Niger

republicIndependence 3 August 1960 (from France)

Niger as the 1991 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 67 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

Area1,267,000 km2

Populationas each edition published it

8.15 million July 1991 · 7.97m in 1990

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition 3.49% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 16.1 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 44.15 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

7 children per woman 1991 · 7.4 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

129 deaths per 1,000 live births 1991 · 131 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $290 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition 1.9% in 1993

Geography

12 fields

Total area

1,267,000km2

land area: 1,266,700 km2Comparative area: slightly less than twice the size of Texas

Land boundaries

5,697km total

Algeria 956 km, Benin 266 km, Burkina 628 km, Chad 1,175 km, Libya 354 km, Mali 821 km, Nigeria 1,497 km

Disputes

Libya claims about 19,400 km2 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 and Mali are proceeding with boundary demarcation, including the tripoint with Niger

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

Natural resources

uranium, coal, iron ore, tin, phosphates

Land use

arable land 3%;
permanent crops 0%;
meadows and pastures 7%;
forest and woodland 2%;
other 88%;
includes irrigated NEGL%

Environment

recurrent drought and desertification severely affecting marginal agricultural activities;
overgrazing;
soil erosion

People

14 fields

Population

8,154,145

(July 1991), growth rate 3.4% (1991)

Per 1,000 population(1991)

Birth

50Death

16Net migration

Labor force

2,500,000wage earners

(1982); agriculture 90%, industry and commerce 6%, government 4%; 51% of population of working age (1985)

Literacy

28%

(male 40%, female 17%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 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

Religion

Muslim 80%, remainder indigenous beliefs and Christians

Government

Republic

17 fields

National Assembly, 150 seats, elected 10 December 1989one dot, one seat

MNSD (indirectly elected) 150

Type

republic; presidential system in which military officers hold key offices

Administrative divisions

7 departments (departements, singular--departement); Agadez, Diffa, Dosso, Maradi, Niamey, Tahoua, Zinder

Constitution

adopted NA December 1989 after 15 years of military rule

Legal system

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

Executive branch

president, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

State Court (Cour d'Etat), Court of Appeal (Cour d'Apel) Chief of State--President Brig. Gen. Ali SAIBOU (since 14 November 1987); Head of Government--Prime Minister Aliou MAHAMIDOU (since 2 March 1990)

Political parties and leaders

National Movement for the Development Society (MNSD), leader NA; other political parties now forming

Suffrage

universal adult at age 18 President--last held December 1989 (next to be held NA 1996);
results--President Ali SAIBOU was reelected without opposition;
National Assembly--last held 10 December 1989 (next to be held NA);
results--MNSD was the only party;
seats--(150 total) MNSD 150 (indirectly elected);
note--Niger is to hold a national conference to decide upon a transitional government and an agenda for multiparty elections

Communists

no Communist party; some sympathizers in outlawed Sawaba party

Member of

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEAO, ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador Moumouni Adamou DJERMAKOYE;
Chancery at 2204 R Street NW, Washington DC 20008;
telephone (202) 483-4224 through 4227;
US--Ambassador Carl C. CUNDIFF;
Embassy at Avenue des Ambassades, Niamey (mailing address is B. P. 11201, Niamey);
telephone [227] 72-26-61 through 64

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

Economy

About 90% of the population is engaged in farming and stock rearing, activities which generate almost half the national income.

16 fields

GDP, purchasing power parity

$2.0billion

per capita $270; real growth rate - 3.3% (1989 est.)

External debt

$1.8billion

(December 1990 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$220 millionExpenditures

$446 million

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $190 million (FY89 est.)

Overview

About 90% of the population is engaged in farming and stock rearing, activities which generate almost half the national income. The economy also depends heavily on exploitation of large uranium deposits. Uranium production grew rapidly in the mid-1970s, but tapered off in the early 1980s, when world prices declined.

France is a major customer, while Germany, Japan, and Spain also make regular purchases. The depressed demand for uranium has contributed to an overall sluggishness in the economy, a severe trade imbalance, and a mounting external debt.

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

- 2.8% (1989)

Unemployment rate

NA%

Exports

$308 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities--uranium 75%, livestock products, cowpeas, onions;
partners--France 65%, Nigeria 11%, Ivory Coast, Italy

Imports

$386 million (c.i.f., 1989 est.);
commodities--petroleum products, primary materials, machinery, vehicles and parts, electronic equipment, pharmaceuticals, chemical products, cereals, foodstuffs;
partners--France 32%, Ivory Coast 11%, Germany 5%, Italy 4%, Nigeria 4%

Industrial production

growth rate 3.0% (1989 est.); accounts for 18% of GDP

Electricity

102,000 kW capacity; 225 million kWh produced, 30 kWh per capita (1989)

Industries

cement, brick, textiles, food processing, chemicals, slaughterhouses, and a few other small light industries; uranium production began in 1971

Agriculture

accounts for roughly 40% of GDP and 90% of labor force;
cash crops--cowpeas, cotton, peanuts;
food crops--millet, sorghum, cassava, rice;
livestock--cattle, sheep, goats;
self-sufficient in food except in drought years

Economic aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $380 million;
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $3.0 billion;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $504 million;
Communist countries (1970-89), $61 million

Currency

Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (plural--francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes

Exchange rates

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1--256.54 (January 1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987), 346.30 (1986), 449.26 (1985)

Fiscal year

1 October-30 September

Communications

5 fields

Airports, 31 total, 29 usable

permanent-surface runways

7runways over 3,659 m

nonerunways 2,440-3,659 m

1runways 1,220-2,439 m

Highways

39,970 km total; 3,170 km bituminous, 10,330 km gravel and laterite, 3,470 km earthen, 23,000 km tracks

Inland waterways

Niger river is navigable 300 km from Niamey to Gaya on the Benin frontier from mid-December through March

Civil air

no major transport aircraft

Telecommunications

small system of wire, radiocommunications, and radio relay links concentrated in southwestern area;
11,900 telephones;
stations--15 AM, 5 FM, 16 TV;
satellite earth stations--1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, and 4 domestic