$NA
Agriculture - products:
cowpeas, cotton, peanuts, millet, sorghum, cassava (tapioca), rice; cattle, sheep, goats, camels, donkeys, horses, poultry
Industries:
uranium mining, cement, brick, soap, textiles, food processing, chemicals, slaughterhouses
Industrial production growth rate:
5.1% (2003 est.) country comparison to the world: 45
Electricity - production:
150 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 181
Electricity - consumption:
589.5 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 158
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
450 million kWh (2007 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 156
Oil - consumption:
6,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 161
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 150
Oil - imports:
5,367 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 155
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl country comparison to the world: 151
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 147
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 147
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 144
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 149
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 154
Current account balance:
-$321 million (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 98 -$321 million (2007 est.)
Exports:
$428 million (2006) country comparison to the world: 167 $428 million (2006)
Exports - commodities:
uranium ore, livestock, cowpeas, onions
Exports - partners:
Japan 80.4%, Nigeria 8.5%, France 2.9% (2008)
Imports:
$800 million (2006) country comparison to the world: 176
Imports - commodities:
foodstuffs, machinery, vehicles and parts, petroleum, cereals
Imports - partners:
France 16.6%, China 10.9%, Algeria 9.6%, Nigeria 7.4%, French
Polynesia 6.5%, Belgium 4.2%, Cote d'Ivoire 4.2% (2008)
Debt - external:
$2.1 billion (2003 est.) country comparison to the world: 134
Exchange rates:
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 447.81 (2008 est.), 493.51 (2007), 522.59 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004)
note: since 1 January 1999, the West African CFA franc (XOF) has been pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 CFA francs per euro; West African CFA franc (XOF) coins and banknotes are not accepted in countries using Central African CFA francs (XAF), and vice versa, even though the two currencies trade at par
Communications ::Niger
Telephones - main lines in use:
24,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 186
Telephones - mobile cellular:
1.677 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 129
Telephone system:
general assessment: inadequate; small system of wire, radio telephone communications, and microwave radio relay links concentrated in the southwestern area of Niger
domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity only 13 per 100 persons with cellular subscribership increasing rapidly from a small base; 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) (2008)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 5, FM 6, shortwave 4 (2001)
Television broadcast stations:
5 (2007)
Internet country code:
.ne
Internet hosts:
253 (2009) country comparison to the world: 182
Internet users:
80,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 160
Transportation ::Niger
Airports:
28 (2009) country comparison to the world: 119
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 10
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 6
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 18
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 14
under 914 m: 2 (2009)
Roadways:
total: 18,550 km country comparison to the world: 115 paved: 3,803 km
unpaved: 14,747 km (2006)
Waterways:
300 km (the Niger, the only major river, is navigable to Gaya between September and March) (2008) country comparison to the world: 94
Military ::Niger
Military branches:
Nigerien Armed Forces (Forces Armees Nigeriennes, FAN): Army, Niger
Air Force (Force Aerienne du Niger) (2009)
Military service age and obligation:
17-21 years of age for selective compulsory or voluntary military service; enlistees must be Nigerien citizens and unmarried; 2-year service term; women may serve in health care (2009)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 2,871,868
females age 16-49: 2,696,966 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 2,019,553
females age 16-49: 2,046,906 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 170,060
female: 163,996 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.3% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 122
Transnational Issues ::Niger
Disputes - international:
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
Trafficking in persons:
current situation: Niger is a source, transit, and destination country for children and women trafficked for forced labor and sexual exploitation; caste-based slavery practices, rooted in ancestral master-slave relationships, continue in isolated areas of the country - an estimated 8,800 to 43,000 Nigeriens live under conditions of traditional slavery; children are trafficked within Niger for forced begging, forced labor in gold mines, domestic servitude, sexual exploitation, and possibly for forced labor in agriculture and stone quarries; women and children from neighboring states are trafficked to and through Niger for domestic servitude, sexual exploitation, forced labor in mines and on farms, and as mechanics and welders
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Niger is on the Tier 2 Watch List for its failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts to eliminate trafficking in 2007; in particular, measures to combat and eliminate traditional slavery practices were weak; the government's overall law enforcement efforts have stalled from 2006; while efforts to protect child trafficking victims were steady, the government failed to provide services to or rescue adult victims subjected to traditional slavery practices, and made poor efforts to educate the public about traditional slavery practices in general (2008)
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Nigeria (Africa)
Introduction ::Nigeria
Background:
British influence and control over what would become Nigeria and Africa's most populous country grew through the 19th century. A series of constitutions after World War II granted Nigeria greater autonomy; independence came in 1960. Following nearly 16 years of military rule, a new constitution was adopted in 1999, and a peaceful transition to civilian government was completed. The government continues to face the daunting task of reforming a petroleum-based economy, whose revenues have been squandered through corruption and mismanagement, and institutionalizing democracy. In addition, Nigeria continues to experience longstanding ethnic and religious tensions. Although both the 2003 and 2007 presidential elections were marred by significant irregularities and violence, Nigeria is currently experiencing its longest period of civilian rule since independence. The general elections of April 2007 marked the first civilian-to-civilian transfer of power in the country's history.
