Railroads:
373 km 1.067-meter narrow gauge, government owned; majority of system
not operating; 3 km 1.435-meter gauge line at Puerto Cabezas (does not
connect with mainline)
Highways:
total:
25,930 km
paved:
4,000 km
unpaved:
gravel, crushed stone 2,170 km; graded earth 5,425 km; unimproved
earth 14,335 km
Pan-American highway:
368.5 km (not in total)
Inland waterways:
2,220 km, including 2 large lakes
Pipelines:
crude oil 56 km
Ports:
Corinto, El Bluff, Puerto Cabezas, Puerto Sandino, Rama
Merchant marine:
2 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,161 GRT/2,500 DWT
Airports:
total:
208
usable:
149
with permanent-surface runways:
11
with runways over 3,659 m:
0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
2
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
13
Telecommunications:
low-capacity radio relay and wire system being expanded; connection
into Central American Microwave System; 60,000 telephones; broadcast
stations - 45 AM, no FM, 7 TV, 3 shortwave; earth stations - 1
Intersputnik and 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT
@Nicaragua, Defense Forces
Branches:
Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 946,177; fit for military service 582,669; reach
military age (18) annually 45,555 (1994 est.)
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $43.0 million, 1.6% of GDP (1992)
@Niger, Geography
Location:
Western Africa, between Algeria and Nigeria
Map references:
Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
1.267 million sq km
land area:
1,266,700 sq km
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 sq km 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 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues:
overgrazing; soil erosion; deforestation; desertification; wildlife
populations (such as elephant, hippopotamus, and lion) threatened
because of poaching and habitat destruction
natural hazards:
recurrent droughts
international agreements:
party to - Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Nuclear
Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified -
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea
Note:
landlocked
@Niger, People
Population: 8,971,605 (July 1994 est.) Population growth rate: 3.36% (1994 est.) Birth rate: 54.95 births/1,000 population (1994 est.) Death rate: 21.32 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.) Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.) Infant mortality rate: 111 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 44.61 years male: 43.01 years female: 46.26 years (1994 est.) Total fertility rate: 7.35 children born/woman (1994 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 est.) 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:
republic
Capital:
Niamey
Administrative divisions:
7 departments (departements, singular - departement); Agadez, Diffa,
Dosso, Maradi, Niamey, Tahoua, Zinder
Independence:
3 August 1960 (from France)
National holiday:
Republic Day, 18 December (1958)
Constitution:
approved by national referendum 16 December 1992; promulgated January
1993
Legal system:
based on French civil law system and customary law; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
President Mahamane OUSMANE (since 16 April 1993)
head of government:
Prime Minister Mahamadou ISSOUFOU (since 17 April 1993)
cabinet:
Cabinet; appointed by the president on recommendation of the prime
minister
Legislative branch:
unicameral
National Assembly:
elected by proportional representation for 5 year terms; elections
last held 14 February 1993 (next election NA 1998); seats - (83 total)
MNSD 29, CDS 22, PNDS 13, ANDP-Z 11, UPDP 2, PPN/RDA 2, UDFP 2, PSDN
1, UDPS 1
Judicial branch:
State Court (Cour d'Etat), Court of Appeal (Cour d'Apel)
Political parties and leaders:
National Movement of the Development Society (MNSD-NASSARA), Kada
LABO, General Secretary; Democratic and Social Convention - Rahama
(CDS- Rahama), Mahamane OUSMANE; Nigerien Party for Democracy and
Socialism (PNDS), Mahamadou ISSOUFOU; Nigerien Alliance for Democracy
and Progress - Zamanlahia (ANDP-Z), Moumouni Adamou DJERMAKOYE; Union
of Patriots, Democrats, and Progressives (UPDP), Andre SALIFOU; Niger
Progressive Party - African Democratic Rally (PPN-RDA), Harou KOUKA;
Niger Social Democrat Party (PADN), Malam Adji WAZIRI; Union for
Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS), Akoli DAOUEL
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 John DAVISON
embassy:
Rue 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