:Niger Geography Total area: 1,267,000 km2 Land area: 1,266,700 km2 Comparative area: slightly less than twice the size of Texas Land boundaries: 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 Coastline: none - landlocked Maritime claims: none - landlocked Disputes: 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 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 Natural resources: uranium, coal, iron ore, tin, phosphates Land use: arable land 3%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 7%; forest and woodland 2%; other 88%; includes irrigated NEGL% Environment: recurrent drought and desertification severely affecting marginal agricultural activities; overgrazing; soil erosion Note: landlocked :Niger People Population: 8,052,945 (July 1992), growth rate 3.5% (1992) Birth rate: 58 births/1,000 population (1992) Death rate: 23 deaths/1,000 population (1992) Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1992) Infant mortality rate: 115 deaths/1,000 live births (1992) Life expectancy at birth: 42 years male, 45 years female (1992) Total fertility rate: 7.4 children born/woman (1992) Nationality: noun - Nigerien(s); adjective - Nigerien Ethnic divisions: 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 Religions: Muslim 80%, remainder indigenous beliefs and Christians Languages: French (official); Hausa, Djerma Literacy: 28% (male 40%, female 17%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.) Labor force: 2,500,000 wage earners (1982); agriculture 90%, industry and commerce 6%, government 4%; 51% of population of working age (1985) Organized labor: negligible :Niger Government Long-form name: Republic of Niger Type: as of November 1991, transition government appointed by national reform conference; scheduled to turn over power to democratically elected government in January 1993 Capital: Niamey Administrative divisions: 7 departments (departements, singular - departement); Agadez, Diffa, Dosso, Maradi, Niamey, Tahoua, Zinder Independence: 3 August 1960 (from France) Constitution: December 1989 constitution revised November 1991 by National Democratic Reform Conference Legal system: based on French civil law system and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction National holiday: Republic Day, 18 December (1958) Executive branch: president (ceremonial), prime minister (interim), Cabinet Legislative branch: National Assembly Judicial branch: State Court (Cour d'Etat), Court of Appeal (Cour d'Apel) Leaders: 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) Political parties and leaders: 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: universal adult at age 18 Elections: President: President Ali SAIBOU has been in office since December 1989, but the presidency is now a largely ceremonial position :Niger Government 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 Member of: 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 Diplomatic representation: 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 Flag: 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 :Niger Economy Overview: 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. GDP: exchange rate conversion - $2.4 billion, per capita $300; real growth rate -3.4% (1991) Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA Unemployment rate: NA% Budget: revenues $220 million; expenditures $446 million, including capital expenditures of $190 million (FY89 est.) Exports: $320 million (f.o.b., 1990) commodities: uranium 75%, livestock products, cowpeas, onions partners: France 65%, Nigeria 11%, Ivory Coast, Italy Imports: $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% External debt: $1.8 billion (December 1990 est.) Industrial production: growth rate 0% (1989); accounts for 18% of GDP Electricity: 105,000 kW capacity; 230 million kWh produced, 30 kWh per capita (1991) Industries: cement, brick, textiles, food processing, chemicals, slaughterhouses, and a few other small light industries; uranium production began in 1971 Agriculture: 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 Economic aid: 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 Currency: Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (plural - francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes Exchange rates: 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) :Niger Economy Fiscal year: 1 October - 30 September :Niger Communications Highways: 39,970 km total; 3,170 km bituminous, 10,330 km gravel and laterite, 3,470 km earthen, 23,000 km tracks Inland waterways: Niger River is navigable 300 km from Niamey to Gaya on the Benin frontier from mid-December through March Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft Airports: 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 Telecommunications: 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 :Niger Defense Forces Branches: Army, Air Force, Gendarmerie, Republican National Guard, National police Manpower availability: males 15-49, 1,724,293; 928,177 fit for military service; 83,528 reach military age (18) annually Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $27 million, 1.3% of GDP (1989)