Airports [time series]

31 total, 29 usable; 7 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 12 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, 0.9% of GDP (1988)

Manpower availability [time series]

males 15-49, 1,713,566; 923,634 fit for military service; 90,801 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

Budget [time series]

revenues $220 million; expenditures $446 million, including capital expenditures of $190 million (FY89 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

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

Economic aid [time series]

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $380 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $3.0 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $504 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $61 million

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--256.54 (January 1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987), 346.30 (1986), 449.26 (1985)

Exports [time series]

$308 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities--uranium 75%, livestock products, cowpeas, onions; partners--France 65%, Nigeria 11%, Ivory Coast, Italy

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$1.8 billion (December 1990 est.)

Fiscal year [time series]

1 October-30 September

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

$2.0 billion, per capita $270; real growth rate - 3.3% (1989 est.)

Imports [time series]

$386 million (c.i.f., 1989 est.); commodities--petroleum products, primary materials, machinery, vehicles and parts, electronic equipment, pharmaceuticals, chemical products, cereals, foodstuffs; partners--France 32%, Ivory Coast 11%, Germany 5%, Italy 4%, Nigeria 4%

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

growth rate 3.0% (1989 est.); accounts for 18% of GDP

Industries [time series]

cement, brick, textiles, food processing, chemicals, slaughterhouses, and a few other small light industries; uranium production began in 1971

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

- 2.8% (1989)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

About 90% of the population is engaged in farming and stock rearing, activities which generate almost half 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 Germany, 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; demarcation of international boundaries in Lake Chad, the lack of which has led to border incidents in the past, is completed and awaiting ratification by Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria; 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]

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

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 Ambassades, Niamey (mailing address is B. P. 11201, Niamey); telephone [227] 72-26-61 through 64

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 MAHAMIDOU (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 Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)

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

Republic of Niger

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEAO, ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

National holiday (National holidays) [time series]

Republic Day, 18 December (1958)

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

National Movement for the Development Society (MNSD), leader NA; other political parties now forming

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 Assembly--last held 10 December 1989 (next to be held NA); results--MNSD was the only party; seats--(150 total) MNSD 150 (indirectly elected); note--Niger is to hold a national conference to decide upon a transitional government and an agenda for multiparty elections

Government type (Type) [time series]

republic; presidential system in which military officers hold key offices

Birth rate [time series]

50 births/1,000 population (1991)

Death rate [time series]

16 deaths/1,000 population (1991)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

Hausa 56%; Djerma 22%; Fula 8.5%; Tuareg 8%; Beri Beri (Kanouri) 4.3%; Arab, Toubou, and Gourmantche 1.2%; about 4,000 French expatriates

Infant mortality rate [time series]

129 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

Labor force [time series]

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

Languages (Language) [time series]

French (official); Hausa, Djerma

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

49 years male, 53 years female (1991)

Literacy [time series]

28% (male 40%, female 17%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

Nationality [time series]

noun--Nigerien(s) adjective--Nigerien

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)

Organized labor [time series]

negligible

Population [time series]

8,154,145 (July 1991), growth rate 3.4% (1991)

Religions (Religion) [time series]

Muslim 80%, remainder indigenous beliefs and Christians

Total fertility rate [time series]

7.0 children born/woman (1991)