Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly (113 seats; note - expanded from 83
seats; members elected by popular vote for five-year terms)
elections: last held 4 December 2004 (next to be held December 2009)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
MNSD 47, CDS 22, PNDS 25, RSD 7, RDP 6, ANDP 5, PSDN 1
Judicial branch:
State Court or Cour d'Etat; Court of Appeals or Cour d'Appel
Political parties and leaders:
Democratic and Social Convention-Rahama or CDS-Rahama [Mahamane
OUSMANE]; National Movement for a Developing Society-Nassara or
MNSD-Nassara [Hama AMADOU]; Niger Social Democratic Party or PSDN;
Nigerien Alliance for Democracy and Social Progress-Zaman Lahiya or
ANDP-Zaman Lahiya [Moumouni DJERMAKOYE]; Nigerien Party for Autonomy
or PNA-Alouma'a [Sanousi JACKOU]; Nigerien Party for Democracy and
Socialism or PNDS-Tarrayya [Issifou MAHAMADOU]; Nigerien Progressive
Party or PPN-RDA [Abdoulaye DIORI]; Rally for Democracy and Progress
or RDP-jama'a [Hamid ALGABID]; Social and Democratic Rally or
RSD-Gaskiyya [Cheiffou AMADOU]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Coalition Against a High Cost of Living [Nouhou ARZIKA]
International organization participation:
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MONUC, NAM, OIC,
OIF, ONUB, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNOCI, UPU, WADB
(regional), WAEMU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Aminata Maiga Djibrilla TOURE chancery: 2204 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 483-4224 through 4227 FAX: [1] (202)483-3169
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Bernadette M. ALLEN embassy: Rue Des Ambassades, Niamey mailing address: B. P. 11201, Niamey telephone: [227] 73 31 69 FAX: [227] 73 55 60
Flag description:
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
Economy Niger
Economy - overview:
Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world, ranking last on
the United Nations Development Fund index of human development. It
is a landlocked, Sub-Saharan nation, whose economy centers on
subsistence crops, livestock, and some of the world's largest
uranium deposits. Drought cycles, desertification, a 2.9% population
growth rate, and the drop in world demand for uranium have undercut
the economy. Niger shares a common currency, the CFA franc, and a
common central bank, the Central Bank of West African States
(BCEAO), with seven other members of the West African Monetary
Union. In December 2000, Niger qualified for enhanced debt relief
under the International Monetary Fund program for Highly Indebted
Poor Countries (HIPC) and concluded an agreement with the Fund on a
Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF). Debt relief provided
under the enhanced HIPC initiative significantly reduces Niger's
annual debt service obligations, freeing funds for expenditures on
basic health care, primary education, HIV/AIDS prevention, rural
infrastructure, and other programs geared at poverty reduction. In
December 2005, it was announced that Niger had received 100%
multilateral debt relief from the IMF, which translates into the
forgiveness of approximately $86 million USD in debts to the IMF,
excluding the remaining assistance under HIPC. Nearly half of the
government's budget is derived from foreign donor resources. Future
growth may be sustained by exploitation of oil, gold, coal, and
other mineral resources. Uranium prices have recovered somewhat in
the last few years. A drought and locust infestation in 2005 led to
food shortages for as many as 2.5 million Nigerians.