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 in December 1999.

Geographic coordinates: 16 00 N 8 00 E

Map reference: Africa

Area
Comparative: slightly less than twice the size of Texas

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

Natural resources: uranium coal iron ore tin phosphates gold petroleum

Irrigated land: 660 km² (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: recurring droughts

Geography
Note: landlocked

Population: 10,075,511 (July 2000 est.)
Growth rate: 2.75% (2000 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Ethnic groups: Hausa 56% Djerma 22% Fula 8.5% Tuareg 8% Beri Beri (Kanouri) 4.3% Arab Toubou and Gourmantche 1.2% about 1200 French expatriates

Languages: French (official) Hausa Djerma

Religions: Muslim 80% remainder indigenous beliefs and Christians

Population growth rate: 2.75% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 51.45 births/1000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 23.17 deaths/1000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.75 migrant(s)/1000 population (2000 est.)

Environment
Current issues: overgrazing; soil erosion; deforestation; desertification; wildlife populations (such as elephant hippopotamus giraffe and lion) threatened because of poaching and habitat destruction

Infant mortality rate: 124.9 deaths/1000 live births (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate: 7.16 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Government type: republic

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: the constitution of January 1993 was revised by national referendum on 12 May 1996 and again by referendum on 18 July 1999

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

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (83 seats members elected by popular vote for five-year terms)

Judicial branch: State Court or Cour d'Etat; Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel

Political parties and leaders: Democratic Rally of the People-Jama'a or RDP-Jama'a [Hamid ALGABID]; Democratic and Social Convention-Rahama or CDS-Rahama [Mahamane OUSMANE]; Movement for Development and Progress-Alkwali or MDP-Alkwali [Mai Manga BOUCAR chairman]; National Movement for a Developing Society-Nassara or MNSD-Nassara [Tandja MAMADOU chairman]; National Union of Independents for Democratic Renewal or UNIRD [Moutari MOUSSA]; Nigerien Alliance for Democracy and Social Progress-Zaman Lahiya or ANDPS-Zaman Lahiya [Moumouni Adamou DJERMAKOYE]; Nigerien Democratic Front-Mutunci or FDN-Mutunci [Ide OUMAROU]; Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism-Tarayya or PNDS-Tarayya [Mahamadou ISSOUFOU]; Nigerien Social Democrat Party-Alheri or PSDN-Alheri [Malam Adji WAZIRI]; Party for People's Dignity-Daraja or PDP-Daraja [Ali TALBA chairman]; Union of Democratic Patriots and Progressives-Chamoua or UPDP-Chamoua [Professor Andre' SALIFOU chairman]; Union for Democracy and Social Progress-Amana or UDPS-Amana [Mohamed ABDULLAHI]; Union of Popular Forces for Democracy and Progress-Sawaba or UFPDP-Sawaba [Djibo BAKARY]; Workers' Movement Party-Albarka or PMT-Albarka [Omar Idi ANGO]

International organization participation: ACCT ACP AfDB CCC ECA ECOWAS Entente FAO FZ G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICFTU ICRM IDA IDB IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF Intelsat Interpol IOC ITU MIPONUH NAM OAU OIC OPCW UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UPU WADB WAEMU WCL WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WToO WTrO

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 overview: Niger is a poor landlocked Sub-Saharan nation whose economy centers on subsistence agriculture animal husbandry reexport trade and increasingly less on uranium its major export since the 1970s. 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. Short-term prospects depend on upcoming negotiations with the World Bank and the IMF on debt relief and extended aid.

Real gdp growth rate: 2% (1999 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $1000 (1999 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

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: 70,000 receive regular wages or salaries
By occupation agriculture: 90%
By occupation industry and commerce: 6%
By occupation government: 4%

Unemployment rate: NA%

Population below poverty line: NA%

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 4.8% (1999)

Exports: $269 million (f.o.b. 1997)
Commodities: uranium ore 65% livestock products cowpeas onions (1998 est.)
Partners: US Greece Japan France Nigeria Benin

Imports: $295 million (c.i.f. 1997)
Commodities: consumer goods primary materials machinery vehicles and parts petroleum cereals
Partners: France Cote d'Ivoire US Benelux Nigeria

Debt external: $1.3 billion (1999 est.)

Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 670 (January 2000) 560.01 (January 1999) 589.95 (1998) 583.67 (1997) 511.55 (1996) 499.15 (1995)

Electricity
Production: 180 million kWh (1998)
Consumption: 363 million kWh (1998)
Exports: 0 kWh (1998)
Imports: 196 million kWh (1998)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 13,000 (1995)
Mobile cellular: 0 (1995)

Telephone system: small system of wire radiotelephone communications and microwave radio relay links concentrated in southwestern area

Internet
Service providers isps: 1 (1999)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $20 million (FY96)
Percent of gdp: 1.1% (FY96)

Airports: 27 (1999 est.)

Railways: 0 km

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

Disputes international: Libya claims about 19,400 km² in northern Niger; delimitation of international boundaries in the vicinity of Lake Chad the lack of which led to border incidents in the past has been completed and awaits ratification by Cameroon Chad Niger and Nigeria