Geography ::Nigeria
Location:
Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Benin and
Cameroon
Geographic coordinates:
10 00 N, 8 00 E
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 923,768 sq km country comparison to the world: 32 land: 910,768 sq km
water: 13,000 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly more than twice the size of California
Land boundaries:
total: 4,047 km
border countries: Benin 773 km, Cameroon 1,690 km, Chad 87 km, Niger 1,497 km
Coastline:
853 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climate:
varies; equatorial in south, tropical in center, arid in north
Terrain:
southern lowlands merge into central hills and plateaus; mountains in southeast, plains in north
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Chappal Waddi 2,419 m
Natural resources:
natural gas, petroleum, tin, iron ore, coal, limestone, niobium, lead, zinc, arable land
Land use:
arable land: 33.02%
permanent crops: 3.14%
other: 63.84% (2005)
Irrigated land:
2,820 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
286.2 cu km (2003)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 8.01 cu km/yr (21%/10%/69%)
per capita: 61 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
periodic droughts; flooding
Environment - current issues:
soil degradation; rapid deforestation; urban air and water pollution; desertification; oil pollution - water, air, and soil; has suffered serious damage from oil spills; loss of arable land; rapid urbanization
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
the Niger enters the country in the northwest and flows southward through tropical rain forests and swamps to its delta in the Gulf of Guinea
People ::Nigeria
Population:
149,229,090 country comparison to the world: 8 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2009 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 41.5% (male 31,624,050/female 30,242,637)
15-64 years: 55.5% (male 42,240,641/female 40,566,672)
65 years and over: 3.1% (male 2,211,840/female 2,343,250) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 19 years
male: 18.9 years
female: 19.1 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.999% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 59
Birth rate:
36.65 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 30
Death rate:
16.56 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 13
Net migration rate:
-0.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 92
Urbanization:
urban population: 48% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 3.8% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.94 male(s)/female
total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 94.35 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 13 male: 100.38 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 87.97 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 46.94 years country comparison to the world: 212 male: 46.16 years
female: 47.76 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
4.91 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 32
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
3.1% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 23
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
2.6 million (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 3
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
170,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 3
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: malaria and yellow fever
respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis
aerosolized dust or soil contact disease: one of the most highly endemic areas for Lassa fever
water contact disease: leptospirosis and shistosomiasis
animal contact disease: rabies
note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2009)
Nationality:
noun: Nigerian(s)
adjective: Nigerian
Ethnic groups:
Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, is composed of more than 250 ethnic groups; the following are the most populous and politically influential: Hausa and Fulani 29%, Yoruba 21%, Igbo (Ibo) 18%, Ijaw 10%, Kanuri 4%, Ibibio 3.5%, Tiv 2.5%
Religions:
Muslim 50%, Christian 40%, indigenous beliefs 10%
Languages:
English (official), Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo (Ibo), Fulani
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 68%
male: 75.7%
female: 60.6% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 8 years
male: 9 years
female: 7 years (2004)
Education expenditures:
0.9% of GDP (1991) country comparison to the world: 180
Government ::Nigeria
Country name:
conventional long form: Federal Republic of Nigeria
conventional short form: Nigeria
Government type:
federal republic
Capital:
name: Abuja
geographic coordinates: 9 05 N, 7 32 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
36 states and 1 territory*; Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra,
Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo,
Ekiti, Enugu, Federal Capital Territory*, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa,
Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nassarawa, Niger,
Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara
Independence:
1 October 1960 (from the UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day (National Day), 1 October (1960)
Constitution:
adopted 5 May 1999; effective 29 May 1999
Legal system:
based on English common law, Islamic law (in 12 northern states), and traditional law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Umaru Musa YAR'ADUA (since 29 May 2007); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Umaru Musa YAR'ADUA (since 29 May 2007)
