NAVIGATION
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NAVIGATION
Republic of Niger
Republique du Niger
INTRODUCTION
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Background:
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Not until 1993, 35 years after independence from France, did Niger hold its first free and open elections. A 1995 peace accord ended a five-year Tuareg insurgency in the north. Coups in 1996 and 1999 were followed by the creation of a National Reconciliation Council that effected a transition to civilian rule by December 1999. |
GEOGRAPHY
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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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Africa |
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Area:
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total: 1.267 million sq km
water: 300 sq km land: 1,266,700 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, petroleum |
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Land use:
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arable land: 3.94%
permanent crops: 0% other: 96.06% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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660 sq km (1998 est.) |
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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, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, 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 |
PEOPLE
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Population:
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10,639,744 (July 2002 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 47.9% (male 2,594,932; female 2,503,867)
15-64 years: 49.8% (male 2,594,307; female 2,706,164) 65 years and over: 2.3% (male 125,898; female 114,576) (2002 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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2.7% (2002 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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49.95 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Death rate:
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22.25 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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-0.71 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.1 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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122.23 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 41.91 years
female: 41.77 years (2002 est.) male: 42.04 years |
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Total fertility rate:
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7 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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4% (2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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NA |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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17,700 (2002est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun: Nigerien(s)
adjective: Nigerien |
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Ethnic groups:
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Hausa 56%, Djerma 22%, Fula 8.5%, Tuareg 8%, Beri Beri (Kanouri) 4.3%, Arab, Toubou, and Gourmantche 1.2%, about 1,200 French expatriates |
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Religions:
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Muslim 80%, remainder indigenous beliefs and Christian |
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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: 15.3% male: 21.2% female: 9.4% (2002) |