Niger

republicIndependence 3 August 1960 (from France)

Niger as the 1994 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 114 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
LocationWestern Africa, between Algeria and Nigeria
1994

Every edition of Niger

Populationas each edition published it
8.97 million July 1994 est. · 7.97m in 1990
Population growth% a year
3.36% 1994 est. · 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
7.35 children per woman 1994 est. · 7.4 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
111 deaths per 1,000 live births 1994 est. · 131 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$650 1993 est. · $290 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
1.9% 1991 est. · 1.9% in 1993

Geography

Western Africa, between Algeria and Nigeria

22 fields
Coastline
0km
(landlocked)Maritime claims: none; landlocked
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
Irrigated land
320sq km
(1989 est.)

Location

Western Africa, between Algeria and Nigeria

Map references

Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World

total area

1.267 million sq km

land area

1,266,700 sq km

comparative area

slightly less than twice the size of Texas

International disputes

  • Libya claims about 19,400 sq km 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

arable land

3%

permanent crops

0%

meadows and pastures

7%

forest and woodland

2%

other

88%

current issues

  • overgrazing;
  • soil erosion;
  • deforestation;
  • desertification;
  • wildlife populations (such as elephant, hippopotamus, and lion) threatened because of poaching and habitat destruction

natural hazards

recurrent droughts

international agreements

  • party to - Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands;
  • signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea

Note

landlocked

People

22 fields
Population
8,971,605
(July 1994 est.)growth rate: 3.36% (1994 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1994 est.)

Birth
54.95Death
21.32Net migration
0
Labor force
2.5million wage earners
(1982)
Literacy
15and over can read and write
age · (1990 est.)

Infant mortality rate

111 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

total population

44.61 years

male

43.01 years

female

46.26 years (1994 est.)

Total fertility rate

7.35 children born/woman (1994 est.)

noun

Nigerien(s)

adjective

Nigerien

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

Religions

Muslim 80%, remainder indigenous beliefs and Christians

Languages

French (official), Hausa, Djerma

total population

28%

male

40%

female

17%

by occupation

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

note

51% of population of working age (1985)

Government

Republic

30 fields

Legislature, 83 seatsone dot, one seat

MNSD 29CDS 22PNDS 13ANDP-Z 11UPDP 2PPN/RDA 2UDFP 2PSDN 1UDPS 1

conventional long form

Republic of Niger

conventional short form

Niger

local long form

Republique du Niger

local short form

Niger

Type

republic

Capital

Niamey

Administrative divisions

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

Independence

3 August 1960 (from France)

National holiday

Republic Day, 18 December (1958)

Constitution

approved by national referendum 16 December 1992; promulgated January 1993

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

chief of state

President Mahamane OUSMANE (since 16 April 1993)

head of government

Prime Minister Mahamadou ISSOUFOU (since 17 April 1993)

cabinet

Cabinet; appointed by the president on recommendation of the prime minister

National Assembly

  • elected by proportional representation for 5 year terms;
  • elections last held 14 February 1993 (next election NA 1998);
  • seats - (83 total) MNSD 29, CDS 22, PNDS 13, ANDP-Z 11, UPDP 2, PPN/RDA 2, UDFP 2, PSDN 1, UDPS 1

Judicial branch

State Court (Cour d'Etat), Court of Appeal (Cour d'Apel)

Political parties and leaders

  • National Movement of the Development Society (MNSD-NASSARA), Kada LABO, General Secretary;
  • Democratic and Social Convention - Rahama (CDS- Rahama), Mahamane OUSMANE;
  • Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism (PNDS), Mahamadou ISSOUFOU;
  • Nigerien Alliance for Democracy and Progress - Zamanlahia (ANDP-Z), Moumouni Adamou DJERMAKOYE;
  • Union of Patriots, Democrats, and Progressives (UPDP), Andre SALIFOU;
  • Niger Progressive Party - African Democratic Rally (PPN-RDA), Harou KOUKA;
  • Niger Social Democrat Party (PADN), Malam Adji WAZIRI;
  • Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS), Akoli DAOUEL

