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Communications

Internet country code [time series]

.ne

Internet users (Internet hosts) [time series]

189 (2006)

Internet users [time series]

24,000 (2005)

Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM 5, FM 6, shortwave 4 (2001)

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

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)

Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones - main lines in use) [time series]

24,000 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular [time series]

299,900 (2005)

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

3 (plus seven low-power repeaters) (2002)

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [time series]

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

Budget [time series]

revenues: $320 million - including $134 million from foreign sources expenditures: $320 million; including capital expenditures of $178 million (2002 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency (code)) [time series]

Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States (BCEAO)

Debt - external [time series]

$2.1 billion (2003 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income (Distribution of family income - Gini index) [time series]

50.5 (1995)

Economic aid (Economic aid - recipient) [time series]

$453.3 million (2003)

Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]

Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world, ranking last on the United Nations Development Fund index of human development. It is 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 2.9% 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. In December 2005, it was announced that Niger had received 100% multilateral debt relief from the IMF, which translates into the forgiveness of approximately $86 million USD in debts to the IMF, excluding the remaining assistance under HIPC. 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. Uranium prices have recovered somewhat in the last few years. A drought and locust infestation in 2005 led to food shortages for as many as 2.5 million Nigerians.

Electricity - consumption [time series]

263.9 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports [time series]

0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports [time series]

50 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - production [time series]

230 million kWh (2003)

Exchange rates [time series]

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001)

Exports [time series]

$222 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities [time series]

uranium ore, livestock, cowpeas, onions

Exports - partners [time series]

France 47.8%, Nigeria 21.4%, US 20.3% (2005)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

GDP (official exchange rate) [time series]

$3.432 billion (2005 est.)

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

$11.59 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP - composition by sector) [time series]

agriculture: 39% industry: 17% services: 44% (2001)

Real GDP per capita (GDP - per capita (PPP)) [time series]

$1,000 (2005 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (GDP - real growth rate) [time series]

7% (2005 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]

lowest 10%: 0.8% highest 10%: 35.4% (1995)

Imports [time series]

$588 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities [time series]

foodstuffs, machinery, vehicles and parts, petroleum, cereals

Imports - partners [time series]

France 14.5%, US 10.7%, French Polynesia 7.5%, Nigeria 7.4%, Italy 6.7%, Cote d'Ivoire 5.1%, Belgium 4.6%, Germany 4.5%, China 4.5% (2005)

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

5.1% (2003 est.)

Industries [time series]

uranium mining, cement, brick, soap, textiles, food processing, chemicals, slaughterhouses

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

0.2% (2004 est.)

Labor force [time series]

70,000 salaried workers, 60% of whom are employed in the public sector (2002 est.)

Labor force - by occupation [time series]

agriculture: 90% industry: 6% services: 4%

Natural gas - consumption [time series]

0 cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - production [time series]

0 cu m (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption [time series]

5,400 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports [time series]

NA bbl/day

Oil - imports [time series]

NA bbl/day

Oil - production [time series]

0 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Population below poverty line [time series]

63% (1993 est.)

Unemployment rate [time series]

NA%

Geography

Area [time series]

total: 1.267 million sq km land: 1,266,700 sq km water: 300 sq km

Area - comparative [time series]

slightly less than twice the size of Texas

Climate [time series]

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

Coastline [time series]

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation (Elevation extremes) [time series]

lowest point: Niger River 200 m highest point: Mont Bagzane 2,022 m

Environment - current issues [time series]

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

International environmental agreements (Environment - international agreements) [time series]

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Geographic coordinates [time series]

16 00 N, 8 00 E

Geography - note [time series]

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

Irrigated land [time series]

730 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries [time series]

total: 5,697 km border countries: Algeria 956 km, Benin 266 km, Burkina Faso 628 km, Chad 1,175 km, Libya 354 km, Mali 821 km, Nigeria 1,497 km

Land use [time series]

arable land: 11.43% permanent crops: 0.01% other: 88.56% (2005)

Location [time series]

Western Africa, southeast of Algeria

Map references [time series]

Africa

Maritime claims [time series]

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards [time series]

recurring droughts

Natural resources [time series]

uranium, coal, iron ore, tin, phosphates, gold, molybdenum, gypsum, salt, petroleum

Terrain [time series]

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

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

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

Capital [time series]

name: Niamey geographic coordinates: 13 31 N, 2 07 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Constitution [time series]

new constitution adopted 18 July 1999

Country name [time series]

conventional long form: Republic of Niger conventional short form: Niger local long form: Republique du Niger local short form: Niger

Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Bernadette M. ALLEN embassy: Rue Des Ambassades, Niamey mailing address: B. P. 11201, Niamey telephone: [227] 73 31 69 FAX: [227] 73 55 60

Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Aminata Maiga Djibrilla TOURE chancery: 2204 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 483-4224 through 4227 FAX: [1] (202)483-3169

