Niger

Republic of NigerRepublique du Niger

republicIndependence 3 August 1960 (from France)

Niger as the 2004 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
Position16 00 N, 8 00 E
Area1.267 million sq km
LocationWestern Africa, southeast of Algeria
2004

Every edition of Niger

Populationas each edition published it
11.36 million July 2004 est. · 7.97m in 1990
Population growth% a year
2.67% 2004 est. · 3.49% in 1993
Median ageyears
16.2 years 2004 est. · 16.1 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
42.18 years 2004 est. · 44.15 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
6.83 children per woman 2004 est. · 7.4 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
122.66 deaths per 1,000 live births 2004 est. · 131 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$800 2003 est. · $290 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
3.8% 2003 est. · 1.9% in 1993

Introduction

1 field

Background

Not until 1993, 33 years after independence from France, did Niger hold its 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. Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world with minimal government services and insufficient funds to develop its resource base. The largely agrarian and subsistence-based economy is frequently disrupted by extended droughts common to the Sahel region of Africa.

Geography

Western Africa, southeast of Algeria

18 fields

Land use(2001)

arable land 3.54%permanent crops 0.01%other 96.45% (2001)irrigated 660 sq km (1998 est.)
Area
1.267million sq km
land: 1,266,700 sq kmwater: 300 sq kmslightly less than twice the size of Texas
Coastline
0km
(landlocked)Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
Highest point
2,022m
Mont Bagzanelowest point: Niger River 200 m
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

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, gold, petroleum

Natural hazards

recurring droughts

Environment - current issues

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

Environment - international agreements

party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified:
Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea

Geography - note

landlocked; one of the hottest countries in the world: northern four-fifths is desert, southern one-fifth is savanna, suitable for livestock and limited agriculture

People

19 fields
Population
11,360,538
(July 2004 est.)growth rate: 2.67% (2004 est.)

Per 1,000 population(2004 est.)

Birth
48.91Death
21.51Net migration
-0.67

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (2004 est.)42.18
42.38 · 41.97Infant mortality deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)122.66
126.96 · 118.24
TotalMale · femaleLiteracy (2003 est.)17.6%
25.8% · 9.7%Median age years (2004 est.)16.2
15.7 · 16.7
MaleFemaleLiteracy definition: age 15 and over can read and write

Age structure

0-14 years:
47.5% (male 2,749,039; female 2,643,479)
15-64 years:
50.4% (male 2,799,125; female 2,925,133)
65 years and over:
2.1% (male 128,101; female 115,661) (2004 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth:
1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
1.11 male(s)/female
total population:
1 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate

6.83 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

4,800 (2003 est.)

Nationality

noun:
Nigerien(s)
adjective:
Nigerien

Ethnic groups

Hausa 56%, Djerma 22%, Fula 8.5%, Tuareg 8%, Beri Beri (Kanouri) 4.3%, Arab, Toubou, and Gourmantche 1.2%, about 1,200 French expatriates

Religions

Muslim 80%, remainder indigenous beliefs and Christian

Languages

French (official), Hausa, Djerma

Government

Republic; President TANDJA Mamadou (since 22 December 1999); President TANDJA Mamadou (since 22 December 1999)

18 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

65.5%
TANDJA Mamadou 65.5%Mahamadou ISSOUFOU 34.5%second round last held 4 December 2004 (next to be held December 2009)

National Assembly, 100 seats, elected 4 December 2004one dot, one seat

MNSD 47CDS 22PNDS 17Social Democratic Rally 7 RDP 6i ANDP 5Party for Socialism and Democarcy in Niger 1other 8

Country name

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

a new constitution was adopted 18 July 1999

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

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;
  • second round last held 4 December 2004 (next to be held December 2009);
  • prime minister appointed by the president
election results:
TANDJA Mamadou reelected president; percent of vote - TANDJA Mamadou 65.5%, Mahamadou ISSOUFOU 34.5%

Legislative branch

unicameral National Assembly (113 seats; note - expanded from 83 seats; members elected by popular vote for five-year terms)

elections:
last held 4 December 2004 (next to be held December 2009)
election results:
percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - MNSD 47, CDS 22, PNDS 17, Social Democratic Rally 7 RDP 6i ANDP 5, Party for Socialism and Democarcy in Niger 1, other 8

Judicial branch

State Court or Cour d'Etat; Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel

Political parties and leaders

  • Alliance for Democracy and Progress or ANDP [leader NA];
  • 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];
  • Party for Socialism and Democracy in Niger [leader NA];
  • Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP [leader NA];
  • Union of Democratic Patriots and Progressives-Chamoua or UPDP-Chamoua [Professor Andre' SALIFOU, chairman]

International organization participation

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (subscriber), ITU, MONUC, NAM, OIC, ONUB, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNOCI, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission:
Ambassador Joseph DIATTA
chancery:
2204 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
[1] (202) 483-4224 through 4227
FAX:
[1] (202)483-3169

Diplomatic representation from the US

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

Flag description

  • 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 a poor, landlocked Sub-Saharan nation, whose economy centers on subsistence agriculture, animal husbandry, and reexport trade, and increasingly less on uranium, because of declining world demand.