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

chief of mission

Ambassador Adamou SEYDOU

chancery

2204 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone

(202) 483-4224 through 4227

chief of mission

Ambassador John DAVISON

embassy

Rue Des Ambassades, Niamey

mailing address

B. P. 11201, Niamey

telephone

[227] 72-26-61 through 64

FAX

[227] 73-31-67

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

Niger's economy is centered on subsistence agriculture, animal | husbandry, and re-export trade, and increasingly less on uranium, its | major export throughout the 1970s and 1980s.

26 fields
GDP per capita, PPP
$650
(1993 est.)
Real growth rate
1.9%
(1991 est.)industrial production growth: growth rate -2.7% (1991 est.); accounts for 13% of GDP
External debt
$1.2billion
(December 1991 est.)

Overview

Niger's economy is centered on subsistence agriculture, animal husbandry, and re-export trade, and increasingly less on uranium, its major export throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Uranium revenues dropped by almost 50% between 1983 and 1990. Terms of trade with Nigeria, Niger's largest regional trade partner, have improved dramatically since the 50% devaluation of the African franc in January 1994;

this devaluation boosted exports of livestock, peas, onions, and the products of Niger's small cotton industry. The government relies on bilateral and multilateral aid for operating expenses and public investment, and is strongly induced to adhere to structural adjustment programs designed by the IMF and the World Bank.

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $5.4 billion (1993 est.)

revenues

$193 million

expenditures

$355 million, including capital expenditures of $106 million (1991 est.)

Exports

$294 million (f.o.b., 1991)

commodities

uranium ore 60%, livestock products 20%, cowpeas, onions

partners

France 77%, Nigeria 8%, Cote d'Ivoire, Italy

Imports

$346 million (c.i.f., 1991)

commodities

primary materials, machinery, vehicles and parts, electronic equipment, cereals, petroleum products, pharmaceuticals, chemical products, foodstuffs

partners

Germany 26%, Cote d'Ivoire 11%, France 5%, Italy 4%, Nigeria 2%

capacity

105,000 kW

production

230 million kWh

consumption per capita

30 kWh (1991)

Industries

cement, brick, textiles, food processing, chemicals, slaughterhouses, and a few other small light industries; uranium mining 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

recipient

  • US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $380 million;
  • Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $3.165 billion;
  • OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $504 million;
  • Communist countries (1970-89), $61 million

Currency

1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes

Exchange rates

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 592.05 (January 1994), 283.16 (1993), 264.69 (1992), 282.11 (1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989)

note

the official rate is pegged to the French franc, and beginning 12 January 1994, the CFA franc was devalued to CFAF 100 per French franc from CFAF 50 at which it had been fixed since 1948

Fiscal year

1 October - 30 September

Communications

11 fields

total

39,970 km

paved

bituminous 3,170 km

unpaved

  • gravel, laterite 10,330 km;
  • earth 3,470 km;
  • tracks 23,000 km

Inland waterways

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

total

30

usable

28

with permanent-surface runways

9

with runways over 3,659 m

0

with runways 2,440-3,659 m

2

with runways 1,220-2,439 m

14

Telecommunications

  • small system of wire, radiocommunications, and radio relay links concentrated in southwestern area;
  • 14,260 telephones;
  • broadcast stations - 15 AM, 5 FM, 18 TV;
  • satellite earth stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, and 3 domestic, with 1 planned

Defense Forces

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

3 fields

Branches

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

Manpower availability

  • males age 15-49 1,845,374;
  • fit for military service 994,683;
  • reach military age (18) annually 91,595 (1994 est.)

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $27 million, 1.3% of GDP (1989)

Central Intelligence Agency. “Niger.” The World Factbook 1994. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/niger/1994.

How to cite ← 1993 edition 1995 edition →