cabinet: Federal Executive Council
elections: president is elected by popular vote for a four-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 21 April 2007 (next to be held in April 2011)
election results: Umaru Musa YAR'ADUA elected president; percent of vote - Umaru Musa YAR'ADUA 69.8%, Muhammadu BUHARI 18.7%, Atiku ABUBAKAR 7.5%, Orji Uzor KALU 1.7%, other 2.3%
Legislative branch:
bicameral National Assembly consists of the Senate (109 seats, 3 from each state plus 1 from Abuja; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) and House of Representatives (360 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 21 April 2007 (next to be held in April 2011); House of Representatives - last held 21 April 2007 (next to be held in April 2011)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - PDP 53.7%, ANPP 27.9%, AD 9.7%, other 8.7%; seats by party - PDP 76, ANPP 27, AD 6; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - PDP 54.5%, ANPP 27.4%, AD 8.8%, UNPP 2.8%, NPD 1.9%, APGA 1.6%, PRP 0.8%; seats by party - PDP 76, ANPP 27, AD 6, UNPP 2, APGA 2, NPD 1, PRP 1, vacant 1
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges recommended by the National Judicial Council and appointed by the president); Federal Court of Appeal (judges are appointed by the federal government from a pool of judges recommended by the National Judicial Council)
Political parties and leaders:
Accord Party [Ikra Aliyu BILBIS]; Action Congress or AC [Hassan
ZUMI]; Alliance for Democracy or AD [Mojisoluwa AKINFENWA]; All
Nigeria Peoples' Party or ANPP [Edwin UME-EZEOKE]; All Progressives
Grand Alliance or APGA [Victor C. UMEH]; Democratic People's Party
or DPP [Jeremiah USENI]; Fresh Democratic Party [Chris OKOTIE];
Labor Party [Dan NWANYANWU]; Movement for the Restoration and
Defense of Democracy or MRDD [Mohammed Gambo JIMETA]; National
Democratic Party or NDP [Aliyu Habu FARI]; Peoples Democratic Party
or PDP [Vincent OGBULAFOR]; Peoples Progressive Alliance [Clement
EBRI]; Peoples Redemption Party or PRP [Abdulkadir Balarabe MUSA];
Peoples Salvation Party or PSP [Lawal MAITURARE]; United Nigeria
Peoples Party or UNPP [Mallam Selah JAMBO]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Academic Staff Union for Universities or ASUU; Campaign for
Democracy or CD; Civil Liberties Organization or CLO; Committee for
the Defense of Human Rights or CDHR; Constitutional Right Project or
CRP; Human Right Africa; National Association of Democratic Lawyers
or NADL; National Association of Nigerian Students or NANS; Nigerian
Bar Association or NBA; Nigerian Labor Congress or NLC; Nigerian
Medical Association or NMA; the Press; Universal Defenders of
Democracy or UDD
International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, AU, C, ECOWAS, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURCAT,
MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN,
UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNOMIG,
UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Baba Gana WIKIL
chancery: 3519 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 986-8400
FAX: [1] (202) 775-1385
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Robin SANDERS
embassy: 1075 Diplomatic Drive, Central District Area, Abuja
mailing address: P. O. Box 5760, Garki, Abuja
telephone: [234] (9) 461-4000
FAX: [234] (9) 461-4036
Flag description:
three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and green
Economy ::Nigeria
Economy - overview:
Oil-rich Nigeria, long hobbled by political instability, corruption, inadequate infrastructure, and poor macroeconomic management, has undertaken several reforms over the past decade. Nigeria's former military rulers failed to diversify the economy away from its overdependence on the capital-intensive oil sector, which provides 95% of foreign exchange earnings and about 80% of budgetary revenues. Following the signing of an IMF stand-by agreement in August 2000, Nigeria received a debt-restructuring deal from the Paris Club and a $1 billion credit from the IMF, both contingent on economic reforms. Nigeria pulled out of its IMF program in April 2002, after failing to meet spending and exchange rate targets, making it ineligible for additional debt forgiveness from the Paris Club. Since 2008 the government has begun showing the political will to implement the market-oriented reforms urged by the IMF, such as to modernize the banking system, to curb inflation by blocking excessive wage demands, and to resolve regional disputes over the distribution of earnings from the oil industry. In 2003, the government began deregulating fuel prices, announced the privatization of the country's four oil refineries, and instituted the National Economic Empowerment Development Strategy, a domestically designed and run program modeled on the IMF's Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility for fiscal and monetary management. In November 2005, Abuja won Paris Club approval for a debt-relief deal that eliminated $18 billion of debt in exchange for $12 billion in payments - a total package worth $30 billion of Nigeria's total $37 billion external debt. The deal requires Nigeria to be subject to stringent IMF reviews. Based largely on increased oil exports and high global crude prices, GDP rose strongly in 2007 and 2008. President YAR'ADUA has pledged to continue the economic reforms of his predecessor with emphasis on infrastructure improvements. Infrastructure is the main impediment to growth. The government is working toward developing stronger public-private partnerships for electricity and roads.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$336.2 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 36 $319.3 billion (2007 est.)
