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. A predominately Tuareg ethnic group emerged in February 2007, the Nigerien Movement for Justice (MNJ), and attacked several military targets in Niger's northern region throughout 2007 and 2008. Events have since evolved into a fledging insurgency. |
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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
country comparison to the world: 29
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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| 15,306,252 (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 64
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 49.6% (male 3,840,379/female 3,758,674)
15-64 years:
48% (male 3,658,361/female 3,690,373)
65 years and over:
2.3% (male 159,984/female 198,481) (2009 est.)
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Median age:
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total: 15.2 years
male:
14.9 years
female:
15.4 years (2009 est.)
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Population growth rate:
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3.677% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 2
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Birth rate:
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51.6 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 1
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Death rate:
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14.83 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 21
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Net migration rate:
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-0.57 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 115
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Urbanization:
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urban population: 16% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization:
4% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.81 male(s)/female
total population:
1 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 116.66 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 5
male:
121.72 deaths/1,000 live births
female:
111.45 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 52.6 years
country comparison to the world: 201
male:
51.39 years
female:
53.85 years (2009 est.)
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Total fertility rate:
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7.75 children born/woman (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 1
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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0.8% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 58
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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60,000 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 60
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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4,000 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 50
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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
water contact disease:
schistosomiasis
animal contact disease:
rabies
respiratory disease:
meningococcal meningitis
note:
highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2009)
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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%, Tuareg 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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School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
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total: 4 years
male:
5 years
female:
3 years (2006)
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Education expenditures:
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3.4% of GDP (2006)
country comparison to the world: 134
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