Map of Niger | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: Niger became independent from France in 1960 and experienced single-party and military rule until 1991 when Gen. Ali SAIBOU was forced by public pressure to allow multiparty elections which resulted in a democratic government in 1993. Political infighting brought the government to a standstill and in 1996 led to a coup by Col. Ibrahim BARE. In 1999 BARE was killed in a counter coup by military officers who restored democratic rule and held elections that brought Mamadou TANDJA to power in December of that year. TANDJA was reelected in 2004 and in 2009 spearheaded a constitutional amendment that would allow him to extend his term as president. In February 2010 a military coup deposed TANDJA immediately suspended the constitution and dissolved the Cabinet. ISSOUFOU Mahamadou emerged victorious from a crowded field in the election following the coup and was inaugurated in April 2011. 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. The Nigerien Movement for Justice a predominantly ethnic Tuareg rebel group emerged in February 2007 and attacked several military targets in Niger's northern region throughout 2007 and 2008. Successful government offensives in 2009 ended the rebellion. Niger is facing increased security concerns on its borders from various external threats including insecurity in Libya spillover from the conflict in Mali and violent extremism in northeastern Nigeria.


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Location: Western Africa southeast of Algeria

Geographic coordinates: 16 00 N 8 00 E

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 1.267 million km²
Land: 1,266,700 km²
Water: 300 km²
Rank: 22
Comparative: slightly less than twice the size of Texas

Land boundaries
Total: 5,834 km
Border countries: (7) Algeria 951 km; Benin 277 km; Burkina Faso 622 km; Chad 1196 km; Libya 342 km; Mali 838 km; Nigeria 1608 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: Idoukal-n-Taghes 2022 m

Natural resources: uranium coal iron ore tin phosphates gold molybdenum gypsum salt petroleum

Land use
Agricultural land: 35.1%
Forest: 1%
Other: 63.9%

Irrigated land: 736.6 km² (2005)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 33.65 km³ (2011)

Natural hazards: recurring droughts

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


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Population: 18,045,729 (July 2015 est.)
Rank: 63
Growth rate: 3.25% (2015 est.)
Growth rate rank: 4
Below poverty line: 63% (1993 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Nigerien
Adjective: Nigerien

Ethnic groups: Haoussa 55.4% Djerma Sonrai 21% Tuareg 9.3% Peuhl 8.5% Kanouri Manga 4.7% other 1.2% (2001 census)

Languages: French (official) Hausa Djerma

Religions: Muslim 80% other (includes indigenous beliefs and Christian) 20%

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 49.57%
15-24 years: 18.61%
25-54 years: 25.92%
55-64 years: 3.26%
65 years and over: 2.64% (2015 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 113%
Youth dependency ratio: 107.5%
Elderly dependency ratio: 5.5%
Potential support ratio: 18.2%

Median age
Total: 15.2 years
Male: 15.1 years
Female: 15.3 years

Population growth rate: 3.25% (2015 est.)
Rank: 4

Birth rate: 45.45 births/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 1

Death rate: 12.42 deaths/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 23

Net migration rate: -0.56 migrant(s)/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 138

Population distribution

Urbanization
Urban population: 18.7% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 5.14% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: NIAMEY (capital) 1.09 million (2015)

Environment
Current issues: overgrazing; soil erosion; deforestation; desertification; wildlife populations (such as elephant hippopotamus giraffe and lion) threatened because of poaching and habitat destruction
International agreements party to: Biodiversity Climate Change Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol Desertification Endangered Species Environmental Modification Hazardous Wastes Ozone Layer Protection Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male/female
0-14 years: 1.02 male/female
15-24 years: 0.98 male/female
25-54 years: 1 male/female
55-64 years: 1.08 male/female
65 years and over: 1.04 male/female
Total population: 1.01 male/female

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 84.59 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 89.12 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 79.92 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 7

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 55.13 years
Male: 53.9 years
Female: 56.39 years
Rank: 209

Total fertility rate: 6.76 children born/woman (2015 est.)
Rank: 1

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 13.9% (2012)

Drinking water source:

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 0.02 physicians/1000 population (2008)

Hospital bed density: 0.31 beds/1000 population (2005)

Sanitation facility access:

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.49% (2014 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 68
People living with hivaids: 40,500 (2013 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 60
Deaths: 3,400 (2014 est.)
Deaths rank: 42

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: very high
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea hepatitis A and typhoid fever
Vectorborne diseases: malaria and dengue fever
Water contact disease: schistosomiasis
Respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis
Animal contact disease: rabies
Note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 3.7% (2014)
Rank: 180

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 37.9% (2012)
Rank: 4

Education expenditures: 4.4% of GDP (2012)
Rank: 101

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 19.1%
Male: 27.3%
Female: 11%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 5 years
Male: 6 years
Female: 5 years

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
Name: Niamey
Geographic coordinates: 13 31 N 2 07 E
Time difference: UTC+1