$300.1 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$207.1 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
5.3% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 82 6.4% (2007 est.)
6.2% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$2,300 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 182 $2,200 (2007 est.)
$2,100 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 18.1%
industry: 50.8%
services: 31.1% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
51.04 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 10
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 70%
industry: 10%
services: 20% (1999 est.)
Unemployment rate:
4.9% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 61
Population below poverty line:
70% (2007 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2%
highest 10%: 32.4% (2004)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
43.7 (2003) country comparison to the world: 48 50.6 (1997)
Investment (gross fixed):
21.7% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 88
Budget:
revenues: $19.76 billion
expenditures: $24.72 billion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
13.4% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 110 20% of GDP (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
11.6% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 167 5.4% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
9.75% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 46 9.5% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
15.48% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 31 16.94% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$35.29 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 25 $26.82 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$32.04 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 36 $22.78 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$49.51 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 49 $35.68 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$49.8 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 51 $86.35 billion (31 December 2007)
$32.82 billion (31 December 2006)
Agriculture - products:
cocoa, peanuts, palm oil, corn, rice, sorghum, millet, cassava (tapioca), yams, rubber; cattle, sheep, goats, pigs; timber; fish
Industries:
crude oil, coal, tin, columbite; palm oil, peanuts, cotton, rubber, wood; hides and skins, textiles, cement and other construction materials, food products, footwear, chemicals, fertilizer, printing, ceramics, steel, small commercial ship construction and repair
Industrial production growth rate:
2.8% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 88
Electricity - production:
21.92 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 69
Electricity - consumption:
19.21 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 68
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
2.169 million bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 16
Oil - consumption:
286,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 45
Oil - exports:
2.327 million bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 8
Oil - imports:
170,000 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 54
Oil - proved reserves:
36.22 billion bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 10
Natural gas - production:
32.82 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 25
Natural gas - consumption:
12.28 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 46
Natural gas - exports:
20.55 billion cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 11
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 147
Natural gas - proved reserves:
5.215 trillion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 7
Current account balance:
$3.877 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 37 $2.203 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$76.03 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 43 $61.82 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
petroleum and petroleum products 95%, cocoa, rubber
Exports - partners:
US 41.4%, India 10.4%, Brazil 9.4%, Spain 7.2%, France 4.6% (2008)
Imports:
$46.3 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 52 $38.8 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery, chemicals, transport equipment, manufactured goods, food and live animals
Imports - partners:
China 13.8%, Netherlands 9.6%, US 8.4%, UK 5.3%, South Korea 5.2%,
France 4.3% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$53 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 23 $51.33 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$9.996 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 88 $8.007 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$68.84 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 44 $58.84 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$13.02 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 43 $12.72 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Exchange rates:
nairas (NGN) per US dollar - 117.8 (2008 est.), 127.46 (2007), 127.38 (2006), 132.59 (2005), 132.89 (2004)
Communications ::Nigeria
Telephones - main lines in use:
