Niger

Republic of NigerRepublique du Niger

republicIndependence 3 August 1960 (from France)

Niger as the 1995 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 78 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 million sq km

LocationWestern Africa, southeast of Algeria

Populationas each edition published it

9.28 million July 1995 est. · 7.97m in 1990

Population growth% a year

3.4% 1995 est. · 3.49% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 16.1 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

45.07 years 1995 est. · 44.15 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

7.35 children per woman 1995 est. · 7.4 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

109.3 deaths per 1,000 live births 1995 est. · 131 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$550 1994 est. · $290 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

1.4% 1993 est. · 1.9% in 1993

Geography

Western Africa, southeast of Algeria

14 fields

Land use

arable land 3%permanent crops 0%meadows and pastures 7%forest and woodland 2%other 88%irrigated 320 sq km (1989 est.)

Area

1.267million sq km

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

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

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

Environment

current issues:: overgrazing;
soil erosion;
deforestation;
desertification;
wildlife populations (such as elephant, hippopotamus, and lion) threatened because of poaching and habitat destruction
natural hazards:: recurring droughts
international agreements:: party to - Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands;
signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the Sea

People

15 fields

Population

9,280,208

(July 1995 est.)growth rate: 3.4% (1995 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1995 est.)

Birth

54.8Death

20.8Net migration

Male · female(1995 est.)

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years45.07

43.42 · 46.77

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy11%

17% · 5%

MaleFemaleLiteracy age 15 and over can read and write (1988)

Labor force

2.5million wage earners

(1982)by occupation: agriculture 90%, industry and commerce 6%, government 4%

Age structure

0-14 years:: 49% (female 2,275,338; male 2,275,999)
15-64 years:: 49% (female 2,314,857; male 2,188,938)
65 years and over:: 2% (female 107,432; male 117,644) (July 1995 est.)

Infant mortality rate

109.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Nationality

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

Government

Republic; President Mahamane OUSMANE (since 16 April 1993); Prime Minister Hama AMADOU (since 21 February 1995)

20 fields

Legislature, 83 seatsone dot, one seat

MNSD-NASSARA 29CDS 24PNDS 12ANDP-Z 9UDFP 3UDPS 2PADN 2PPN-RDA 1UPDP 1

Names

conventional long form:: Republic of Niger
conventional short form:: Niger
local long form:: Republique du Niger
local short form:: Niger

Administrative divisions

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

Constitution

approved by national referendum 16 December 1992; promulgated January 1993

Legal system

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

Executive branch

chief of state:: President Mahamane OUSMANE (since 16 April 1993); election last held 17 March 1993 (next to be held NA February 1998)
head of government:: Prime Minister Hama AMADOU (since 21 February 1995)
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 12 January 1995 (next to be held NA);
results - percent of vote by party NA;
seats - (83 total) MNSD-NASSARA 29, CDS 24, PNDS 12, ANDP-Z 9, UDFP 3, UDPS 2, PADN 2, PPN-RDA 1, UPDP 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), Mamadou TANDJA, chairman;
Democratic and Social Convention (CDS), Jacoub SANOUSSI;
Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism (PNDS), Mahamadou ISSOUFOU;
Nigerien Alliance for Democracy and Progress-Zamanlahia (ANDP-Z), Moumouni Adamou DJERMAKOYE;
Union of Popular Forces for Democracy and Progress-Sawaba (UDFP), Djibo BAKARY, chairman;
Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS), Akoli DAOUEL;
Niger Social Democrat Party (PADN), Malam Adji WAZIRI;
Niger Progressive Party-African Democratic Rally (PPN-RDA), Dori ABDOULAI, chairman;
Union of Patriots, Democrats, and Progressives (UPDP), Professor Andre SALIFOU, chairman

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

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Adamou SEYDOU
chancery:: 2204 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:: [1] (202) 483-4224 through 4227

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission:: Ambassador John S. DAVISON
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

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 is one of the world's poorest countries, with GDP | growth lagging behind the rapid growth of population.

18 fields

GDP per capita, PPP

$550

(1994 est.)

Real growth rate

1.4%

(1993 est.)industrial production growth: growth rate -2.7% (1992 est.); accounts for 15% of GDP

External debt

$1.2billion

(December 1991 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$188 millionExpenditures

$400 million (1993 est.)

expenditures including capital expenditures of $125 million

Installed generating capacity, 60,000 kW

Electricity production

200 millionElectricity consumption per capita

42 (1992)

Overview

Niger is one of the world's poorest countries, with GDP growth lagging behind the rapid growth of population. The economy is centered on subsistence agriculture, animal husbandry, and reexport trade, and increasingly less on uranium, its major export throughout the 1970s and 1980s.

Uranium revenues dropped by almost 50% between 1983 and 1990 with the end of the uranium boom. 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 parity - $4.6 billion (1993 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

NA%

Unemployment rate

NA%

Exports

$246 million (f.o.b., 1993 est.)

commodities:: uranium ore 67%, livestock products 20%, cowpeas, onions
partners:: France 77%, Nigeria 8%, Cote d'Ivoire, Italy

Imports

$286 million (c.i.f., 1993 est.)

commodities:: consumer goods, primary materials, machinery, vehicles and parts, petroleum, cereals
partners:: France 23%, Cote d'Ivoire, Germany, Italy, Japan

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

Economic aid

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 - 529.43 (January 1995), 555.20 (1994), 283.16 (1993), 264.69 (1992), 282.11 (1991), 272.26 (1990) 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

Transportation

5 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right · 29 in all

2,438 to 3,047 m

1,524 to 2,437 m

914 to 1,523 m

under 914 m

1,524 to 2,438 m

PavedUnpaved

Networkskm

Highways

39,970Railroads

Highways: paved: bituminous 3,170 km · unpaved: gravel, laterite 10,330 km; earth 3,470 km; tracks 23,000 km

Highways

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

Ports

none

Communications

3 fields

Telephone system

14,260 telephones; small system of wire, radiocommunications, and radio relay links concentrated in southwestern area

local:: NA
intercity:: wire, radiocommunications, and radio relay; 3 domestic satellite links, with 1 planned
international:: 2 INTELSAT (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) earth stations