Niger

Internet country code

.ne

Internet hosts

253 (2009) country comparison to the world: 182

Internet users

80,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 160

Radio broadcast stations

AM 5, FM 6, shortwave 4 (2001)

Telephone system

general assessment: inadequate; small system of wire, radio telephone communications, and microwave radio relay links concentrated in the southwestern area of Niger domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity only 13 per 100 persons with cellular subscribership increasing rapidly from a small base; 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) (2008)

Telephones - main lines in use

24,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 186

Telephones - mobile cellular

1.677 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 129

Television broadcast stations

5 (2007)

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

revenues: $320 million (includes $134 million from foreign sources) expenditures: $320 million (2002 est.)

Central bank discount rate

4.75% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 121 4.25% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

NA%

Current account balance

-$321 million (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 98 -$321 million (2007 est.)

Debt - external

$2.1 billion (2003 est.) country comparison to the world: 134

Distribution of family income - Gini index

50.5 (1995) country comparison to the world: 21

Economy - overview

Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world, ranking near 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, and strong population growth 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, Niger received 100% multilateral debt relief from the IMF, which translates into the forgiveness of approximately US $86 million 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 increased sharply in the last few years. A drought and locust infestation in 2005 led to food shortages for as many as 2.5 million Nigeriens.

Electricity - consumption

589.5 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 158

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity - imports

450 million kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production

150 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 181

Exchange rates

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 447.81 (2008 est.), 493.51 (2007), 522.59 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004) note: since 1 January 1999, the West African CFA franc (XOF) has been pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 CFA francs per euro; West African CFA franc (XOF) coins and banknotes are not accepted in countries using Central African CFA francs (XAF), and vice versa, even though the two currencies trade at par

Exports

$428 million (2006) country comparison to the world: 167 $428 million (2006)

Exports - commodities

uranium ore, livestock, cowpeas, onions

Exports - partners

Japan 80.4%, Nigeria 8.5%, France 2.9% (2008)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$5.382 billion (2008 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$10.29 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 148 $9.398 billion (2007 est.) $9.097 billion (2006 est.) note: data are in 2008 US dollars

GDP - composition by sector

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

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$700 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 222 $700 (2007 est.) $700 (2006 est.) note: data are in 2008 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

9.5% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 15 3.3% (2007 est.) 5.8% (2006 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 2.3% highest 10%: 35.7% (2005)

Imports

$800 million (2006) country comparison to the world: 176

Imports - commodities

foodstuffs, machinery, vehicles and parts, petroleum, cereals

Imports - partners

France 16.6%, China 10.9%, Algeria 9.6%, Nigeria 7.4%, French Polynesia 6.5%, Belgium 4.2%, Cote d'Ivoire 4.2% (2008)

Industrial production growth rate

5.1% (2003 est.) country comparison to the world: 45

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

0.1% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 3

Labor force

4.688 million (2007) country comparison to the world: 78

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 90% industry: 6% services: 4% (1995)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$NA

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 147

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 144

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 149

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 147

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 154

Oil - consumption

6,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 161

Oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 150

Oil - imports

5,367 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 155

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 156

Oil - proved reserves

0 bbl country comparison to the world: 151

Population below poverty line

63% (1993 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$NA (31 December 2008) $318.9 million (31 December 2007)

Stock of money

$NA (31 December 2008) $604.5 million (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money

$NA (31 December 2008) $193.7 million (31 December 2007)

Unemployment rate

NA%

Area

total: 1.267 million sq km country comparison to the world: 22 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

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

total: 2.18 cu km/yr (4%/0%/95%) per capita: 156 cu m/yr (2000)

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

Total renewable water resources

33.7 cu km (2003)

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

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] 20-72-26-61 thru 64 FAX: [227] 20-73-31-67

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Aminata Djibrilla Maiga 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) head of government: Prime Minister Ali Badjo GAMATIE (since 2 October 2009); 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 of election last held 4 December 2004 (next to be held December 2009) 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

ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, 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; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 20 October 2009 (next to be held in 2014) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - MNSD 76, RSD 15, RDP 7, PNA-Alouma 1, Alkalami 1, Nigerien Party of the Masses for Labor 1, independents 12

National holiday

Republic Day, 18 December (1958)

Political parties and leaders

Alkalama; 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 [Sanousi JACKOU]; Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism or PNDS-Tarrayya [Issifou MAHAMADOU]; Nigerien Party of the Masses for Labor; Nigerien Progressive Party or PPN-RDA; 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

The Nigerien Movement for Justice or MNJ, a predominantly Tuareg rebel group

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. A predominately Tuareg ethnic group emerged in February 2007, the Nigerien Movement for Justice (MNJ), and attacked several military targets in Niger's northern region throughout 2007 and 2008. Events have since evolved into a fledging insurgency.

