Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Niger River 200 m
highest point: Mont Bagzane 2,022 m
Natural resources:
uranium, coal, iron ore, tin, phosphates, gold, molybdenum, gypsum,
salt, petroleum
Land use: arable land: 11.43% permanent crops: 0.01% other: 88.56% (2005)
Irrigated land:
730 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards:
recurring droughts
Environment - current issues: overgrazing; soil erosion; deforestation; desertification; wildlife populations (such as elephant, hippopotamus, giraffe, and lion) threatened because of poaching and habitat destruction
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Geography - note:
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
People Niger
Population:
12,525,094 (July 2006 est.)