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 by December 1999. 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.

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
Comparative: slightly less than twice the size of Texas

Land boundaries
Total: 5,697 km
Border countries: (7) Algeria 956 km; , Benin 266 km; , Burkina Faso 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 Bagzane 2,022 m

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

Land use
Arable land: 3.54%
Permanent crops: 0.01%
Other: 96.45% (2001)

Irrigated land: 660 km² (1998 est.)

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

Population: 11,665,937 (July 2005 est.)
Growth rate: 2.63% (2005 est.)
Below poverty line: 63% (1993 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Nigerien
Adjective: Nigerien

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 Christian

Age structure
0-14 years: 47.3% (male 2,811,539/female 2,704,498)
15-64 years: 50.6% (male 2,890,119/female 3,009,281)
65 years and over: 2.1% (male 130,953/female 119,547) (2005 est.)

Median age
Total: 16.25 years
Male: 15.8 years
Female: 16.72 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.63% (2005 est.)

Birth rate: 48.3 births/1000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate: 21.33 deaths/1000 population (2005 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.65 migrant(s)/1000 population (2005 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
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

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.04 male/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male/female
65 years and over: 1.1 male/female
Total population: 1 male/female (2005 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 121.69 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 125.93 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 117.33 deaths/1000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 43.5 years
Male: 43.54 years
Female: 43.45 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.75 children born/woman (2005 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 1.2% (2003 est.)
People living with hivaids: 70,000 (2003 est.)
Deaths: 4,800 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: very high
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
Vectorborne disease: malaria is a high risk in some locations
Respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2004)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 17.6%
Male: 25.8%
Female: 9.7% (2003 est.)

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: 8 regions (regions singular - region) includes 1 capital district* (commune urbaine); Agadez Diffa Dosso Maradi Niamey* Tahoua Tillaberi Zinder

Independence: 3 August 1960 (from France)

National holiday: Republic Day 18 December (1958)

Constitution: new constitution adopted 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

Executive branch
Chief of state: President TANDJA Mamadou (since 22 December 1999); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
Head of government: President TANDJA Mamadou (since 22 December 1999); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; Prime Minister Hama AMADOU (since 31 December 1999) was appointed by the president and shares some executive responsibilities with the president
Cabinet: 27-member Cabinet appointed by the president
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; second round last held 4 December 2004 (next to be held December 2009); prime minister appointed by the president
Election results: TANDJA Mamadou reelected president; percent of vote - TANDJA Mamadou 65.5%, Mahamadou ISSOUFOU 34.5%

Legislative branch
Elections: last held 4 December 2004 (next to be held December 2009)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - MNSD 47, CDS 22, PNDS 17, RSD 7, RDP 6, ANDP 5, Party for Socialism and Democracy in Niger 1, other 8

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

Political parties and leaders: Alliance for Democracy and Progress or ANDP [leader NA]; Democratic Rally of the People-Jama'a or RDP-Jama'a [Hamid ALGABID]; Democratic and Social Convention-Rahama or CDS-Rahama [Mahamane OUSMANE]; National Movement for a Developing Society-Nassara or MNSD-Nassara [TANDJA Mamadou chairman]; Nigerien Alliance for Democracy and Social Progress-Zaman Lahiya or ANDPS-Zaman Lahiya [Moumouni Adamou DJERMAKOYE]; Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism-Tarayya or PNDS-Tarayya [Mahamadou ISSOUFOU]; Party for Socialism and Democracy in Niger [leader NA]; Rally for Social Democracy or RSD [Cheiffou AMADOU]; Union of Democratic Patriots and Progressives-Chamoua or UPDP-Chamoua [Professor Andre' SALIFOU chairman]