1.308 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 69
Telephones - mobile cellular:
62.988 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 16
Telephone system:
general assessment: further expansion and modernization of the fixed-line telephone network is needed
domestic: the addition of a second fixed-line provider in 2002 resulted in faster growth but subscribership remains only about 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular services growing rapidly, in part responding to the shortcomings of the fixed-line network; multiple cellular service providers operate nationally with subscribership reaching 45 per 100 persons in 2008
international: country code - 234; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe and Asia; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) (2008)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 83, FM 36, shortwave 11 (2001)
Television broadcast stations:
3 (the government controls 2 of the broadcasting stations and 15 repeater stations) (2001)
Internet country code:
.ng
Internet hosts:
1,098 (2009) country comparison to the world: 158
Internet users:
11 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 29
Transportation ::Nigeria
Airports:
56 (2009) country comparison to the world: 83
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 38
over 3,047 m: 7
2,438 to 3,047 m: 12
1,524 to 2,437 m: 11
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 3 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 18
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 13
under 914 m: 3 (2009)
Heliports:
3 (2009)
Pipelines:
condensate 21 km; gas 2,560 km; liquid petroleum gas 97 km; oil 3,396 km; refined products 4,090 km (2008)
Railways:
total: 3,505 km country comparison to the world: 49 narrow gauge: 3,505 km 1.067-m gauge (2008)
Roadways:
total: 193,200 km country comparison to the world: 27 paved: 28,980 km
unpaved: 164,220 km (2004)
Waterways:
8,600 km (Niger and Benue rivers and smaller rivers and creeks) (2008) country comparison to the world: 15
Merchant marine:
total: 68 country comparison to the world: 62 by type: cargo 4, chemical tanker 12, combination ore/oil 1, liquefied gas 2, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 46, specialized tanker 2
foreign-owned: 3 (Japan 1, South Africa 1, Spain 1)
registered in other countries: 34 (Bahamas 2, Bermuda 11, Cook Islands 1, Georgia 1, Italy 1, Liberia 2, Panama 10, Poland 1, Seychelles 1, Sierra Leone 1, unknown 3) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Bonny Inshore Terminal, Calabar, Lagos
Transportation - note:
the International Maritime Bureau reports the territorial and offshore waters in the Niger Delta and Gulf of Guinea as high risk for piracy and armed robbery against ships; numerous commercial vessels have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while underway; crews have been robbed and stores or cargoes stolen
Military ::Nigeria
Military branches:
Nigerian Armed Forces: Army, Navy, Air Force (2008)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service (2007)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 31,929,204
females age 16-49: 30,638,979 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 19,763,535
females age 16-49: 18,850,650 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 1,697,030
female: 1,618,561 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.5% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 108
Transnational Issues ::Nigeria
Disputes - international:
Joint Border Commission with Cameroon reviewed 2002 ICJ ruling on the entire boundary and bilaterally resolved differences, including June 2006 Greentree Agreement that immediately cedes sovereignty of the Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon with a phase-out of Nigerian control within two years while resolving patriation issues; the ICJ ruled on an equidistance settlement of Cameroon-Equatorial Guinea-Nigeria maritime boundary in the Gulf of Guinea, but imprecisely defined coordinates in the ICJ decision and a sovereignty dispute between Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon over an island at the mouth of the Ntem River all contribute to the delay in implementation; 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
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 5,778 (Liberia)
IDPs: undetermined (communal violence between Christians and Muslims since President OBASANJO's election in 1999; displacement is mostly short-term) (2007)
Illicit drugs:
a transit point for heroin and cocaine intended for European, East Asian, and North American markets; consumer of amphetamines; safe haven for Nigerian narcotraffickers operating worldwide; major money-laundering center; massive corruption and criminal activity; Nigeria has improved some anti-money-laundering controls, resulting in its removal from the Financial Action Task Force's (FATF's) Noncooperative Countries and Territories List in June 2006; Nigeria's anti-money-laundering regime continues to be monitored by FATF
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Niue (Australia-Oceania)
Introduction ::Niue
Background:
Niue's remoteness, as well as cultural and linguistic differences between its Polynesian inhabitants and those of the rest of the Cook Islands, have caused it to be separately administered. The population of the island continues to drop (from a peak of 5,200 in 1966 to an estimated 1,398 in 2009) with substantial emigration to New Zealand 2,400 km to the southwest.
