240 lines
19 KiB
Plaintext
240 lines
19 KiB
Plaintext
|
NIGER
|
|||
|
|
GEOGRAPHY
|
|||
|
|
Total area: 1,267,000 km2; land area: 1,266,700 km2
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Comparative area: slightly less than twice the size of Texas
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Land boundaries: 5,697 km total; Algeria 956 km, Benin 266 km,
|
|||
|
|
Burkina 628 km, Chad 1,175 km, Libya 354 km, Mali 821 km, Nigeria 1,497
|
|||
|
|
km
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Coastline: none--landlocked
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Maritime claims: none--landlocked
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
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%; includes irrigated NEGL%
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Environment: recurrent drought and desertification severely
|
|||
|
|
affecting marginal agricultural activities; overgrazing; soil erosion
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Note: landlocked
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
PEOPLE
|
|||
|
|
Population: 8,154,145 (July 1991), growth rate 3.4% (1991)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Birth rate: 50 births/1,000 population (1991)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Death rate: 16 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Infant mortality rate: 129 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Life expectancy at birth: 49 years male, 53 years female (1991)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Total fertility rate: 7.0 children born/woman (1991)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
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
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Religion: Muslim 80%, remainder indigenous beliefs and Christians
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Language: French (official); Hausa, Djerma
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Literacy: 28% (male 40%, female 17%) age 15 and over can
|
|||
|
|
read and write (1990 est.)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Labor force: 2,500,000 wage earners (1982); agriculture 90%,
|
|||
|
|
industry and commerce 6%, government 4%; 51% of population of working age
|
|||
|
|
(1985)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Organized labor: negligible
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
GOVERNMENT
|
|||
|
|
Long-form name: Republic of Niger
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Type: republic; presidential system in which military officers
|
|||
|
|
hold key offices
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Capital: Niamey
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Administrative divisions: 7 departments (departements,
|
|||
|
|
singular--departement); Agadez, Diffa, Dosso, Maradi, Niamey, Tahoua,
|
|||
|
|
Zinder
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Independence: 3 August 1960 (from France)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Constitution: adopted NA December 1989 after 15 years of
|
|||
|
|
military rule
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Legal system: based on French civil law system and customary law;
|
|||
|
|
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
National holidays: Republic Day, 18 December (1958)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Executive branch: president, prime minister, Council of Ministers
|
|||
|
|
(cabinet)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Legislative branch: National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
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);
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Head of Government--Prime Minister Aliou MAHAMIDOU (since 2 March
|
|||
|
|
1990)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Political parties and leaders: National Movement for the
|
|||
|
|
Development Society (MNSD), leader NA; other political parties now
|
|||
|
|
forming
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Suffrage: universal adult at age 18
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Elections:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
President--last held December 1989 (next to be held NA 1996);
|
|||
|
|
results--President Ali SAIBOU was reelected without opposition;
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
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 is to hold a national conference to decide upon a
|
|||
|
|
transitional government and an agenda for multiparty elections
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Communists: no Communist party; some sympathizers in outlawed
|
|||
|
|
Sawaba party
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
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: Ambassador Moumouni Adamou DJERMAKOYE;
|
|||
|
|
Chancery at 2204 R Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202)
|
|||
|
|
483-4224 through 4227;
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
US--Ambassador Carl C. CUNDIFF; Embassy at Avenue des
|
|||
|
|
Ambassades, Niamey (mailing address is B. P. 11201, Niamey); telephone
|
|||
|
|
227 72-26-61 through 64
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
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
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
ECONOMY
|
|||
|
|
Overview: About 90% of the population is engaged in farming and
|
|||
|
|
stock rearing, activities which generate almost half the national
|
|||
|
|
income. The economy also depends heavily on exploitation of large uranium
|
|||
|
|
deposits. Uranium production grew rapidly in the mid-1970s, but tapered
|
|||
|
|
off in the early 1980s, when world prices declined. France is a major
|
|||
|
|
customer, while Germany, Japan, and Spain also make regular purchases.
