Airports [time series]

31 total, 29 usable; 7 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 11 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air [time series]

no major transport aircraft

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

39,970 km total; 3,170 km bituminous, 10,330 km gravel and laterite, 3,470 km earthen, 23,000 km tracks

Waterways (Inland waterways) [time series]

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

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

small system of wire, radiocommunications, and radio relay links concentrated in southwestern area; 11,900 telephones; stations--15 AM, 5 FM, 16 TV; satellite earth stations--1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, and 4 domestic

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Army, Air Force, paramilitary Gendarmerie, paramilitary Republican Guard, paramilitary Presidential Guard, paramilitary National Police

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

$20.6 million (1988)

Military manpower [time series]

males 15-49, 1,656,466; 894,095 fit for military service; 87,478 reach military age (18) annually

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

accounts for roughly 40% 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

Aid [time series]

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $349 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $2.8 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $504 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $61 million

Budget [time series]

revenues $254 million; expenditures $510 million, including capital expenditures of $239 million (1988 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (plural--francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes

Electricity [time series]

102,000 kW capacity; 225 million kWh produced, 30 kWh per capita (1989)

Exchange rates [time series]

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1--287.99 (January 1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987), 346.30 (1986), 449.26 (1985)

Exports [time series]

$371 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.); commodities--uranium 76%, livestock, cowpeas, onions, hides, skins; partners--NA

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$1.8 billion (December 1989 est.)

Fiscal year [time series]

1 October-30 September

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

$2.4 billion, per capita $330; real growth rate 7.1% (1988 est.)

Imports [time series]

$441 million (c.i.f., 1988 est.); commodities--petroleum products, primary materials, machinery, vehicles and parts, electronic equipment, pharmaceuticals, chemical products, cereals, foodstuffs

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate 4.7% (1989 est.)

Industries [time series]

cement, brick, rice mills, small cotton gins, oilseed presses, slaughterhouses, and a few other small light industries; uranium production began in 1971

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

- 1.4% (1988)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

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 sluggishness in the economy, a severe trade imbalance, and a mounting external debt.

Unemployment rate [time series]

NA%

Climate [time series]

desert; mostly hot, dry, dusty; tropical in extreme south

Coastline [time series]

none--landlocked

Area - comparative (Comparative area) [time series]

slightly less than twice the size of Texas

Disputes - international (Disputes) [time series]

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 proceeding with boundary demarcation, including the tripoint with Niger

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

recurrent drought and desertification severely affecting marginal agricultural activities; overgrazing; soil erosion

Land boundaries [time series]

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

Land use [time series]

3% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 7% meadows and pastures; 2% forest and woodland; 88% other; includes NEGL% irrigated

Maritime claims [time series]

none--landlocked

Natural resources [time series]

uranium, coal, iron ore, tin, phosphates

Note [time series]

landlocked

Terrain [time series]

predominately desert plains and sand dunes; flat to rolling plains in south; hills in north

Area (Total area) [time series]

1,267,000 km2; land area: 1,266,700 km2

Administrative divisions [time series]

7 departments (departements, singular--departement); Agadez, Diffa, Dosso, Maradi, Niamey, Tahoua, Zinder

Capital [time series]

Niamey

Political parties (Communists) [time series]

no Communist party; some sympathizers in outlawed Sawaba party

Constitution [time series]

adopted NA December 1989 after 15 years of military rule

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation) [time series]

Ambassador Moumouni Adamou DJERMAKOYE; Chancery at 2204 R Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 483-4224 through 4227; US--Ambassador Carl C. CUNDIFF; Embassy at Avenue des Ambassadeurs, Niamey (mailing address is B. P. 11201, Niamey); telephone [227] 72-26-61 through 64 and 72-26-70

Executive branch [time series]

president, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

Flag [time series]

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

Independence [time series]

3 August 1960 (from France)

Judicial branch [time series]

State Court (Cour d'Etat), Court of Appeal (Cour d'Apel) Chief of State--President Brig. Gen. Ali SAIBOU (since 14 November 1987); Head of Government--Prime Minister ALIOU MAHAMIDA (since 2 March 1990)

Legal system [time series]

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

Legislative branch [time series]

National Development Council

Country name (Long-form name) [time series]

Republic of Niger

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

ACP, 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

National holiday (National holidays) [time series]

Republic Day, 18 December (1958)

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

only party--National Movement for the Development Society (MNSD), leader NA

Suffrage [time series]

universal adult at age 18 President--last held December 1989 (next to be held NA 1996); results--President Ali Saibou was reelected without opposition; National Development Council--last held December 1989 (next to be held NA 1994); results--MNSD is the only party; seats--(150 total) MNSD 150 (indirectly elected)

Government type (Type) [time series]

republic; presidential system in which military officers hold key offices

Birth rate [time series]

52 births/1,000 population (1990)

Death rate [time series]

17 deaths/1,000 population (1990)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

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

Infant mortality rate [time series]

131 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Labor force [time series]

2,500,000 wage earners (1982); 90% agriculture, 6% industry and commerce, 4% government; 51% of population of working age (1985)

Languages (Language) [time series]

French (official); Hausa, Djerma

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

48 years male, 53 years female (1990)

Literacy [time series]

13.9%

Nationality [time series]

noun--Nigerien(s) adjective--Nigerien

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)

Organized labor [time series]

negligible

Population [time series]

7,969,309 (July 1990), growth rate 3.6% (1990)

Religions (Religion) [time series]

80% Muslim, remainder indigenous beliefs and Christians

Total fertility rate [time series]

7.4 children born/woman (1990)