Geography ::Niue
Location:
Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Tonga
Geographic coordinates:
19 02 S, 169 52 W
Map references:
Oceania
Area:
total: 260 sq km country comparison to the world: 212 land: 260 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
64 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate:
tropical; modified by southeast trade winds
Terrain:
steep limestone cliffs along coast, central plateau
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location near Mutalau settlement 68 m
Natural resources:
fish, arable land
Land use:
arable land: 11.54%
permanent crops: 15.38%
other: 73.08% (2005)
Irrigated land:
NA
Natural hazards:
typhoons
Environment - current issues:
increasing attention to conservationist practices to counter loss of soil fertility from traditional slash and burn agriculture
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
Geography - note:
one of world's largest coral islands
People ::Niue
Population:
1,398 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 234
Age structure:
0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA
65 years and over: NA (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
-0.032% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 207
Birth rate:
NA
Death rate:
NA
Net migration rate:
NA (2009 est.)
Urbanization:
urban population: 39% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: -0.2% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
NA (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: NA
male: NA
female: NA (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: NA
male: NA
female: NA
Total fertility rate:
NA (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun: Niuean(s)
adjective: Niuean
Ethnic groups:
Niuen 78.2%, Pacific islander 10.2%, European 4.5%, mixed 3.9%,
Asian 0.2%, unspecified 3% (2001 census)
Religions:
Ekalesia Niue (Niuean Church - a Protestant church closely related to the London Missionary Society) 61.1%, Latter-Day Saints 8.8%, Roman Catholic 7.2%, Jehovah's Witnesses 2.4%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1.4%, other 8.4%, unspecified 8.7%, none 1.9% (2001 census)
Languages:
Niuean, a Polynesian language closely related to Tongan and Samoan;
English
Literacy:
definition: NA
total population: 95%
male: NA
female: NA
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 12 years
male: 12 years
female: 12 years (2005)
Education expenditures:
NA
Government ::Niue
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Niue
note: pronunciation falls between nyu-way and new-way, but not like new-wee
former: Savage Island
Dependency status:
self-governing in free association with New Zealand since 1974; Niue fully responsible for internal affairs; New Zealand retains responsibility for external affairs and defense; however, these responsibilities confer no rights of control and are only exercised at the request of the Government of Niue
Government type:
self-governing parliamentary democracy
Capital:
name: Alofi
geographic coordinates: 19 01 S, 169 55 W
time difference: UTC-11 (6 hours behind Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
none; note - there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 14 villages at the second order
Independence:
on 19 October 1974, Niue became a self-governing parliamentary government in free association with New Zealand
National holiday:
Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty over New Zealand), 6 February (1840)
Constitution:
19 October 1974 (Niue Constitution Act)
Legal system:
English common law; note - Niue is self-governing with the power to make its laws
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General of New Zealand Anand SATYANAND (since 23 August 2006); the UK and New Zealand are represented by New Zealand High Commissioner John BRYAN (since May 2000)
head of government: Premier Toke TALAGI (since 18 June 2008)
cabinet: Cabinet consists of the premier and 3 ministers
elections: the monarch is hereditary; premier elected by the Legislative Assembly for a three-year term; election last held 18 June 2008 (next to be held in 2011)
election results: Toke TALAGI defeats incumbent Young VIVIAN in Legislative Assembly vote; Toke TALAGI - 14, Young VIVIAN - 5
Legislative branch:
unicameral Legislative Assembly (20 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms; six elected from a common roll and 14 are village representatives)
elections: last held 7 June 2008 (next to be held in 2011)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - 20 independents
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court of New Zealand; High Court of Niue
Political parties and leaders:
Alliance of Independents or AI; Niue People's Action Party or NPP
[Young VIVIAN]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
ACP, FAO, IFAD, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand)
Flag description:
yellow with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the flag of the UK bears five yellow five-pointed stars - a large star on a blue disk in the center and a smaller star on each arm of the bold red cross
Economy ::Niue
Economy - overview:
