a landlocked, Sub-Saharan nation, whose economy centers on subsistence crops, livestock, and some of the world's largest uranium deposits. Drought cycles, desertification, a 2.9% population growth rate, and the drop in world demand for uranium have undercut the economy. Niger shares a common currency, the CFA franc, and a common central bank, the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO), with seven other members of the West African Monetary Union. In December 2000, Niger qualified for enhanced debt relief under the International Monetary Fund program for Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) and concluded an agreement with the Fund on a Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF). Debt relief provided under the enhanced HIPC initiative significantly reduces Niger's annual debt service obligations, freeing funds for expenditures on basic health care, primary education, HIV/AIDS prevention, rural infrastructure, and other programs geared at poverty reduction. In December 2005, it was announced that Niger had received 100% multilateral debt relief from the IMF, which translates into the forgiveness of approximately $86 million USD in debts to the IMF, excluding the remaining assistance under HIPC. Nearly half of the government's budget is derived from foreign donor resources. Future growth may be sustained by exploitation of oil, gold, coal, and other mineral resources. Uranium prices have recovered somewhat in the last few years. A drought and locust infestation in 2005 led to food shortages for as many as 2.5 million Nigerians.

Electricity - consumption

263.9 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports

50 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - production

230 million kWh (2003)

Exchange rates

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001)

Exports

$222 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities

uranium ore, livestock, cowpeas, onions

Exports - partners

France 47.8%, Nigeria 21.4%, US 20.3% (2005)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP (official exchange rate)

$3.432 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$11.59 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

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

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$1,000 (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

7% (2005 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

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

Imports

$588 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities

foodstuffs, machinery, vehicles and parts, petroleum, cereals

Imports - partners

France 14.5%, US 10.7%, French Polynesia 7.5%, Nigeria 7.4%, Italy 6.7%, Cote d'Ivoire 5.1%, Belgium 4.6%, Germany 4.5%, China 4.5% (2005)

Industrial production growth rate

5.1% (2003 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

0.2% (2004 est.)

Labor force

70,000 salaried workers, 60% of whom are employed in the public sector (2002 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 90% industry: 6% services: 4%

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption

5,400 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports

NA bbl/day

Oil - imports

NA bbl/day

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Population below poverty line

63% (1993 est.)

Unemployment rate

NA%

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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: 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

730 sq km (2003)

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: 11.43% permanent crops: 0.01% other: 88.56% (2005)

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, molybdenum, gypsum, salt, petroleum

Terrain

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

Administrative divisions

8 regions (regions, singular - region) includes 1 capital district* (communite urbaine); Agadez, Diffa, Dosso, Maradi, Niamey*, Tahoua, Tillaberi, Zinder

Capital

name: Niamey geographic coordinates: 13 31 N, 2 07 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Constitution

new constitution 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 Bernadette M. ALLEN embassy: Rue Des Ambassades, Niamey mailing address: B. P. 11201, Niamey telephone: [227] 73 31 69 FAX: [227] 73 55 60

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Aminata Maiga Djibrilla TOURE 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 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 cabinet: 26-member Cabinet appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); second round last held 4 December 2004 (next to be held December 2009); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Mamadou TANDJA reelected president; percent of vote - Mamadou TANDJA 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, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OIF, 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 Appeals 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 25, RSD 7, RDP 6, ANDP 5, PSDN 1

National holiday

Republic Day, 18 December (1958)

Political parties and leaders

Democratic and Social Convention-Rahama or CDS-Rahama [Mahamane OUSMANE]; National Movement for a Developing Society-Nassara or MNSD-Nassara [Hama AMADOU]; Niger Social Democratic Party or PSDN; Nigerien Alliance for Democracy and Social Progress-Zaman Lahiya or ANDP-Zaman Lahiya [Moumouni DJERMAKOYE]; Nigerien Party for Autonomy or PNA-Alouma'a [Sanousi JACKOU]; Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism or PNDS-Tarrayya [Issifou MAHAMADOU]; Nigerien Progressive Party or PPN-RDA [Abdoulaye DIORI]; Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP-jama'a [Hamid ALGABID]; Social and Democratic Rally or RSD-Gaskiyya [Cheiffou AMADOU]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Coalition Against a High Cost of Living [Nouhou ARZIKA]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

Niger became independent from France in 1960 and experienced single-party and military rule until 1991, when Gen. Ali SAIBOU was forced by public pressure to allow multiparty elections, which resulted in a democratic government in 1993. Political infighting brought the government to a standstill and in 1996 led to a coup by Col. Ibrahim BARE. In 1999 BARE was killed in a coup by military officers who promptly restored democratic rule and held elections that brought Mamadou TANDJA to power in December of that year. TANDJA was reelected in 2004. 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.

Manpower available for military service

males age 18-49: 2,367,828 females age 18-49: 2,217,568 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 18-49: 1,349,863 females age 18-49: 1,256,569 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually

males age 18-49: 129,045 females age 18-49: 121,230 (2005 est.)

Military branches

Nigerien Armed Forces (Forces Armees Nigeriennes, FAN): Army, National Air Force (2005)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

1.4% (2005 est.)

Military service age and obligation

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

Age structure

0-14 years: 46.9% (male 2,994,022/female 2,882,273) 15-64 years: 50.7% (male 3,262,114/female 3,083,522) 65 years and over: 2.4% (male 150,982/female 152,181) (2006 est.)

Birth rate

50.73 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate

20.91 deaths/1,000 population (2006 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: 118.25 deaths/1,000 live births male: 122.29 deaths/1,000 live births female: 114.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Languages

French (official), Hausa, Djerma

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 43.76 years male: 43.8 years female: 43.73 years (2006 est.)

Literacy

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

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne disease: malaria is a high risk in some locations respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2005)

Median age

total: 16.5 years male: 16.5 years female: 16.4 years (2006 est.)

Nationality

noun: Nigerien(s) adjective: Nigerien

Net migration rate

-0.61 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Population

12,525,094 (July 2006 est.)

Population growth rate

2.92% (2006 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: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.99 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate

7.46 children born/woman (2006 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; only Nigeria and Cameroon have heeded the Lake Chad Commission's admonition to ratify the delimitation treaty which also includes the Chad-Niger and Niger-Nigeria boundaries

Airports

28 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 9 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 19 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 15 under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Ports and terminals

none

Roadways

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

Waterways

300 km (the Niger, the only major river, is navigable to Gaya between September and March) (2005)