Branches:
Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 911,397; fit for military service 561,448; reach military
age (18) annually 44,226 (1993 est.)
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $40 million, 2.7% of GDP (1992 budget)
*Niger, Geography
Location:
Western Africa, between Algeria and Nigeria
Map references:
Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
1.267 million km2
land area:
1,266,700 km2
comparative area:
slightly less than twice the size of Texas
Land boundaries:
total 5,697 km, Algeria 956 km, Benin 266 km, Burkina 628 km, Chad 1,175 km,
Libya 354 km, Mali 821 km, Nigeria 1,497 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none; landlocked
International 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%
Irrigated land:
320 km2 (1989 est.)
Environment:
recurrent drought and desertification severely affecting marginal
agricultural activities; overgrazing; soil erosion
Note:
landlocked
*Niger, People
Population:
8,337,352 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
3.49% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
57.35 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
22.44 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
112.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
44.15 years
male:
42.6 years
female:
45.75 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
7.35 children born/woman (1993 est.)
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:
age 15 and over can read and write (1990)
total population:
28%
male:
40%
female:
17%
Labor force:
2.5 million wage earners (1982)
by occupation:
agriculture 90%, industry and commerce 6%, government 4%
note:
51% of population of working age (1985)
*Niger, Government
Names:
conventional long form:
Republic of Niger
conventional short form:
Niger
local long form:
Republique du Niger
local short form:
Niger
Digraph:
NG
Type:
transition government as of November 1991, appointed by national reform
conference; scheduled to turn over power to democratically elected
government in March 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)
Political parties and leaders:
National Movement of the Development Society (MNSD-NASSARA), Tandja 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; other parties
forming
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Elections:
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:
president (ceremonial), prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
unicameral 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)
*Niger, Government
Head of Government:
Prime Minister Amadou CHEIFFOU (since NA November 1991)
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 in US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Adamou SEYDOU
chancery:
2204 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
(202) 483-4224 through 4227
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Jennifer C. WARD
embassy: Avenue des Ambassades, Niamey
mailing address:
B. P. 11201, Niamey
telephone:
[227] 72-26-61 through 64
FAX:
[227] 73-31-67
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