Administrative divisions: 7 regions (regions singular - region) and 1 capital district* (communite urbaine); Agadez Diffa Dosso Maradi Niamey* Tahoua Tillaberi Zinder

Dependent areas

Independence: 3 August 1960 (from France)

National holiday: Republic Day 18 December (1958); note - commemorates the founding of the Republic of Niger which predated independence from France in 1960

Constitution: several previous; passed by referendum 31 October 2010 entered into force 25 November 2010 (2014)

Legal system: mixed legal system of civil law (based on French civil law) Islamic law and customary law

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President ISSOUFOU Mahamadou
Head of government: Prime Minister Brigi RAFINI
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
Electionsappointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term ; prime minister appointed by the president authorized by the National Assembly
Election results: ISSOUFOU Mahamadou elected president; percent of vote in second round - ISSOUFOU Mahamadou 58% Seini OUMAROU (MNSD-Nassara) 42%

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale
Elections: last held on 31 January 2011
Election results: percent of vote by party - PNDS-Tarrayya 33% MNSD-Nassara 21% MODEN/FA-Lumana 20% ANDP-Zaman Lahiya 7.5% RDP-Jama'a 6.5% UDR-Tabbat 5.4% CDS-Rahama 3.3% UNI 1%; seats by party - PNDS-Tarrayya 37 MNSD-Nassara 26 MODEN/FA-Lumana 25 ANDP-Zaman Lahiya 8 RDP-Jama'a 7 UDR-Tabbat 6 CDS-Rahama 3 UNI 1

Judicial branch
Highest court: Constitutional Court ; High Court of Justice (consists of 7 members)
Judge selection and term of office: Constitutional Court judges nominated/elected - 1 by the president of the Republic 1 by the president of the National Assembly 2 by peer judges 2 by peer lawyers 1 law professor by peers and 1 from within Nigerien society; all appointed by the president; judges serve 6-year nonrenewable terms with one-third of membership renewed every 2 years; High Judicial Court members selected from among the legislature and judiciary; members serve 5-year terms
Subordinate courts: Court of Cassation; Council of State; Court of Finances; various specialized tribunals and customary courts

Political parties and leaders: Union for Democracy and the Republic-Tabbat or UDR-Tabbat [Amadou Boubacar CISSE]
Note: the SPLM and SPLM-DC are banned political parties

International organization participation: ACP AfDB AU CD ECOWAS EITI (compliant country) Entente FAO FZ G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICCt ICRM IDA IDB IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO (correspondent) ITSO ITU ITUC (NGOs) MIGA MINUSMA MONUSCO NAM OIC OIF OPCW UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UNMIL UNOCI UNWTO UPU WADB (regional) WAEMU WCO WFTU (NGOs) WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Hassana ALIDOU
In the us chancery: 2,204 R Street NW Washington DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] 483-4,224 through 4,227
In the us FAX: [1] 483-3,169
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Eunice S. REDDICK
From the us embassy: BP 11,201 Rue Des Ambassades Niamey
From the us mailing address: 2,420 Niamey Place Washington DC 20,521-2,420
From the us telephone: [227] 20-73-31-69 or [227] 20-72-39-41
From the us FAX: [227] 20-73-55-60

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of orange (top) white and green with a small orange disk centered in the white band; the orange band denotes the drier northern regions of the Sahara; white stands for purity and innocence; green symbolizes hope and the fertile and productive southern and western areas as well as the Niger River; the orange disc represents the sun and the sacrifices made by the people
Note: similar to the flag of India which has a blue spoked wheel centered in the white band

National symbols: zebu; national colors: orange white green

National anthem
Name: 'La Nigerienne'
Lyrics and music: Maurice Albert THIRIET/Robert JACQUET and Nicolas Abel Francois FRIONNET
Note: adopted 1961

National heritage


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Economy overview: Niger is a landlocked sub-Saharan nation whose economy centers on subsistence crops livestock and some of the world's largest uranium deposits. Agriculture contributes nearly 40% of GDP and provides livelihood for most of the population. The UN ranked Niger as the least developed country in the world in 2014 due to multiple factors such as food insecurity lack of industry high population growth a weak educational sector and few prospects for work outside of subsistence farming and herding. Since 2011 public debt has increased in part from a large loan financing a new uranium mine. The government relies on foreign donor resources for a large portion of its fiscal budget. The economy in recent years has been hurt by terrorist activity and kidnappings near its uranium mines and instability in Mali and concerns about security have boosted fiscal spending on defense. Future growth may be sustained by exploitation of oil gold coal and other mineral resources. Niger has sizable reserves of oil and oil production. Food insecurity and drought remain perennial problems for Niger and the government plans to invest more in the agriculture sector most notably irrigation. The mining sector may be affected by the government’s attempt to renegotiate extraction rights contracts to increase royalty rates and reduce tax exemptions. Despite Niger’s three-year $121 million IMF Extended Credit Facility agreement for years 2012-15 formal private sector investment needed for economic diversification and growth remains a challenge given the country’s limited domestic markets access to credit and competitiveness.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Note: data are in 2014 US dollars
Rank: 147