|
|||
|
|
The depressed demand for uranium has contributed to an overall
|
|||
|
|
sluggishness in the economy, a severe trade imbalance, and a mounting
|
|||
|
|
external debt.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
GDP: $2.0 billion, per capita $270; real growth rate - 3.3% (1989
|
|||
|
|
est.)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices): - 2.8% (1989)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Unemployment rate: NA%
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Budget: revenues $220 million; expenditures $446 million, including
|
|||
|
|
capital expenditures of $190 million (FY89 est.)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Exports: $308 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
commodities--uranium 75%, livestock products, cowpeas, onions;
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
partners--France 65%, Nigeria 11%, Ivory Coast, Italy
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Imports: $386 million (c.i.f., 1989 est.);
|
|||
|
|
commodities--petroleum products, primary materials, machinery,
|
|||
|
|
vehicles and parts, electronic equipment, pharmaceuticals, chemical
|
|||
|
|
products, cereals, foodstuffs;
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
partners--France 32%, Ivory Coast 11%, Germany 5%, Italy 4%,
|
|||
|
|
Nigeria 4%
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
External debt: $1.8 billion (December 1990 est.)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Industrial production: growth rate 3.0% (1989 est.); accounts
|
|||
|
|
for 18% of GDP
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Electricity: 102,000 kW capacity; 225 million kWh produced,
|
|||
|
|
30 kWh per capita (1989)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Industries: cement, brick, textiles, food processing, chemicals,
|
|||
|
|
slaughterhouses, and a few other small light industries; uranium
|
|||
|
|
production began in 1971
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Agriculture: accounts for roughly 40% of GDP and 90% of labor
|
|||
|
|
force; cash crops--cowpeas, cotton, peanuts; food crops--millet, sorghum,
|
|||
|
|
cassava, rice; livestock--cattle, sheep, goats; self-sufficient in food
|
|||
|
|
except in drought years
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $380
|
|||
|
|
million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
|
|||
|
|
(1970-88), $3.0 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $504 million;
|
|||
|
|
Communist countries (1970-89), $61 million
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Currency: Communaute Financiere Africaine franc
|
|||
|
|
(plural--francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF)
|
|||
|
|
per US$1--256.54 (January 1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85
|
|||
|
|
(1988), 300.54 (1987), 346.30 (1986), 449.26 (1985)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Fiscal year: 1 October-30 September
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
COMMUNICATIONS
|
|||
|
|
Highways: 39,970 km total; 3,170 km bituminous, 10,330 km gravel
|
|||
|
|
and laterite, 3,470 km earthen, 23,000 km tracks
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Inland waterways: Niger river is navigable 300 km from Niamey to
|
|||
|
|
Gaya on the Benin frontier from mid-December through March
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Civil air: no major transport aircraft
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Airports: 31 total, 29 usable; 7 with permanent-surface runways;
|
|||
|
|
none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 12 with
|
|||
|
|
runways 1,220-2,439 m
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Telecommunications: small system of wire, radiocommunications, and
|
|||
|
|
radio relay links concentrated in southwestern area; 11,900 telephones;
|
|||
|
|
stations--15 AM, 5 FM, 16 TV; satellite earth stations--1 Atlantic Ocean
|
|||
|
|
INTELSAT, 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, and 4 domestic
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
DEFENSE FORCES
|
|||
|
|
Branches: Army, Air Force, paramilitary Gendarmerie, paramilitary
|
|||
|
|
Republican Guard, paramilitary Presidential Guard, paramilitary National
|
|||
|
|
Police
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Manpower availability: males 15-49, 1,713,566; 923,634 fit for
|
|||
|
|
military service; 90,801 reach military age (18) annually
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Defense expenditures: $20.6 million, 0.9% of GDP (1988)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|