Map of Niger | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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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. A coup in 1996 was followed by the creation of a National Reconciliation Council.


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Location: Western Africa, southeast of Algeria

Geographic coordinates

Map reference

Area
Total: 1.267 million km²
Land: 1,266,700 km²
Comparative: 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

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

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

Natural resources:

Land use
Arable land: 3%
Permanent crops: 0%
Permanent pastures: 7%
Forests and woodland: 2%
Other: 88%

Irrigated land: 320 km² (1989 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography


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Population:
Growth rate:

Nationality
Noun: Nigerien(s)
Adjective: Nigerien

Ethnic groups:

Languages: French (official), Hausa, Djerma

Religions:

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years:
15-64 years:
65 years and over:

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate:

Birth rate:

Death rate:

Net migration rate:

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: overgrazing; soil erosion; deforestation; desertification; wildlife populations (such as elephant, hippopotamus, and lion) threatened because of poaching and habitat destruction
Current issues Natural hazards: recurring droughts
International agreements: party to_Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified_Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the Sea
International agreements note: Landlocked

Air pollutants

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:

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 40.66 years (1996 est.); 45.07 years (1995 est.)
Male: 41.05 years (1996 est.); 43.42 years (1995 est.)
Female: 40.25 years (1996 est.); 46.77 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate:

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over that can read and write (1995 est.)
Total population: 13.6%
Male: 20.9%
Female: 6.6%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Niger
Conventional short form: Niger
Local long form: Republique du Niger
Local short form: Niger

Government type: Republic

Capital: Niamey

Administrative divisions: 7 departments (departements, singular_departement; Agadez, Diffa, Dosso, Maradi, Niamey, Tahoua, Zinder

Dependent areas

Independence: 3 August 1960 (from France)

National holiday: Republic Day, 18 December (1958)

Constitution: Approved by national referendum 16 December 1992; promulgated January 1993

Legal system: Based on French civil law system and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

International law organization participation

Citizenship

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

Legislative branch: Unicameral 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

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

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 symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy 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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate:

Real gdp per capita:

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: Accounts for 38.5% 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

Industries:

Industrial production growth rate: Growth rate -2.7% (1992 est.), accounts for 17.9% of GDP

Labor force: 2.5 million wage earners (1982)
By occupation Agriculture: 90%
By occupation Industry and commerce: 6%
By occupation Government: 4%

Unemployment rate: NA

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $188 million
Expenditures: $400 million, including capital expenditures of $125 million (1993 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 October_30 September

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports:
Commodities:
Partners:

Imports
Total value:
Commodities:
Partners:

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external:

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates


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Electricity
Capacity: 60,000 kW
Production: 200 million kWh
Consumption per capita: 42 kWh (1992)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system: 14,000 telephones (1991 est.); small system of wire, radiocommunications, and radio relay links concentrated in southwestern area
Domestic: wire, radiocommunications, and radio relay; 3 domestic satellite links, with 1 planned
International: 2 INTELSAT (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) earth stations

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $32 million, 1.3% of GDP (FY92/93)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 23
2438 to 3047 m: 2
15-24 to 2437 m: 1
914 to 1523 m: 11 (1995 est.)
Under 914 m: 2

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

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

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs