| Geographical Information |
| Map Location |
Africa |
| Geographical Location |
16° 00' North Latitude
8° 00' East Longitude |
| Surface Area |
1.267 million sq km |
| Climate |
Desert; mostly hot, dry, dusty; tropical in extreme south |
| Natural Resources |
Uranium, coal, iron ore, tin, phosphates, gold, molybdenum, gypsum, salt, petroleum |
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| Political Information |
 |
|
| Country Name |
Republic of Niger |
| Capital City |
Niamey |
| Government Type |
Republic |
| Administrative Divisions |
8 regions (regions, singular - region) includes 1 capital district* (commune urbaine); Agadez, Diffa, Dosso, Maradi, Niamey*, Tahoua, Tillaberi, Zinder |
| Independence Day |
3 August 1960 (from France) |
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| Demographical Information |
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| Population |
11,665,937 (July 2005 est.) |
| Nationality |
Nigerien |
| Ethnic Groups |
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 |
| Religion |
Muslim 80%, remainder indigenous beliefs and Christian |
| Languages |
French (official), Hausa, Djerma |
| Population Growth Rate |
2.63% (2005 est.) |
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| Economical Information |
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| Currency |
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF);
Note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States |
| Industries |
Uranium mining, cement, brick, soap, textiles, food processing, chemicals, slaughterhouses |
| Labor Force |
70,000 receive regular wages or salaries (2002 est.) |
| Labor Force by Sectors |
Agriculture 90%, industry and commerce 6%, government 4% |
| Agriculture Products |
Cowpeas, cotton, peanuts, millet, sorghum, cassava (tapioca), rice; cattle, sheep, goats, camels, donkeys, horses, poultry |
| Export Commodities |
Uranium ore, livestock, cowpeas, onions |
| Export Partners |
France 47.1%, Nigeria 22.7%, Japan 8.6%, US 5.4% (2004) |
| Import Commodities |
Foodstuffs, machinery, vehicles and parts, petroleum, cereals |
| Import Partners |
France 17.4%, Cote d'Ivoire 11.3%, Italy 8.4%, Nigeria 7.3%, Germany 6.5%, US 5.5%, China 4.8% (2004) |
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| Transportation |
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| Railways |
- |
| Highways |
10,100 km |
| Pipelines |
- |
| Airports |
27 (2004 est.) |
| Ports and Harbors |
none |
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| Communication |
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| Phone Code |
+227 |
| Internet Abbreviation |
.ne |
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| Other |
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| Short History |
Not until 1993, 33 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. 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. |
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