The economy suffers from the typical Pacific island problems of geographic isolation, few resources, and a small population. Government expenditures regularly exceed revenues, and the shortfall is made up by critically needed grants from New Zealand that are used to pay wages to public employees. Niue has cut government expenditures by reducing the public service by almost half. The agricultural sector consists mainly of subsistence gardening, although some cash crops are grown for export. Industry consists primarily of small factories to process passion fruit, lime oil, honey, and coconut cream. The sale of postage stamps to foreign collectors is an important source of revenue. The island in recent years has suffered a serious loss of population because of emigration to New Zealand. Efforts to increase GDP include the promotion of tourism and a financial services industry, although the International Banking Repeal Act of 2002 resulted in the termination of all offshore banking licenses. Economic aid from New Zealand in 2002 was US$2.6 million. Niue suffered a devastating typhoon in January 2004, which decimated nascent economic programs. While in the process of rebuilding, Niue has been dependent on foreign aid.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$10.01 million (2003 est.) country comparison to the world: 227
GDP (official exchange rate):
$10.01 million (2003)
GDP - real growth rate:
6.2% (2003 est.) country comparison to the world: 55
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$5,800 (2003 est.) country comparison to the world: 135
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 23.5%
industry: 26.9%
services: 49.5% (2003)
Labor force:
663 (2001) country comparison to the world: 219
Labor force - by occupation:
note: most work on family plantations; paid work exists only in government service, small industry, and the Niue Development Board
Unemployment rate:
12% (2001) country comparison to the world: 136
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $15.07 million
expenditures: $16.33 million (FY0405)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4% (2005) country comparison to the world: 63
Agriculture - products:
coconuts, passion fruit, honey, limes, taro, yams, cassava (tapioca), sweet potatoes; pigs, poultry, beef cattle
Industries:
tourism, handicrafts, food processing
Industrial production growth rate:
NA%
Electricity - production:
3 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 211
Electricity - consumption:
2.79 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 212
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 157
Oil - consumption:
0 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 205
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 151
Oil - imports:
30.66 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 205
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 152
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 148
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 148
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 145
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 150
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 155
Exports:
$201,400 (2004) country comparison to the world: 220
Exports - commodities:
canned coconut cream, copra, honey, vanilla, passion fruit products, pawpaws, root crops, limes, footballs, stamps, handicrafts
Imports:
$9.038 million (2004) country comparison to the world: 217
Imports - commodities:
food, live animals, manufactured goods, machinery, fuels, lubricants, chemicals, drugs
Debt - external:
$418,000 (2002 est.) country comparison to the world: 201
Exchange rates:
New Zealand dollars (NZD) per US dollar - 1.4151 (2008 est.), 1.3811 (2007), 1.5408 (2006), 1.4203 (2005), 1.5087 (2004)
Communications ::Niue
Telephones - main lines in use:
1,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 227
Telephones - mobile cellular:
600 (2004) country comparison to the world: 220
Telephone system:
domestic: single-line telephone system connects all villages on island
international: country code - 683 (2001)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998)
Television broadcast stations:
1 (1997)
Internet country code:
.nu
Internet hosts:
396,370 (2009) country comparison to the world: 50
Internet users:
1,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 214
Transportation ::Niue
Airports:
1 (2009) country comparison to the world: 218
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2009)
Roadways:
total: 120 km country comparison to the world: 211 paved: 120 km (2008)
Ports and terminals:
none; offshore anchorage only
Military ::Niue
Military branches:
no regular indigenous military forces; Police Force
Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of New Zealand
Transnational Issues ::Niue
Disputes - international:
none
page last updated on October 28, 2009
======================================================================
@Norfolk Island (Australia-Oceania)
Introduction ::Norfolk Island
Background:
Two British attempts at establishing the island as a penal colony (1788-1814 and 1825-55) were ultimately abandoned. In 1856, the island was resettled by Pitcairn Islanders, descendants of the Bounty mutineers and their Tahitian companions.