36 fields
Real growth rate
3.8%
(2003 est.)industrial production growth: NA (2001 est.)
Debt - external
$1.6billion
(1999 est.)

GDP - composition by sector(2001)

agriculture 39%industry 17%services 44% (2001)

Trading partnersexports left, imports right

42.2%
France
16.4%
28.9%
Nigeria
7.7%
17.2%
Japan
4.9%
Cote d'Ivoire
13.8%
China
10.5%
US
5.5%
4.4%
Spain
Exports $280 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)Imports $400 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)(2003)

Budget

Revenues
$320 millionExpenditures
$320 million (2002 est.)
revenues - including $134 million from foreign sources · expenditures including capital expenditures of $178 million

Electricity

Electricity production
242 million (2001)Electricity consumption
325.1 million (2001)Electricity imports
100 million (2001)

Economy - overview

Niger is a poor, landlocked Sub-Saharan nation, whose economy centers on subsistence agriculture, animal husbandry, and reexport trade, and increasingly less on uranium, because of declining world demand. The 50% devaluation of the West African franc in January 1994 boosted exports of livestock, cowpeas, onions, and the products of Niger's small cotton industry.

The government relies on bilateral and multilateral aid - which was suspended following the April 1999 coup d'etat - for operating expenses and public investment. In 2000-01, the World Bank approved a structural adjustment loan of $105 million to help support fiscal reforms. However, reforms could prove difficult given the government's bleak financial situation.

The IMF approved a $73 million poverty reduction and growth facility for Niger in 2000 and announced $115 million in debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative. Further disbursements of aid occurred in 2002. Future growth may be sustained by exploitation of oil, gold, coal, and other mineral resources.

GDP

purchasing power parity - $9.062 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $800 (2003 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%:
0.8%
highest 10%:
35.4% (1995)

Labor force

70,000 receive regular wages or salaries (2002 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

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

Unemployment rate

NA (2002 est.)

Agriculture - products

cowpeas, cotton, peanuts, millet, sorghum, cassava (tapioca), rice; cattle, sheep, goats, camels, donkeys, horses, poultry

Industries

uranium mining, cement, brick, textiles, food processing, chemicals, slaughterhouses

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption

5,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA (2001)

Oil - imports

NA (2001)

Exports

$280 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities

uranium ore, livestock, cowpeas, onions

Imports

$400 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities

foodstuffs, machinery, vehicles and parts, petroleum, cereals

Economic aid - recipient

$341 million (1997)

Currency

Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States

Exchange rates

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 581.2 (2003), 696.988 (2002), 733.039 (2001), 711.976 (2000), 615.699 (1999)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

8 fields
Mobile cellular
24,000
(2003)
Fixed lines
22,400
(2002) · country code .ne

Telephone system

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:
country code - 227; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 5, FM 6, shortwave 4 (2001)

Television broadcast stations

3 (plus seven low-power repeaters) (2002)

Internet users

15,000 (2002)

Transportation

6 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right

2
2,438 to 3,047 m
6
1,524 to 2,437 m
2
1
under 914 m
2
914 to 1,523 m
14
Paved 9Unpaved 18

Networkskm

Highways
10,100Waterways
300
Highways: paved: 798 km · unpaved: 9,302 km (1999 est.) · Waterways: note: Niger River is navigable to Gaya between September and March (2004)

Highways

total:
10,100 km
paved:
798 km
unpaved:
9,302 km (1999 est.)

Waterways

300 km note: Niger River is navigable to Gaya between September and March (2004)

Airports

27 (2003 est.)

Military

Army, Air Force, National Intervention and Security Force

7 fields

Military branches

Army, Air Force, National Intervention and Security Force

Military manpower - military age and obligation

18 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 2 years (2004)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 2,460,637 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 1,333,027 (2004 est.)

Transnational Issues

1 field

Disputes - international

  • Libya claims about 25,000 sq km in a currently dormant dispute;
  • much of Benin-Niger boundary, including tripoint with Nigeria, remains undemarcated, and ICJ ad hoc judges have been selected to rule on disputed Niger and Mekrou 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

Central Intelligence Agency. “Niger.” The World Factbook 2004. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/niger/2004.

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