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Communications

Airports [time series]

29 total, 27 usable; 8 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 13 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air [time series]

2 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; 14,260 telephones; broadcast stations - 15 AM, 5 FM, 18 TV; satellite earth stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, and 3 domestic, with 1 planned

Defense Forces

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Army, Air Force, Gendarmerie, Republican National Guard, National police

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

exchange rate conversion - $27 million, 1.3% of GDP (1989)

Manpower availability [time series]

males 15-49, 1,724,293; 928,177 fit for military service; 83,528 reach military age (18) annually

Economy

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 (1970-89), $3,165 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $504 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $61 million

Electricity [time series]

105,000 kW capacity; 230 million kWh produced, 30 kWh per capita (1991)

Exchange rates [time series]

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 269.01 (January 1992), 282.11 (1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987)

Exports [time series]

$320 million (f.o.b., 1990) 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]

exchange rate conversion - $2.4 billion, per capita $300; real growth rate -3.4% (1991)

Imports [time series]

$439 million (c.i.f., 1990) 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 0% (1989); 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]

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

About 90% of the population is engaged in farming and stock raising, activities that 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%

Geography

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

Area (Land area) [time series]

1,266,700 km2

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

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

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

Capital [time series]

Niamey

Constitution [time series]

December 1989 constitution revised November 1991 by National Democratic Reform Conference

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 Jennifer C. WARD; Embassy at Avenue des Ambassades, Niamey (mailing address is B. P. 11201, Niamey); telephone [227] 72-26-61 through 64

Executive branch (Elections) [time series]

President: President Ali SAIBOU has been in office since December 1989, but the presidency is now a largely ceremonial position 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 held a national conference from July to November 1991 to decide upon a transitional government and an agenda for multiparty elections

Executive branch [time series]

president (ceremonial), prime minister (interim), 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)

Executive branch (Leaders) [time series]

Chief of State: President Brig. Gen. Ali SAIBOU (since 14 November 1987); ceremonial post since national conference (1991) Head of Government: Interim Prime Minister Amadou CHEIFFOU (since November 1991)

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

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 [time series]

Republic Day, 18 December (1958)

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

National Movement of the Development Society (MNSD-NASSARA), Tanda MAMADOU; Niger Progressive Party - African Democratic Rally (PPN-RDA), Harou KOUKA; Union of Popular Forces for Democracy and Progress (UDFP-SAWABA), Djibo BAKARY; Niger Democratic Union (UDN-SAWABA), Mamoudou PASCAL; Union of Patriots, Democrats, and Progressives (UPDP), Andre SALIFOU; Niger Social Democrat Party (PSDN-ALHERI), Mallam Adji WAZIRI; Niger Party for Democracy and Socialism (PNDS-TARAYA), Issoufou MAHAMADOU; Democratic and Social Convention (CDS-RAHAMA), Mahamane OUSMANE; Union for Democracy and Progress (UDP), Bello TCHIOUSSO; Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS-AMANA), Akoli DAOUEL; Masses Union for Democratic Action (UMAD-AIKI), Belko GARBA; Worker's Liberation Party (PLT), Idi Ango OUMAROU; Convention for Social Rehabilitation (CRS), Abdoul Karim SEYNI; Popular Movement for Democracy in Niger (MPDN), Abdou SANDA; Popular Front for National Liberation (FPLN), Diallo SABO; Republican Party for Freedom and Progress in Niger (PRLPN), Alka ALMOU; other parties forming

Suffrage [time series]

universal adult at age 18

Government type (Type) [time series]

as of November 1991, transition government appointed by national reform conference; scheduled to turn over power to democratically elected government in January 1993

People

Birth rate [time series]

58 births/1,000 population (1992)

Death rate [time series]

23 deaths/1,000 population (1992)

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]

115 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)

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 [time series]

French (official); Hausa, Djerma

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

42 years male, 45 years female (1992)

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 (1992)

Organized labor [time series]

negligible

Population [time series]

8,052,945 (July 1992), growth rate 3.5% (1992)

Religions [time series]

Muslim 80%, remainder indigenous beliefs and Christians

Total fertility rate [time series]

7.4 children born/woman (1992)