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 28

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2014 US dollars
Rank: 223

Gross national saving:
Rank: 65

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 71%
Government consumption: 10.9%
Investment in fixed capital: 29.7%
Investment in inventories: 6.3%
Exports of goods and services: 22.7%
Imports of goods and services: -40.6%: (2014 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 37.7%
Industry: 18.6%
Services: 43.7%

Agriculture products: cowpeas cotton peanuts millet sorghum cassava (manioc tapioca) rice; cattle sheep goats camels donkeys horses poultry

Industries: uranium mining petroleum cement brick soap textiles food processing chemicals slaughterhouses

Industrial production growth rate: 6.5% (2014 est.)
Rank: 34

Labor force: 5.8 million (2014 est.)
Rank: 69
By occupation agriculture: 90%
By occupation industry: 6%
By occupation services: 4%

Unemployment rate: 5.1% (2012 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 63% (1993 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 3.7%
Highest 10: 28.5%

Distribution of family income gini index:
Rank: 97

Budget
Revenues: $1.761 billion
Expenditures: $2.807 billion
Surplus or deficit: -12.6% of GDP (2014 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 208

Taxes and other revenues: 21.2% of GDP (2014 est.)
Rank: 152

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 10

Central bank discount rate:
Rank: 93

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Rank: 166

Stock of narrow money:
Rank: 142

Stock of broad money:
Rank: 156

Stock of domestic credit:
Rank: 158

Market value of publicly traded shares: $N/A

Current account balance:
Rank: 130

Exports:
Rank: 150
Commodities: uranium ore livestock cowpeas onions
Partners: Nigeria 41.4% France 30.3% China 15.7% Ghana 5.6% (2014)

Imports:
Rank: 159
Commodities: foodstuffs machinery vehicles and parts petroleum cereals
Partners: China 13.5% France 12.3% Nigeria 8.3% French Polynesia 8.1% Togo 5.5% Belgium 5.3% India 4.7% (2014)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external:
Rank: 142

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Production: 300 million kWh (2011 est.)
Production rank: 179
Consumption: 879 million kWh (2011 est.)
Consumption rank: 157
Exports: 0 kWh (2013 est.)
Exports rank: 177
Imports: 600 million kWh (2011 est.)
Imports rank: 77
Installed generating capacity: 134,000 kW (2011 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 168
Generation sources fossil fuels: 100% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 26
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 150
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 189
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 209

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 20,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 75
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 162
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 103
Crude oil proven reserves: 150 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 66

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products production rank: 180
Products consumption: 5,770 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Products consumption rank: 164
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products exports rank: 203
Products imports: 5,136 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products imports rank: 150

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2012 est.)
Production rank: 173
Consumption: 0 m³ (2012 est.)
Consumption rank: 178
Exports: 0 m³ (2012 est.)
Exports rank: 152
Imports: 0 m³ (2012 est.)
Imports rank: 106
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2014 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 176

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 1.411 million Mt (2012 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 160

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 110,000
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1
Fixed lines rank: 142
Mobile cellular total: 8.2 million
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 47
Mobile cellular rank: 95

Telephone system
General assessment: inadequate; small system of wire radio telephone communications and microwave radio relay links concentrated in southwestern Niger
Domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity remains only about 30 per 100 persons despite a rapidly increasing cellular subscribership base; domestic satellite system with 3 earth stations and 1 planned
International: country code - 227; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (2010)

Broadcast media: state-run TV station; 3 private TV stations provide a mix of local and foreign programming; state-run radio has only radio station with national coverage; about 30 private radio stations operate locally; as many as 100 community radio stations broadcast; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are available (2007)

Internet
Country code: .ne
Users total: 281,200
Users percent of population: 1.6%
Users rank: 145

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures:
Rank: 95

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18 is the presumed legal minimum age for compulsory or voluntary military service; enlistees must be Nigerien citizens and unmarried; 2-year service term; women may serve in health care (2012)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 30 (2013)
Rank: 115
With paved runways total: 10
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 3
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 6
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1
With unpaved runways total: 20
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 3
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 15
With unpaved runways: 2 (2013)

Heliports: 1 (2013)

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Total: 18,949 km
Paved: 3,912 km
Unpaved: 15,037 km
Rank: 114

Waterways: 300 km (the Niger the only major river is navigable to Gaya between September and March) (2012)
Rank: 93

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: Libya claims about 25,000 km² in a currently dormant dispute in the Tommo region; location of Benin-Niger-Nigeria tripoint is unresolved; only Nigeria and Cameroon have heeded the Lake Chad Commission's admonition to ratify the delimitation treaty that also includes the Chad-Niger and Niger-Nigeria boundaries; the dispute with Burkina Faso was referred to the ICJ in 2010

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees: 105,583 (Nigeria); 52,332 (Mali) (2015)
IDPs: 66,400 (2015)

Illicit drugs