Statistical information Niger 1989

Niger in the World
Backgroundtop of pageLocationGeographic coordinatesMap referenceAreaLand boundaries: 5,697 km total; Algeria 956 km, Benin 266 km, Burkina 628 km, Chad 1,175 km, Libya 354 km, Mali 821 km, Nigeria 1,497 km
Coastline: none - landlocked
Maritime claims: none - landlocked
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
ElevationNatural resources: uranium, coal, iron ore, tin, phosphates
Land use: 3% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 7% meadows and pastures; 2% forest and woodland; 88% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Irrigated landMajor riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazardsGeographyNote: landlocked
top of pagePopulation: 7,448,048 (July 1989), growth rate 3.2% (1989)
Nationality: noun - Nigerien(s) adjective - Nigerien
Ethnic groups: 56% Hausa; 22% Djerma; 8.5% Fula; 8% Tuareg; 4.3% Beri Beri (Kanouri; 1.2% Arab, Toubou, and Gourmantche; about 4,000 French expatriates
Languages: French (official; Hausa, Djerma
Religions: 80% Muslim, remainder indigenous beliefs and Christians
Demographic profileAge structureDependency ratiosMedian agePopulation growth rateBirth rate: 49 births/1000 population (1989)
Death rate: 17 deaths/1000 population (1989)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1000 population (1989)
Population distributionUrbanizationMajor urban areasEnvironmentCurrent issues: recurrent drought and desertification severely affecting marginal agricultural activities; overgrazing; soil erosion
Air pollutantsSex ratioMothers mean age at first birthMaternal mortality ratioInfant mortality rate: 137 deaths/1000 live births (1989)
Life expectancy at birth: 48 years male, 50 years female (1989)
Total fertility rate: 6.8 children born/woman (1989)
Contraceptive prevalence rateDrinking water sourceCurrent health expenditurePhysicians densityHospital bed densitySanitation facility accessHiv/AidsMajor infectious diseasesObesity adult prevalence rateAlcohol consumptionTobacco useChildren under the age of 5 years underweightEducation expendituresLiteracy: 8%
School life expectancy primary to tertiary educationYouth unemploymenttop of pageCountry name: conventional long form: Republic of Niger
Government type: republic; military regimes in power since April 1974
Capital: Niamey
Administrative divisions: 7 departments (departements, singular - departement; Agadez, Diffa, Dosso, Maradi, Niamey, Tahoua, Zinder
Dependent areasIndependence: 3 August 1960 (from France)
National holiday: Republic Day, 18 December (1958)
Constitution: 8 November 1960, suspended after coup of 15 April 1974
Legal system: based on French civil law system and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
International law organization participationCitizenshipSuffrage: universal adult
Executive branch: Chief of State - President of the Supreme Military Council Brig. Gen. Ali SAIBOU (since 14 November 1987; Head of Government - Prime Minister Oumarou MAMANE (since 15 July 1988)
Legislative branch: Army, Air Force, paramilitary Gendarmerie, paramilitary Republican Guard, paramilitary Presidential Guard, paramilitary National Police
Judicial branchPolitical parties and leadersInternational organization participation: AfDB, APC, CCC, CEAO, EAMA, ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB - Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ITU, Lake Chad Basin Commission, Niger River Commission, NAM, OAU, OCAM, OIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representationIn the us: Ambassador Moumouni Adamou DJERMAKOYE; Chancery at 2,204 R Street NW, Washington DC 20,008; telephone (202) 483-4,224 through 4,227; US - Ambassador Carl C. CUNDIFF; Embassy at Avenue des Ambassadeurs, Niamey (mailing address is B. P. 11,201, Niamey; telephone Õ227å 72-26-61 through 64 and 72-26-70
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
National symbolsNational anthemNational heritagetop of pageEconomy overview: About 90% of the population is engaged in farming and stock rearing, activities which generate almost half of 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 FRG, Japan, and Spain also make regular purchases. The depressed demand for uranium has contributed to an overall decline in the economy, a severe trade imbalance, and a mounting external debt.
Real gdp purchasing power parityReal gdp growth rateReal gdp per capitaGross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useGdp composition by sector of originAgriculture products: commercial - cowpeas, peanuts, cotton; main food crops - millet, sorghum, rice
Industries: cement, brick, rice mills, small cotton gins, oilseed presses, slaughterhouses, and a few other small light industries; uranium production began in 1971
Industrial production growth rate: 4.0% (1987 est.)
Labor force:
2,500,000 wage earners (1982; 90% agriculture, 6%
industry and commerce, 4% government; 51% of population of working age (1985)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Youth unemploymentPopulation below poverty lineGini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini indexBudget: revenues $226 million; expenditures $452 million, including capital expenditures of $180 million (FY88 est.)
Taxes and other revenuesPublic debtRevenueFiscal year: 1 October-30 September
Inflation rate consumer pricesCentral bank discount rateCommercial bank prime lending rateStock of narrow moneyStock of broad moneyStock of domestic creditMarket value of publicly traded sharesCurrent account balanceExports: $371 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.)
Commodities: uranium 76%, livestock, cowpeas, onions, hides, skins
Partners: NA
Imports: $441 million (c.i.f., 1988 est.)
Commodities: petroleum products, primary materials, machinery, vehicles and parts, electronic equipment, pharmaceuticals, chemical products, cereals, foodstuffs
Reserves of foreign exchange and goldDebt external: $1.8 billion (December 1988)
Stock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 312.52 (January 1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987), 346.30 (1986), 449.26 (1985)
top of pageElectricityCapacity: 102,000 kW capacity; 227 million kWh produced, 30 kWh per capita (1988)
CoalPetroleumCrude oilRefined petroleumNatural gasCarbon dioxide emissionsEnergy consumption per capitaNiger - Communication 1989
top of pageTelephonesTelephone systemBroadcast mediaInternetBroadband fixed subscriptionstop of pageMilitary expendituresDollar figure: NA
Military and security forcesMilitary service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupsNiger - Transportation 1989
top of pageNational air transport systemCivil aircraft registration country code prefixAirports: 32 total, 30 usable; 7 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 12 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
HeliportsPipelinesRailwaysRoadwaysWaterways: Niger river is navigable 300 km from Niamey to Gaya on the Benin frontier from mid-December through March
Merchant marinePorts and terminalsNiger - Transnational issues 1989
top of pageDisputes international: Libya claims about 19,400 km² in northern Niger; exact locations of the Chad-Niger-Nigeria and Cameroon-Chad-Nigeria tripoints in Lake Chad have not been determined, so the boundary has not been demarcated and border incidents have resulted; Burkina and Mali are beginning to demarcate their international boundary, including the tripoint with Niger
Refugees and internally displaced personsIllicit drugs