CIA - The World Factbook

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. A predominately Tuareg ethnic group emerged in February 2007, the Nigerien Movement for Justice (MNJ), and attacked several military targets in Niger's northern region throughout 2007 and 2008. Events have since evolved into a fledging insurgency.

Western Africa, southeast of Algeria

slightly less than twice the size of Texas

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

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

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

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

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

15,306,252 (July 2009 est.)

51.6 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)

14.83 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)

-0.57 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)

7.75 children born/woman (2009 est.)

Haoussa 55.4%, Djerma Sonrai 21%, Tuareg 9.3%, Peuhl 8.5%, Kanouri Manga 4.7%, other 1.2% (2001 census)

Muslim 80%, other (includes indigenous beliefs and Christian) 20%

French (official), Hausa, Djerma

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

3 August 1960 (from France)

Republic Day, 18 December (1958)

adopted 18 July 1999

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

18 years of age; universal

unicameral National Assembly (113 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

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

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; Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP-jama'a [Hamid ALGABID]; Social and Democratic Rally or RSD-Gaskiyya [Cheiffou AMADOU]

The Nigerien Movement for Justice or MNJ, a predominantly Tuareg rebel group

ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

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 is one of the poorest countries in the world, ranking near 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, and strong population growth 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, Niger received 100% multilateral debt relief from the IMF, which translates into the forgiveness of approximately US $86 million 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 increased sharply in the last few years. A drought and locust infestation in 2005 led to food shortages for as many as 2.5 million Nigeriens.

$9.784 billion (2008 est.)

$9.239 billion (2007)

$8.944 billion (2006)

$5.322 billion (2008 est.)

70,000 salaried workers, 60% of whom are employed in the public sector (1995)

4.75% (31 December 2008)

4.25% (31 December 2007)

$NA (31 December 2008)

$604.5 million (31 December 2007)

$NA (31 December 2008)

$193.7 million (31 December 2007)

$NA (31 December 2008)

$318.9 million (31 December 2007)

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

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

240 million kWh (2006 est.)

443.2 million kWh (2006 est.)

225 million kWh (2007 est.)

0 bbl/day (2007 est.)

5,550 bbl/day (2006 est.)

5,425 bbl/day (2005)

0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

$-321 million (2007 est.)

$428 million f.o.b. (2006)

uranium ore, livestock, cowpeas, onions

France 57%, Nigeria 26.4%, Ghana 4.1% (2007)

$800 million f.o.b. (2006)

foodstuffs, machinery, vehicles and parts, petroleum, cereals

France 15.9%, French Polynesia 8.8%, Nigeria 8.6%, Belgium 8.6%, US 6.9%, Cote d'Ivoire 5.6% (2007)

$2.1 billion (2003 est.)

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 447.81 (2008 est.), 493.51 (2007), 522.59 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004)

AM 5, FM 6, shortwave 4 (2001)

300 km (the Niger, the only major river, is navigable to Gaya between September and March) (2008)

Nigerien Armed Forces (Forces Armees Nigeriennes, FAN): Army, Niger Air Force (Force Aerienne du Niger) (2008)

17-21 years of age for voluntary military service; 2-year service term; women may serve in health care (2008)

Libya claims about 25,000 sq km in a currently dormant dispute in the Tommo region; 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