TOTAL AREA: 1,267,000 sq km (488,599 sq mi); LAND AREA: 1,266,700 sq km (488,483 sq mi)
COMPARATIVE AREA: slightly more than three times the size of California
LAND BOUNDARIES: 5,697 km (3,539 mi) total; Algeria 956 km (594 mi), Benin 266 km (165 mi), Burkina 628 km (390 mi), Chad 1,175 km (730 mi), Libya 354 km (220 mi), Mali 821 km (510 mi), Nigeria 1,497 km (930 mi)
COASTLINE: none--landlocked
MARITIME CLAIMS: none--landlocked
DISPUTES: Libya claims about 19,400 sq km in northern Niger; exact locations of the Chad-Niger-Nigeria and Cameroon-Chad-Nigeria tripoints in Lake Chad have not been determined, so the boundary has not been demarcated and border incidents have resulted; Burkina and Mali are beginning to demarcate their international boundary, 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: 3% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 7% meadows and pastures; 2% forest and woodland; 88% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
ETHNIC DIVISIONS: 56% Hausa; 22% Djerma; 8.5% Fula; 8% Tuareg; 4.3% Beri Beri (Kanouri); 1.2% Arab, Toubou, and Gourmantche; about 4,000 French expatriates
RELIGION: 80% Muslim, remainder indigenous beliefs and Christians
LANGUAGE: French (official); Hausa, Djerma
LITERACY: 8%
LABOR FORCE: 2,500,000 wage earners (1982); 90% agriculture, 6% industry and commerce, 4% government; 51% of population of working age (1985)
ORGANIZED LABOR: negligible
.GOVERNMENT OF NIGER
LONG-FORM NAME: Republic of Niger
TYPE: republic; military regimes in power since April 1974
CONSTITUTION: 8 November 1960, suspended after coup of 15 April 1974
LEGAL SYSTEM: based on French civil law system and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction NATIONAL HOLIDAYS: Republic Day, 18 December (1958)
BRANCHES: executive authority exercised by president in the name of the Supreme Military Council (SMC), which is composed of Army officers; prime minister
CHIEF OF STATE: President of the Supreme Military Council Brig. Gen. Ali SAIBOU (since 14 November 1987)
HEAD OF GOVERNMENT: Prime Minister Oumarou MAMANE (since 15 July 1988)
SUFFRAGE: universal adult
ELECTIONS: popular elections currently allowed only for choosing representatives for village Development Councils, which advise on local economic development
POLITICAL PARTIES AND LEADERS: political parties banned
DIPLOMATIC REPRESENTATION: Ambassador Moumouni Adamou DJERMAKOYE; Chancery at 2204 R Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 483-4224 through 4227
U.S. FOREIGN SERVICE POST: Ambassador Carl C. CUNDIFF; Embassy at Avenue des Ambassadeurs, Niamey (mailing address is B. P. 11201, Niamey); telephone nd 72-26-70
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 OF NIGER
OVERVIEW: About 90% of the population is engaged in farming and stock rearing, activities which generate almost half of 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 FRG, Japan, and Spain also make regular purchases. The depressed demand for uranium has contributed to an overall decline in the economy, a severe trade imbalance, and a mounting external debt.
GDP: $2.2 billion, per capita $310; real growth rate - 0.7% (1987 est.)
INFLATION RATE (CONSUMER PRICES): - 6.7% (1987)
UNEMPLOYMENT RATE: NA%
BUDGET: revenues $226 million; expenditures $452 million, including capital expenditures of $180 million (FY88 est.)
EXPORTS: $371 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.); commodities-- uranium 76%, livestock, cowpeas, onions, hides, skins; partners-- NA
IMPORTS: $441 million (c.i.f., 1988 est.); commodities-- petroleum products, primary materials, machinery, vehicles and parts, electronic equipment, pharmaceuticals, chemical products, cereals, foodstuffs
ELECTRICITY: 102,000 kW capacity; 227 million kWh produced, 30 kWh per capita (1988)
INDUSTRIES: cement, brick, rice mills, small cotton gins, oilseed presses, slaughterhouses, and a few other small light industries; uranium production began in 1971
AGRICULTURE: commercial--cowpeas, peanuts, cotton; main food crops--millet, sorghum, rice
AID: NA
CURRENCY: Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (plural--francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
HIGHWAYS: 39,970 km (24,821 mi) 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 (186 mi) from Niamey to Gaya on the Benin frontier from mid-December through March
CIVIL AIR: 2 major transport aircraft
AIRPORTS: 32 total, 30 usable; 7 with permanent-surface runways; 1 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--9 AM, 2 FM, 12 TV; satellite stations--1 Atlantic Ocean, 1 Indian Ocean, 4 domestic
.DEFENSE FORCES OF NIGER
BRANCHES: Army, Air Force, paramilitary Gendarmerie, paramilitary Republican Guard, paramilitary Presidential Guard, paramilitary National Police
MILITARY MANPOWER: males 15-49, 1,575,767; 846,569 fit for military service; 85,834 reach military age (18) annually
MILITARY BUDGET: NA
.TRAVEL IN NIGER
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS: Passport and visa required. Transit/tourist visa for stay up to 1 week, $6.60; up to 30 days, $16.50; up to 90 days, $23.10. Requires 3 photos, and letter from travel agent as proof of onward/return transportation, or for business visa, company letter stating purpose of trip and responsibility for traveler. Visa valid 3 months from date of issuance. If traveling by road, cholera vaccination and bank letter (2 copies) showing at least $500 in savings required. Include prepaid registered or certified envelope for return of passport by mail. Prior authorization from the Minister of Interior in Niamey or from the Prefecture in Agadez must be obtained before taking any photographs or filming. Vaccination certificate required for yellow fever, and for cholera if traveling by road.
HEALTH: Tapwater is not potable. Malaria and hepatitis prophylaxes, and immunizations for tetanus, typhoid, polio are recommended. Health requirements change; check latest information.
WEATHER AND CLOTHING: Climate is hot, dry, and dusty. Rainy season Jun-Sep.
TELEPHONE: When direct dialing to Niger from the U.S., dial 011 (international access code) + 227 [country code] + local number.
TIME: 6 hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Standard Time, and 1 hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. No daylight savings time.
ELECTRIC CURRENT: 220V
NATIONAL HOLIDAYS: New Year's Day (Jan 1); Mohammed's Birthday (variable); Niger National Day (Apr 15); Easter Monday (variable); Id al-Fitr (variable); Independence Day (Aug 3); Id al-Adha (variable); Niger Republic Day (Dec 18); Christmas Day (Dec 25).
TOURIST ATTRACTIONS: Wildlife parks at Park W, Boubon Island, Say, and Diffa on Lake Chad. Historic sites include Tahoua, Agadez (16th century mosque), ruins of the Sokoto Empire in Maradi and Konni, and Zinder, the colonial capital.
IMPORTANT!! All requirements/recommendations are subject to change. Be sure to check latest information.