Geography ::Norfolk Island
Location:
Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Australia
Geographic coordinates:
29 02 S, 167 57 E
Map references:
Oceania
Area:
total: 36 sq km country comparison to the world: 234 land: 36 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
about 0.2 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
32 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Climate:
subtropical; mild, little seasonal temperature variation
Terrain:
volcanic formation with mostly rolling plains
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Bates 319 m
Natural resources:
fish
Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (2005)
Irrigated land:
NA
Natural hazards:
typhoons (especially May to July)
Environment - current issues:
NA
Geography - note:
most of the 32 km coastline consists of almost inaccessible cliffs, but the land slopes down to the sea in one small southern area on Sydney Bay, where the capital of Kingston is situated
People ::Norfolk Island
Population:
2,141 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 230
Age structure:
0-14 years: 20.2%
15-64 years: 63.9%
65 years and over: 15.9% (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.006% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 198
Birth rate:
NA
Death rate:
NA
Net migration rate:
NA (2009 est.)
Sex ratio:
NA (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: NA
male: NA
female: NA (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: NA
male: NA
female: NA
Total fertility rate:
NA
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun: Norfolk Islander(s)
adjective: Norfolk Islander(s)
Ethnic groups:
descendants of the Bounty mutineers, Australian, New Zealander, Polynesian
Religions:
Anglican 31.8%, Roman Catholic 11.5%, Uniting Church in Australia 10.6%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3.2%, other Christian 5.6%, none 19.9%, unspecified 16.6% (2006 census)
Languages:
English (official), Norfolk - a mixture of 18th century English and ancient Tahitian
Literacy:
NA
Education expenditures:
NA
Government ::Norfolk Island
Country name:
conventional long form: Territory of Norfolk Island
conventional short form: Norfolk Island
Dependency status:
self governing territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Australian Government Attorney-General's Department
Government type:
NA
Capital:
name: Kingston
geographic coordinates: 29 03 S, 167 58 E
time difference: UTC+11.5 (16.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
none (territory of Australia)
Independence:
none (territory of Australia)
National holiday:
Bounty Day (commemorates the arrival of Pitcairn Islanders), 8 June (1856)
Constitution:
Norfolk Island Act of 1979 as amended in 2005
Legal system:
based on the laws of Australia, local ordinances and acts; English common law applies in matters not covered by either Australian or Norfolk Island law
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by the Australian governor general
head of government: Acting Administrator Owen WALSH (since October 2007)
cabinet: Executive Council is made up of 4 of the 9 members of the Legislative Assembly; the council devises government policy and acts as an advisor to the administrator
elections: the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the governor general of Australia and represents the monarch and Australia
Legislative branch:
unicameral Legislative Assembly (9 seats; members elected by electors who have nine equal votes each but only four votes can be given to any one candidate; to serve three-year terms)
elections: last held 21 March 2007 (next to be held by 28 March 2010)
election results: seats - independents 9 (note - no political parties)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; Court of Petty Sessions
Political parties and leaders:
none
Political pressure groups and leaders:
none
International organization participation:
UPU
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (territory of Australia)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (territory of Australia)
Flag description:
three vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and green with a large green Norfolk Island pine tree centered in the slightly wider white band
Economy ::Norfolk Island
Economy - overview:
Tourism, the primary economic activity, has steadily increased over the years and has brought a level of prosperity unusual among inhabitants of the Pacific islands. The agricultural sector has become self sufficient in the production of beef, poultry, and eggs.
GDP (purchasing power parity):