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NAVIGATION
Republic of Niger
Republique du Niger
GOVERNMENT
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Republic of Niger
conventional short form: Niger local short form: Niger local long form: Republique du Niger |
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Government type:
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republic |
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Capital:
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Niamey |
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Administrative divisions:
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7 departments (departements, singular - departement) and 1 capital district* (capitale district); Agadez, Diffa, Dosso, Maradi, Niamey*, Tahoua, Tillaberi, Zinder |
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Independence:
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3 August 1960 (from France) |
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National holiday:
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Republic Day, 18 December (1958) |
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Constitution:
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the constitution of January 1993 was revised by national referendum on 12 May 1996 and again by referendum on 18 July 1999 |
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Legal system:
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based on French civil law system and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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chief of state: President Mamadou TANDJA (since 22 December 1999); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Mamadou TANDJA (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: 23-member Cabinet appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; last held 24 November 1999 (next to be held NA 2004); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Mamadou TANDJA elected president; percent of vote - Mamadou TANDJA 59.9%, Mahamadou ISSOUFOU 40.1% |
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Legislative branch:
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unicameral National Assembly (83 seats, members elected by popular vote for five-year terms)
elections: last held 24 November 1999 (next to be held NA 2004) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - MNSD-Nassara 38, CDS-Rahama 17, PNDS-Tarayya 16, RDP-Jama'a 8, ANDPS-Zaman Lahiya 4 |
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Judicial branch:
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State Court or Cour d'Etat; Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel |
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Political parties and leaders:
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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 [Mamadou TANDJA, 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]; Union of Democratic Patriots and Progressives-Chamoua or UPDP-Chamoua [Professor Andre' SALIFOU, chairman] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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NA |
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International organization participation:
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ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ITU, MIPONUH, MONUC, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIK, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador Joseph DIATTA
FAX: [1] (202)483-3169 telephone: [1] (202) 483-4224 through 4227 chancery: 2204 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador Gail Dennise Thomas MATHIEU
embassy: Rue Des Ambassades, Niamey mailing address: B. P. 11201, Niamey telephone: [227] 72 26 61 through 72 26 64 FAX: [227] 73 31 67, 72-31-46 |
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Flag description:
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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
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Economy - overview:
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Niger is a poor, landlocked Sub-Saharan nation, whose economy centers on subsistence agriculture, animal husbandry, reexport trade, and increasingly less on uranium, because of declining world demand. The 50% devaluation of the West African franc in January 1994 boosted exports of livestock, cowpeas, onions, and the products of Niger's small cotton industry. The government relies on bilateral and multilateral aid - which was suspended following the April 1999 coup d'etat - for operating expenses and public investment. In 2000-01, the World Bank approved a structural adjustment loan of $105 million to help support fiscal reforms. However, reforms could prove difficult given the government's bleak financial situation. The IMF approved a $73 million poverty reduction and growth facility for Niger in 2000 and announced $115 million in debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative. |
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GDP:
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purchasing power parity - $8.4 billion (2001 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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3.1% (2001 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $820 (2001 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 41%
industry: 17% services: 42% (2000) |
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Population below poverty line:
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63% (1993 est.) |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: 1%
highest 10%: 35% (1995) (1995) |
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Distribution of family income - Gini index:
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51 (1995) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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4.2% (2001 est.) |
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Labor force:
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70,000 receive regular wages or salaries |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture 90%, industry and commerce 6%, government 4% |
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Unemployment rate:
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NA% |
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Budget:
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revenues: $320 million, including $134 million from foreign sources
expenditures: $320 million, including capital expenditures of $178 million (2002 est.) |
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Industries:
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uranium mining, cement, brick, textiles, food processing, chemicals, slaughterhouses |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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NA% |
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Electricity - production:
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220 million kWh (2000) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% other: 0% (2000) nuclear: 0% |
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Electricity - consumption:
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404.6 million kWh (2000) |
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh (2000) |
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Electricity - imports:
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200 million kWh (2000) |
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Agriculture - products:
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cowpeas, cotton, peanuts, millet, sorghum, cassava (tapioca), rice; cattle, sheep, goats, camels, donkeys, horses, poultry |
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Exports:
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$246 million f.o.b. (2001 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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uranium ore 65%, livestock products, cowpeas, onions (1998 est.) |
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Exports - partners:
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France 43.4%, Nigeria 35.0%, Spain 4.5%, US 3.9% (2000) |
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Imports:
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$331 million f.o.b. (2001 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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consumer goods, primary materials, machinery, vehicles and parts, petroleum, cereals |
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Imports - partners:
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France 16.8%, Cote d'Ivoire 13.4%, US 9.6%, Nigeria 7.6% (2000) |
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Debt - external:
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$1.6 billion (1999 est.) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$341 million (1997)
note: the IMF approved a $73 million poverty reduction and growth facility for Niger in 2000 and announced $115 million in debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative (1997) |
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Currency:
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Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States |
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Currency code:
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XOF |
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Exchange rates:
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Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 742.79 (January 2002), 733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000), 615.70 (1999), 589.95 (1998), 583.67 (1997); note - from 1 January 1999, the XOF is pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 XOF per euro |
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Fiscal year:
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calendar year |