International organization participation: ACCT ACP AfDB AU ECOWAS Entente FAO FZ G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICCt ICFTU ICRM IDA IDB IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF Interpol IOC IOM ISO (subscriber) ITU MONUC NAM OIC ONUB OPCW UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UNMIL UNOCI UPU WADB (regional) WAEMU WCL WCO WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WToO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Joseph DIATTA
In the us chancery: 2,204 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 483-4,224 through 4,227
In the us fax: [1] (202)483-3,169
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Gail Dennise Thomas MATHIEU
From the us embassy: Rue Des Ambassades, Niamey
From the us mailing address: B. P. 11,201, Niamey
From the us telephone: [227] 72 26 61 through 72 26 64
From the us fax: [227] 73 31 67, 72-31-46

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 one of the poorest countries in the world a landlocked Sub-Saharan nation whose economy centers on subsistence crops livestock and some of the world's largest uranium deposits. Drought cycles desertification a 3.3% population growth rate and the drop in world demand for uranium have undercut the economy. Niger shares a common currency the CFA franc and a common central bank the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) with seven other members of the West African Monetary Union. In December 2000 Niger qualified for enhanced debt relief under the International Monetary Fund program for Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) and concluded an agreement with the Fund on a Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF). Debt relief provided under the enhanced HIPC initiative significantly reduces Niger's annual debt service obligations freeing funds for expenditures on basic health care primary education HIV/AIDS prevention rural infrastructure and other programs geared at poverty reduction. Nearly half of the government's budget is derived from foreign donor resources. Future growth may be sustained by exploitation of oil gold coal and other mineral resources.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $9.716 billion (2004 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: 3.5% (2004 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $900 (2004 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 39%
Industry: 17%
Services: 44% (2001)

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

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

Industrial production growth rate: NA (2001 est.)

Labor force: 70,000 receive regular wages or salaries (2002 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 90%
By occupation industry and commerce: 6%
By occupation government: 4%

Unemployment rate: NA (2002 est.)

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

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 0.8%
Highest 10: 35.4% (1995)

Distribution of family income gini index: 50.5 (1995)

Budget
Revenues: $320 million - including $134 million from foreign sources
Expenditures: $320 million, including capital expenditures of $178 million (2002 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 3% (2002 est.)

Exports: $280 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Commodities: uranium ore livestock cowpeas onions
Partners: France 41% Nigeria 22.4% Japan 15.3% Switzerland 6% Spain 4.1% Ghana 4% (2004)

Imports: $400 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Commodities: foodstuffs machinery vehicles and parts petroleum cereals
Partners: France 14.4% US 10.3% French Polynesia 9.4% Nigeria 7.8% Cote d'Ivoire 7.5% Japan 5.2% China 5.1% Thailand 4.1% (2004)

Debt external: $1.6 billion (1999 est.)

Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 528.29 (2004) 581.2 (2003) 696.99 (2002) 733.04 (2001) 711.98 (2000)

Electricity
Production: 266.2 million kWh (2002)
Consumption: 327.6 million kWh (2002)
Exports: 0 kWh (2002)
Imports: 80 million kWh (2002)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 22,400 (2002)
Mobile cellular: 24,000 (2003)

Telephone system
General assessment: small system of wire, radio telephone communications, and microwave radio relay links concentrated in the southwestern area of Niger
Domestic: wire, radiotelephone communications, and microwave radio relay; domestic satellite system with 3 earth stations and 1 planned
International: country code - 227; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean)

Internet
Country code: .ne
Hosts: 134 (2003)
Users: 15,000 (2002)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $33.3 million (2004)
Percent of gdp: 1.1% (2004)

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 2 years (2004)

Airports: 27 (2004 est.)
With paved runways total: 9
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 6
With paved runways under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 18
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 14
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.)

Waterways
Note: Niger River is navigable to Gaya between September and March (2004)

Disputes international: Libya claims about 25,000 km² in a currently dormant dispute; much of Benin-Niger boundary including tripoint with Nigeria remains undemarcated and states expect a ruling in 2005 from the ICJ over the disputed Niger and Mekrou River islands; only Nigeria and Cameroon have heeded the Lake Chad Commission's admonition to ratify the delimitation treaty which also includes Chad and Niger