Niger

Not until 1993, 33 years after independence from France, did Niger hold it's first free and open elections. A 1995 peace accord ended a five-year Tuareg insurgency in the north. Coups in 1996 and 1999 were followed by the creation of a National Reconciliation Council that effected a transition to civilian rule by December 1999.

• desert;
• mostly hot, dry, dusty;
• tropical in extreme south

• predominately desert plains and sand dunes;
• flat to rolling plains in south;
• hills in north

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

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:

Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea

0-14 years:

47.6% (male 2,686,169; female 2,581,785)

15-64 years:

50.2% (male 2,710,554; female 2,842,319)

65 years and over:

2.2% (male 125,505; female 112,258) (2003 est.)

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

total population:

1 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

noun:

Nigerien(s)

adjective:

Nigerien

conventional long form:

Republic of Niger

conventional short form:

Niger

local short form:

Niger

local long form:

Republique du Niger

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

chief of state:

President TANDJA Mamadou (since 22 December 1999); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government

head of government:

• President TANDJA Mamadou (since 22 December 1999);
• note - the president is both chief of state and head of government;
• Prime Minister Hama AMADOU (since 31 December 1999) was appointed by the president and shares some executive responsibilities with the president

cabinet:

23-member Cabinet appointed by the president

elections:

• president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
• last held 24 November 1999 (next to be held NA 2004);
• prime minister appointed by the president

election results:

TANDJA Mamadou elected president; percent of vote - TANDJA Mamadou 59.9%, Mahamadou ISSOUFOU 40.1%

• Democratic Rally of the People-Jama'a or RDP-Jama'a [Hamid ALGABID];
• Democratic and Social Convention-Rahama or CDS-Rahama [Mahamane OUSMANE];
• National Movement for a Developing Society-Nassara or MNSD-Nassara [Mamadou TANDJA, chairman];
• Nigerien Alliance for Democracy and Social Progress-Zaman Lahiya or ANDPS-Zaman Lahiya [Moumouni Adamou DJERMAKOYE];
• Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism-Tarayya or PNDS-Tarayya [Mahamadou ISSOUFOU];
• Union of Democratic Patriots and Progressives-Chamoua or UPDP-Chamoua [Professor Andre' SALIFOU, chairman]

chief of mission:

Ambassador Joseph DIATTA

FAX:

[1] (202)483-3169

telephone:

[1] (202) 483-4224 through 4227

chancery:

2204 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission:

Ambassador Gail Dennise Thomas MATHIEU

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, 72-31-46

• 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

lowest 10%:

0.8%

highest 10%:

35.4% (1995)

general assessment:

small system of wire, radio telephone communications, and microwave radio relay links concentrated in the southwestern area of Niger

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)

total:

10,100 km

paved:

798 km

unpaved:

9,302 km (1999 est.)

• Libya claims about 25,000 sq km in a currently dormant dispute;
• much of Benin-Niger boundary, including tripoint with Nigeria, remains undemarcated but states accept 2001 arbitration over disputed Niger River islands;
• Lake Chad Commission continues to urge signatories Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria to ratify delimitation treaty over the lake region, which remains the site of armed clashes among local populations and militias