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: recurring droughts
international agreements: party to - Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands;
signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Desertification, Law of the Sea
Note: landlocked
@Niger:People
Population: 9,280,208 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 49% (female 2,275,338; male 2,275,999)
15-64 years: 49% (female 2,314,857; male 2,188,938)
65 years and over: 2% (female 107,432; male 117,644) (July 1995 est.)