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 2,871,868 females age 16-49: 2,696,966 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 2,019,553 females age 16-49: 2,046,906 (2009 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

male: 170,060 female: 163,996 (2009 est.)

Military branches

Nigerien Armed Forces (Forces Armees Nigeriennes, FAN): Army, Niger Air Force (Force Aerienne du Niger) (2009)

Military expenditures

1.3% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 122

Military service age and obligation

17-21 years of age for selective compulsory or voluntary military service; enlistees must be Nigerien citizens and unmarried; 2-year service term; women may serve in health care (2009)

Age structure

0-14 years: 49.6% (male 3,840,379/female 3,758,674) 15-64 years: 48% (male 3,658,361/female 3,690,373) 65 years and over: 2.3% (male 159,984/female 198,481) (2009 est.)

Birth rate

51.6 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 1

Death rate

14.83 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 21

Education expenditures

3.4% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 134

Ethnic groups

Haoussa 55.4%, Djerma Sonrai 21%, Tuareg 9.3%, Peuhl 8.5%, Kanouri Manga 4.7%, other 1.2% (2001 census)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.8% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 58

HIV/AIDS - deaths

4,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 50

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

60,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 60

Infant mortality rate

total: 116.66 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 5 male: 121.72 deaths/1,000 live births female: 111.45 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)

Languages

French (official), Hausa, Djerma

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 52.6 years country comparison to the world: 201 male: 51.39 years female: 53.85 years (2009 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 28.7% male: 42.9% female: 15.1% (2005 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 water contact disease: schistosomiasis animal contact disease: rabies respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2009)

Median age

total: 15.2 years male: 14.9 years female: 15.4 years (2009 est.)

Nationality

noun: Nigerien(s) adjective: Nigerien

Net migration rate

-0.57 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 114

Population

15,306,252 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 63

Population growth rate

3.677% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 2

Religions

Muslim 80%, other (includes indigenous beliefs and Christian) 20%

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 4 years male: 5 years female: 3 years (2006)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

Total fertility rate

7.75 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 1

Urbanization

urban population: 16% of total population (2008) rate of urbanization: 4% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

Disputes - international

Libya claims about 25,000 sq km in a currently dormant dispute in the Tommo region; 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

Trafficking in persons

current situation: Niger is a source, transit, and destination country for children and women trafficked for forced labor and sexual exploitation; caste-based slavery practices, rooted in ancestral master-slave relationships, continue in isolated areas of the country - an estimated 8,800 to 43,000 Nigeriens live under conditions of traditional slavery; children are trafficked within Niger for forced begging, forced labor in gold mines, domestic servitude, sexual exploitation, and possibly for forced labor in agriculture and stone quarries; women and children from neighboring states are trafficked to and through Niger for domestic servitude, sexual exploitation, forced labor in mines and on farms, and as mechanics and welders tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Niger is on the Tier 2 Watch List for its failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts to eliminate trafficking in 2007; in particular, measures to combat and eliminate traditional slavery practices were weak; the government's overall law enforcement efforts have stalled from 2006; while efforts to protect child trafficking victims were steady, the government failed to provide services to or rescue adult victims subjected to traditional slavery practices, and made poor efforts to educate the public about traditional slavery practices in general (2008)

Airports

28 (2009) country comparison to the world: 119

Airports - with paved runways

total: 10 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2009)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 18 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 14 under 914 m: 2 (2009)

Roadways

total: 18,550 km country comparison to the world: 115 paved: 3,803 km unpaved: 14,747 km (2006)

Waterways

300 km (the Niger, the only major river, is navigable to Gaya between September and March) (2008) country comparison to the world: 94