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state: President Mamadou TANDJA (since 22 December 1999); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government head of government: President Mamadou TANDJA (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: 26-member Cabinet appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); second round last held 4 December 2004 (next to be held December 2009); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Mamadou TANDJA reelected president; percent of vote - Mamadou TANDJA 65.5%, Mahamadou ISSOUFOU 34.5%

Flag (Flag description) [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

Government type [time series]

republic

Independence [time series]

3 August 1960 (from France)

International organization participation [time series]

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, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OIF, ONUB, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNOCI, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Judicial branch [time series]

State Court or Cour d'Etat; Court of Appeals or Cour d'Appel

Legal system [time series]

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

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral National Assembly (113 seats; note - expanded from 83 seats; members elected by popular vote for five-year terms) 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 25, RSD 7, RDP 6, ANDP 5, PSDN 1

National holiday [time series]

Republic Day, 18 December (1958)

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

Democratic and Social Convention-Rahama or CDS-Rahama [Mahamane OUSMANE]; National Movement for a Developing Society-Nassara or MNSD-Nassara [Hama AMADOU]; Niger Social Democratic Party or PSDN; Nigerien Alliance for Democracy and Social Progress-Zaman Lahiya or ANDP-Zaman Lahiya [Moumouni DJERMAKOYE]; Nigerien Party for Autonomy or PNA-Alouma'a [Sanousi JACKOU]; Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism or PNDS-Tarrayya [Issifou MAHAMADOU]; Nigerien Progressive Party or PPN-RDA [Abdoulaye DIORI]; Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP-jama'a [Hamid ALGABID]; Social and Democratic Rally or RSD-Gaskiyya [Cheiffou AMADOU]

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

Coalition Against a High Cost of Living [Nouhou ARZIKA]

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Introduction

Background [time series]

Niger became independent from France in 1960 and experienced single-party and military rule until 1991, when Gen. Ali SAIBOU was forced by public pressure to allow multiparty elections, which resulted in a democratic government in 1993. Political infighting brought the government to a standstill and in 1996 led to a coup by Col. Ibrahim BARE. In 1999 BARE was killed in a coup by military officers who promptly restored democratic rule and held elections that brought Mamadou TANDJA to power in December of that year. TANDJA was reelected in 2004. 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.

Military

Manpower available for military service [time series]

males age 18-49: 2,367,828 females age 18-49: 2,217,568 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service [time series]

males age 18-49: 1,349,863 females age 18-49: 1,256,569 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually [time series]

males age 18-49: 129,045 females age 18-49: 121,230 (2005 est.)

Military and security forces (Military branches) [time series]

Nigerien Armed Forces (Forces Armees Nigeriennes, FAN): Army, National Air Force (2005)

Military expenditures (Military expenditures - percent of GDP) [time series]

1.4% (2005 est.)

Military service age and obligation [time series]

18 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - two years (2004)

People

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 46.9% (male 2,994,022/female 2,882,273) 15-64 years: 50.7% (male 3,262,114/female 3,083,522) 65 years and over: 2.4% (male 150,982/female 152,181) (2006 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

50.73 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate [time series]

20.91 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups [time series]

Hausa 56%, Djerma 22%, Fula 8.5%, Tuareg 8%, Beri Beri (Kanouri) 4.3%, Arab, Toubou, and Gourmantche 1.2%, about 1,200 French expatriates

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate [time series]

1.2% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths [time series]

4,800 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS [time series]

70,000 (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate [time series]

total: 118.25 deaths/1,000 live births male: 122.29 deaths/1,000 live births female: 114.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Languages [time series]

French (official), Hausa, Djerma

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 43.76 years male: 43.8 years female: 43.73 years (2006 est.)

Literacy [time series]

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 17.6% male: 25.8% female: 9.7% (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases [time series]

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 (2005)

Median age [time series]

total: 16.5 years male: 16.5 years female: 16.4 years (2006 est.)

Nationality [time series]

noun: Nigerien(s) adjective: Nigerien

Net migration rate [time series]

-0.61 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Population [time series]

12,525,094 (July 2006 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

2.92% (2006 est.)

Religions [time series]

Muslim 80%, remainder indigenous beliefs and Christian

Sex ratio [time series]

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.99 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

7.46 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international [time series]

Libya claims about 25,000 sq km in a currently dormant dispute; much of Benin-Niger boundary, including tripoint with Nigeria, remains undemarcated; only Nigeria and Cameroon have heeded the Lake Chad Commission's admonition to ratify the delimitation treaty which also includes the Chad-Niger and Niger-Nigeria boundaries

Transportation

Airports [time series]

28 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways [time series]

total: 9 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways [time series]

total: 19 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 15 under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Ports (Ports and terminals) [time series]

none

Roadways [time series]

total: 10,100 km paved: 798 km unpaved: 9,302 km (1999)

Waterways [time series]

300 km (the Niger, the only major river, is navigable to Gaya between September and March) (2005)