| GEOGRAPHY |
| Country name: |
conventional long form: Republic of Niger
conventional short form: Niger
local long form: Republique du Niger
local short form: Niger |
| Capital: |
Niamey |
| Location: |
Western Africa, southeast of Algeria |
| Geographic
Coordinates: |
16 00 N, 8 00 E |
| Area: |
total: 1.267 million sq km
land: 1,266,700 sq km
water: 300 sq km |
| Area
Comparative: |
slightly less than twice the size of Texas |
| Land
Boundaries: |
total: 5,697 km
border countries: Algeria 956 km, Benin 266 km, Burkina Faso 628 km, Chad 1,175 km, Libya 354 km, Mali 821 km, Nigeria 1,497 km |
| Coastline: |
0 km (landlocked) |
| Maritime
Claims: |
none (landlocked) |
| 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 |
| Elavation
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 |
| GOVERNEMENT |
| Governement
Type: |
republic |
| Administratives
Divisions: |
8 regions (regions, singular - region) includes 1 capital district* (commune urbaine); Agadez, Diffa, Dosso, Maradi, Niamey*, Tahoua, Tillaberi, Zinder |
| Independence |
3 August 1960 (from France) |
| National
Holiday: |
Republic Day, 18 December (1958) |
| Constitution: |
a new constitution was adopted 18 July 1999 |
| 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 TANDJA Mamadou (since 22 December 1999); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
head of government: President TANDJA Mamadou (since 22 December 1999); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; Prime Minister Hama AMADOU (since 31 December 1999) was appointed by the president and shares some executive responsibilities with the president
cabinet: 27-member Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; second round last held 4 December 2004 (next to be held December 2009); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: TANDJA Mamadou reelected president; percent of vote - TANDJA Mamadou 65.5%, Mahamadou ISSOUFOU 34.5% |
| 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 17, RSD 7, RDP 6, ANDP 5, Party for Socialism and Democracy in Niger 1, other 8 |
| Judicial
Branch: |
State Court or Cour d'Etat; Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel |
| Political
parties and Leaders: |
Alliance for Democracy and Progress or ANDP [leader NA]; Democratic Rally of the People-Jama'a or RDP-Jama'a [Hamid ALGABID]; Democratic and Social Convention-Rahama or CDS-Rahama [Mahamane OUSMANE]; National Movement for a Developing Society-Nassara or MNSD-Nassara [TANDJA Mamadou, chairman]; Nigerien Alliance for Democracy and Social Progress-Zaman Lahiya or ANDPS-Zaman Lahiya [Moumouni Adamou DJERMAKOYE]; Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism-Tarayya or PNDS-Tarayya [Mahamadou ISSOUFOU]; Party for Socialism and Democracy in Niger [leader NA]; Rally for Social Democracy or RSD [Cheiffou AMADOU]; Union of Democratic Patriots and Progressives-Chamoua or UPDP-Chamoua [Professor Andre' SALIFOU, chairman] |
| PEOPLE |
| Population: |
11,665,937 (July 2005 est.) |
| Age structure: |
0-14 years: 47.3% (male 2,811,539/female 2,704,498)
15-64 years: 50.6% (male 2,890,119/female 3,009,281)
65 years and over: 2.1% (male 130,953/female 119,547) (2005 est.) |
| Median age: |
total: 16.25 years
male: 15.8 years
female: 16.72 years (2005 est.) |
| Nationality: |
noun: Nigerien(s)
adjective: Nigerien |
| Ethnic groups: |
Hausa 56%, Djerma 22%, Fula 8.5%, Tuareg 8%, Beri Beri (Kanouri) 4.3%, Arab, Toubou, and Gourmantche 1.2%, about 1,200 French expatriates |
| Religions: |
Muslim 80%, remainder indigenous beliefs and Christian |
| Languages: |
French (official), Hausa, Djerma |
| COMUNICATIONS |
| Telephones - main
lines in use: |
22,400 (2002) |
| Telephones - mobile
cellular: |
24,000 (2003) |
| Telephone system: |
general assessment: small system of wire, radio telephone communications, and microwave radio relay links concentrated in the southwestern area of Niger
domestic: wire, radiotelephone communications, and microwave radio relay; domestic satellite system with 3 earth stations and 1 planned
international: country code - 227; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) |
| Radio broadcast
stations: |
AM 5, FM 6, shortwave 4 (2001) |
| Television broadcast
stations: |
3 (plus seven low-power repeaters) (2002) |
| Internet country
code: |
.ne |
| Internet hosts: |
134 (2003) |
| Internet users: |
15,000 (2002) |
| TRANSPORT |
| Railways: |
|
| Highways: |
total: 10,100 km
paved: 798 km
unpaved: 9,302 km (1999 est.) |
| Waterways: |
300 km
note: Niger River is navigable to Gaya between September and March (2004) |
| Pipelines: |
|
| Ports and harbors: |
none |
| Merchant marine: |
|
| Airports: |
27 (2004 est.) |
| Airports - with
paved runways: |
|
| Airports - with
unpaved runways: |
total: 18
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 14
under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.) |
| Heliports: |
|
