*Niger, Geography

Location:
  Western Africa, between Algeria and Nigeria
Map references:
  Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
 total area:
  1.267 million km2
 land area:
  1,266,700 km2
 comparative area:
  slightly less than twice the size of Texas
Land boundaries:
  total 5,697 km, Algeria 956 km, Benin 266 km, Burkina 628 km, Chad 1,175 km,
  Libya 354 km, Mali 821 km, Nigeria 1,497 km
Coastline:
  0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
  none; landlocked
International disputes:   Libya claims about 19,400 km2 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
Land use:
 arable land:
  3%
 permanent crops:
  0%
 meadows and pastures:
  7%
 forest and woodland:
  2%
 other:
  88%
Irrigated land:
  320 km2 (1989 est.)
Environment:
  recurrent drought and desertification severely affecting marginal
  agricultural activities; overgrazing; soil erosion
Note:
  landlocked

*Niger, People

Population:
  8,337,352 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
  3.49% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
  57.35 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
  22.44 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
  0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  112.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
 total population:
  44.15 years
 male:
  42.6 years
 female:
  45.75 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  7.35 children born/woman (1993 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
Literacy:
  age 15 and over can read and write (1990)
 total population:
  28%
 male:
  40%
 female:
  17%
Labor force:
  2.5 million wage earners (1982)
 by occupation:
  agriculture 90%, industry and commerce 6%, government 4%
 note:
  51% of population of working age (1985)

*Niger, Government

Names:
 conventional long form:
  Republic of Niger
 conventional short form:
  Niger
 local long form:
  Republique du Niger
 local short form:
  Niger
Digraph:
  NG
Type:
  transition government as of November 1991, appointed by national reform
  conference; scheduled to turn over power to democratically elected
  government in March 1993
Capital:
  Niamey
Administrative divisions:
  7 departments (departements, singular - departement); Agadez, Diffa, Dosso,
  Maradi, Niamey, Tahoua, Zinder
Independence:
  3 August 1960 (from France)
Constitution:
  December 1989 constitution revised November 1991 by National Democratic
  Reform Conference
Legal system:
  based on French civil law system and customary law; has not accepted
  compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday:
  Republic Day, 18 December (1958)
Political parties and leaders:
  National Movement of the Development Society (MNSD-NASSARA), Tandja MAMADOU;
  Niger Progressive Party - African Democratic Rally (PPN-RDA), Harou KOUKA;
  Union of Popular Forces for Democracy and Progress (UDFP-SAWABA), Djibo
  BAKARY; Niger Democratic Union (UDN-SAWABA), Mamoudou PASCAL; Union of
  Patriots, Democrats, and Progressives (UPDP), Andre SALIFOU; other parties
  forming
Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal
Elections:
 President:
  President Ali SAIBOU has been in office since December 1989, but the
  presidency is now a largely ceremonial position
 National Assembly:
  last held 10 December 1989 (next to be held NA); results - MNSD was the only
  party; seats - (150 total) MNSD 150 (indirectly elected); note - Niger held
  a national conference from July to November 1991 to decide upon a
  transitional government and an agenda for multiparty elections
Executive branch:
  president (ceremonial), prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
  unicameral National Assembly
Judicial branch:
  State Court (Cour d'Etat), Court of Appeal (Cour d'Apel)
Leaders:
 Chief of State:
  President Brig. Gen. Ali SAIBOU (since 14 November 1987); ceremonial post
  since national conference (1991)

*Niger, Government

 Head of Government:
  Prime Minister Amadou CHEIFFOU (since NA November 1991)
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
Diplomatic representation in US:
 chief of mission:
  Ambassador Adamou SEYDOU
 chancery:
  2204 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
 telephone:
  (202) 483-4224 through 4227
US diplomatic representation:
 chief of mission:
  Ambassador Jennifer C. WARD
 embassy:   Avenue 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

*Niger, Economy

Overview:
  About 90% of the population is engaged in farming and stock raising,
  activities that generate almost half the national income. The economy also
  depends heavily on exploitation of large uranium deposits. Uranium
  production grew rapidly in the mid-1970s, but tapered off in the early 1980s
  when world prices declined. France is a major customer, while Germany,
  Japan, and Spain also make regular purchases. The depressed demand for
  uranium has contributed to an overall sluggishness in the economy, a severe
  trade imbalance, and a mounting external debt.
National product:
  GDP - exchange rate conversion - $2.3 billion (1991 est.)
National product real growth rate:
  1.9% (1991 est.)
National product per capita:
  $290 (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  1.3% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate:
  NA%
Budget:
  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%
External debt:
  $1.2 billion (December 1991 est.)
Industrial production:
  growth rate -2.7% (1991 est.); accounts for 13% of GDP
Electricity:   105,000 kW capacity; 230 million kWh produced, 30 kWh per capita (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
Economic aid:
  US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $380 million; Western (non-US)
  countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $3,165 million; OPEC
  bilateral aid (1979-89), $504 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $61
  million
Currency:
  1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes

*Niger, Economy

Exchange rates:
  Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 274.06 (January
  1993), 264.69 (1992), 282.11 (1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85
  (1988)
Fiscal year:
  1 October - 30 September

*Niger, Communications

Highways:
  39,970 km total; 3,170 km bituminous, 10,330 km gravel and laterite, 3,470
  km earthen, 23,000 km tracks
Inland waterways:
  Niger River is navigable 300 km from Niamey to Gaya on the Benin frontier
  from mid-December through March
Airports:
 total:
  28
 usable:
  26
 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:
  13
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

*Niger, Defense Forces

Branches:
  Army, Air Force, Gendarmerie, National Police, Republican Guard
Manpower availability:
  males age 15-49 1,784,966; fit for military service 961,593; reach military
  age (18) annually 87,222 (1993 est.)
Defense expenditures:
  exchange rate conversion - $27 million, 1.3% of GDP (1989)