NIGER NIGER REGION AFRICA NATURAL RESOURCES INDUSTRY AGRICULTURE GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION GLOBAL RELATIONS DATE OF INDEPENDENCE AUGUST 3 1960 FROM FRANCE DATE OF CURRENT CONSTITUTION JANUARY 1993 POPULATION 9962242 1999 EST AREA 496900 SQ MI CAPITAL NIAMEY FORM OF GOVERNMENT REPUBLIC NATURAL RESOURCES URANIUM COAL IRON ORE TIN PHOSPHATES MAIN INDUSTRIES CEMENT BRICK TEXTILES FOOD PROCESSING CHEMICALS MEATPACKING MINING AGRICULTURE BLACK EYED PEAS COTTON PEANUTS MILLET GRAIN SORGHUM GRAIN CASSAVA EDIBLE ROOT RICE CATTLE SHEEP GOATS CURRENCY COMMUNAUTE FINANCIERE AFRICAINE CFA FRANC GDP 9.4 BILLION 1998 EST GDP PER CAPITA 970 1998 EST LANGUAGES FRENCH OFFICIAL HAUSA DJERMA RELIGIONS ISLAM TRADITIONAL AFRICAN BELIEF SYSTEMS CHRISTIANITY LITERACY RATE 14 LIFE EXPECTANCY 42 YEARS MALE 42 YEARS FEMALE BIRTHRATE 52 BIRTHS PER 1000 POPULATION DEATH RATE 23 DEATHS PER 1000 POPULATION
