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Background:
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Niger became independent from France in 1960 and experienced single-party and military rule until 1991, when Gen. Ali SAIBOU was forced by public pressure to allow multiparty elections, which resulted in a democratic government in 1993. Political infighting brought the government to a standstill and in 1996 led to a coup by Col. Ibrahim BARE. In 1999 BARE was killed in a coup by military officers who promptly restored democratic rule and held elections that brought Mamadou TANDJA to power in December of that year. TANDJA was reelected in 2004. Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world with minimal government services and insufficient funds to develop its resource base. The largely agrarian and subsistence-based economy is frequently disrupted by extended droughts common to the Sahel region of Africa. In early 2007, a predominately Tuareg ethnic group, the Nigerien Movement for Justice (MNJ), attacked several military targets in Niger's northern region and events have since evolved into a budding insurrection.
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Location:
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Western Africa, southeast of Algeria
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Geographic coordinates:
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16 00 N, 8 00 E
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Map references:
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Area:
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total: 1.267 million sq km
land: 1,266,700 sq km
water: 300 sq km
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Area - comparative:
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slightly less than twice the size of Texas
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Land boundaries:
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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
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Coastline:
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0 km (landlocked)
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Maritime claims:
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none (landlocked)
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Climate:
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desert; mostly hot, dry, dusty; tropical in extreme south
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Terrain:
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predominately desert plains and sand dunes; flat to rolling plains in south; hills in north
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Niger River 200 m
highest point: Mont Bagzane 2,022 m
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Natural resources:
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uranium, coal, iron ore, tin, phosphates, gold, molybdenum, gypsum, salt, petroleum
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Land use:
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arable land: 11.43%
permanent crops: 0.01%
other: 88.56% (2005)
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Irrigated land:
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730 sq km (2003)
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Total renewable water resources:
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33.7 cu km (2003)
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Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
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Total: 2.18 cu km/yr (4%/0%/95%)
Per capita: 156 cu m/yr (2000)
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Natural hazards:
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recurring droughts
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Environment - current issues:
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overgrazing; soil erosion; deforestation; desertification; wildlife populations (such as elephant, hippopotamus, giraffe, and lion) threatened because of poaching and habitat destruction
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
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Geography - note:
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landlocked; one of the hottest countries in the world; northern four-fifths is desert, southern one-fifth is savanna, suitable for livestock and limited agriculture
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Population:
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12,894,865 (July 2007 est.)
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 46.9% (male 3,083,871/female 2,969,201)
15-64 years: 50.6% (male 3,354,783/female 3,174,039)
65 years and over: 2.4% (male 155,430/female 157,541) (2007 est.)
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Median age:
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total: 16.5 years
male: 16.5 years
female: 16.4 years (2007 est.)
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Population growth rate:
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2.898% (2007 est.)
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Birth rate:
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50.16 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
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Death rate:
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20.59 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
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Net migration rate:
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-0.59 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.039 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.057 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.987 male(s)/female
total population: 1.047 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 116.83 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 120.78 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 112.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 44.03 years
male: 44.05 years
female: 44 years (2007 est.)
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Total fertility rate:
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7.37 children born/woman (2007 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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1.2% (2003 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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70,000 (2003 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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4,800 (2003 est.)
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Major infectious diseases:
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degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: malaria is a high risk in some locations
respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis
note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified among birds in this country or surrounding region; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2007)
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Nationality:
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noun: Nigerien(s)
adjective: Nigerien
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Ethnic groups:
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Haoussa 55.4%, Djerma Sonrai 21%, Touareg 9.3%, Peuhl 8.5%, Kanouri Manga 4.7%, other 1.2% (2001 census)
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Religions:
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Muslim 80%, other (includes indigenous beliefs and Christian) 20%
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Languages:
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French (official), Hausa, Djerma
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 28.7%
male: 42.9%
female: 15.1% (2005 est.)
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This page was last updated on 24 January, 2008
- The Central Intelligence Agency's World Factbook - |
