Niger

Republic of NigerRepublique du Niger

republicIndependence 3 August 1960 (from France)

Niger as the 1996 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 84 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
Position16 00 N, 8 00 E
Area1.267 million sq km
LocationWestern Africa, southeast of Algeria
1996

Every edition of Niger

Populationas each edition published it
9.11 million July 1996 est. · 7.97m in 1990
Population growth% a year
2.99% 1996 est. · 3.49% in 1993
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 16.1 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
40.66 years 1996 est. · 44.15 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
7.44 children per woman 1996 est. · 7.4 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
117.6 deaths per 1,000 live births 1996 est. · 131 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$600 1995 est. · $290 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
6.7% 1995 est. · 1.9% in 1993

Geography

Western Africa, southeast of Algeria

15 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
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

Location

Western Africa, southeast of Algeria

Geographic coordinates

16 00 N, 8 00 E

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 Faso 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
lowest point:
Niger River 200 m
highest point:
Mont Greboun 1,944 m

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

Geographic note

landlocked

People

15 fields
Population
9,113,001
(July 1996 est.)growth rate: 2.99% (1996 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1996 est.)

Birth
54.46Death
24.57Net migration
0

Male · female(1996 est.)

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years40.66
41.05 · 40.25
TotalMale · femaleLiteracy13.6%
20.9% · 6.6%
MaleFemaleLiteracy age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years:
48% (male 2,233,157; female 2,138,096)
15-64 years:
50% (male 2,202,413; female 2,317,188)
65 years and over:
2% (male 117,337; female 104,810) (July 1996 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth:
1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
1.12 male(s)/female
all ages:
1 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate

117.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate

7.44 children born/woman (1996 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

Languages

French (official), Hausa, Djerma

Government

Republic; President Colonel Ibrahim BARE Mainassara (since 28 January 1996 when he ousted President Mahamane OUSMANE in a coup); Prime Minister Boukary ADJI (since NA January 1996) appointed by President BARE

20 fields

Legislature, 83 seatsone dot, one seat

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

Name of country

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

Capital

Niamey

Administrative divisions

  • 7 departments (departements, singular - departement), and 1 capital district* (capitale district);
  • Agadez, Diffa, Dosso, Maradi, Niamey*, Tahoua, Tillaberi, Zinder

Independence

3 August 1960 (from France)

National holiday

Republic Day, 18 December (1958)

Constitution

the constitution of January 1993 was revised by national referendum on 12 May 1996

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

chief of state:
  • President Colonel Ibrahim BARE Mainassara (since 28 January 1996 when he ousted President Mahamane OUSMANE in a coup);
  • Mahamane OUSMANE had been elected for a five-year term by universal suffrage;
  • election last held 17 March 1993 (next to be held 7 July 1996)
head of government:
Prime Minister Boukary ADJI (since NA January 1996) appointed by President BARE
cabinet:
National Salvation Council was appointed by President BARE

National Assembly

  • elected by proportional representation for a five-year term;
  • election last held 12 January 1995 (next to be held NA September 1996);
  • 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;
  • note - this National Assembly dissolved by President BARE after the coup on 28 January 1996

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

International organization participation

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

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 recent GDP growth barely matching the rapid growth of | population.

20 fields
GDP per capita, PPP
$600
(1995 est.)
Real growth rate
6.7%
(1995 est.)industrial production growth: NA%
Labor force
2.5million wage earners
(1982)by occupation: agriculture 90%, industry and commerce 6%, government 4%

GDP composition by sector(1993)

agriculture 38.5%industry 17.9%services 43.6% (1993)

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)

Economic overview

Niger is one of the world's poorest countries, with recent GDP growth barely matching 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.

GDP

purchasing power parity - $5.5 billion (1995 est.)

Industries

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

Agriculture

cowpeas, cotton, peanuts, millet, sorghum, cassava (tapioca), rice; cattle, sheep, goats

Exports

$232 million (f.o.b., 1994 est.)

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

Imports

$234 million (c.i.f., 1994 est.)

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

External debt

$1.41 billion (1995 est.)

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $NA

Currency

1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes

Exchange rates

CFA francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 500.56 (January 1996), 499.15 (1995), 555.20 (1994), 283.16 (1993), 264.69 (1992), 282.11 (1991) note: 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 · 23 in all

2
2 438 to 3 047 m
6
1 524 to 2 437 m
1
1
914 to 1 523 m
11
2
under 914 m
PavedUnpaved

Networkskm

Highways
11,258Railways
0
Highways: paved: 3,265 km · unpaved: 7,993 km (1990 est.)

Highways

total:
11,258 km
paved:
3,265 km
unpaved:
7,993 km (1990 est.)

Waterways

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

Ports

none

Communications

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

9 fields
Fixed lines
14,000
(1991 est.)

Telephone system

small system of wire, radiotelephone communications, and microwave radio relay links concentrated in southwestern area

domestic:
wire, radiotelephone communications, and microwave radio relay; domestic satellite system with 3 earth stations and 1 planned
international:
satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 15, FM 5, shortwave 0

Radios

500,000 (1992 est.)

Televisions

38,000 (1992 est.) Defense

Branches

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

Manpower availability

males age 15-49:
1,920,244
males fit for military service:
1,035,218
males reach military age (18) annually:
92,132 (1996 est.)

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $32 million, 1.3% of GDP (FY92/93)

Central Intelligence Agency. “Niger.” The World Factbook 1996. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/niger/1996.

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