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 counter coup by military officers who restored democratic rule and held elections that brought Mamadou TANDJA to power in December of that year. TANDJA was reelected in 2004 and in 2009 spearheaded a constitutional amendment allowing him to extend his term as president. In February 2010, military officers led a coup that deposed TANDJA and suspended the constitution. ISSOUFOU Mahamadou was elected in April 2011 following the coup and reelected to a second term in early 2016. 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 Tuareg rebellion emerged in 2007 and ended in 2009. Niger is facing increased security concerns on its borders from various external threats including insecurity in Libya, spillover from the conflict in Mali, and violent extremism in northeastern Nigeria.

Western Africa, southeast of Algeria

16 00 N, 8 00 E

Africa

slightly less than twice the size of Texas

0 km (landlocked)

none (landlocked)

desert; mostly hot, dry, dusty; tropical in extreme south

predominately desert plains and sand dunes; flat to rolling plains in south; hills in north

highest point: Idoukal-n-Taghes 2,022 m

uranium, coal, iron ore, tin, phosphates, gold, molybdenum, gypsum, salt, petroleum

arable land 12.3%; permanent crops 0.1%; permanent pasture 22.7%

1,000 sq km (2012)

majority of the populace is located in the southernmost extreme of the country along the border with Nigeria and Benin

recurring droughts

overgrazing; soil erosion; deforestation; desertification; wildlife populations (such as elephant, hippopotamus, giraffe, and lion) threatened because of poaching and habitat destruction

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

18,638,600 (July 2016 est.)

Hausa 53.1%, Zarma/Songhai 21.2%, Tuareg 11%, Fulani (Peul) 6.5%, Kanuri 5.9%, Gurma 0.8%, Arab 0.4%, Tubu 0.4%, other/unavailable 0.9% (2006 est.)

French (official), Hausa, Djerma

Muslim 80%, other (includes indigenous beliefs and Christian) 20%

Niger has the highest total fertility rate (TFR) of any country in the world, averaging close to 7 children per woman in 2016. A slight decline in fertility over the last few decades has stalled. This leveling off of the high fertility rate is in large part a product of the continued desire for large families. In Niger, the TFR is lower than the desired fertility rate, which makes it unlikely that contraceptive use will increase. The high TFR sustains rapid population growth and a large youth population – almost 70% of the populace is under the age of 25. Gender inequality, including a lack of educational opportunities for women and early marriage and childbirth, also contributes to high population growth.

Because of large family sizes, children are inheriting smaller and smaller parcels of land. The dependence of most Nigeriens on subsistence farming on increasingly small landholdings, coupled with declining rainfall and the resultant shrinkage of arable land, are all preventing food production from keeping up with population growth.

For more than half a century, Niger's lack of economic development has led to steady net outmigration. In the 1960s, Nigeriens mainly migrated to coastal West African countries to work on a seasonal basis. Some headed to Libya and Algeria in the 1970s to work in the booming oil industry until its decline in the 1980s. Since the 1990s, the principal destinations for Nigerien labor migrants have been West African countries, especially Burkina Faso and Cote d’Ivoire, while emigration to Europe and North America has remained modest. During the same period, Niger’s desert trade route town Agadez became a hub for West African and other sub-Saharan migrants crossing the Sahara to North Africa and sometimes onward to Europe.

More than 60,000 Malian refugees have fled to Niger since violence between Malian government troops and armed rebels began in early 2012. Ongoing attacks by the Boko Haram Islamist insurgency, dating to 2013 in northern Nigeria and February 2015 in southeastern Niger, have pushed tens of thousands of Nigerian refugees and Nigerien returnees across the border to Niger and to displace thousands of locals in Niger’s already impoverished Diffa region.

3.22% (2016 est.)

44.8 births/1,000 population (2016 est.)

12.1 deaths/1,000 population (2016 est.)

-0.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2016 est.)

majority of the populace is located in the southernmost extreme of the country along the border with Nigeria and Benin

NIAMEY (capital) 1.09 million (2015)

18.1

553 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

6.62 children born/woman (2016 est.)

13.9% (2012)

5.8% of GDP (2014)

0.02 physicians/1,000 population (2008)

urban: 100% of population

rural: 48.6% of population

total: 58.2% of population

urban: 0% of population

rural: 51.4% of population

total: 41.8% of population (2015 est.)

urban: 37.9% of population

rural: 4.6% of population

total: 10.9% of population

urban: 62.1% of population

rural: 95.4% of population

total: 89.1% of population (2015 est.)

0.46% (2015 est.)

49,000 (2015 est.)

3,600 (2015 est.)

3.7% (2014)

37.9% (2012)

6.8% of GDP (2014)

semi-presidential republic

7 regions (regions, singular - region) and 1 capital district* (communite urbaine); Agadez, Diffa, Dosso, Maradi, Niamey*, Tahoua, Tillaberi, Zinder

3 August 1960 (from France)

Republic Day, 18 December (1958); note - commemorates the founding of the Republic of Niger which predated independence from France in 1960

several previous; passed by referendum 31 October 2010, entered into force 25 November 2010 (2016)

mixed legal system of civil law (based on French civil law), Islamic law, and customary law

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

18 years of age; universal

Alliance of Movements for the Emergence of Niger or AMEN AMIN [Omar Hamidou TCHIANA]

Congress for the Republic or CPR-Inganci [Kassoum MOCTAR]

Democratic Alliance for Niger or ADN-Fusaha [Habi Mahamadou SALISSOU]

Democratic and Social Convention-Rahama or CDS-Rahama [Abdou LABO]

National Movement for the Development of Society-Nassara or MNSD-Nassara [Seini OUMAROU]

Nigerien Alliance for Democracy and Progress-Zaman Lahiya or ANDP-Zaman Lahiya [Moussa Moumouni DJERMAKOYE]

Nigerien Democratic Movement for an African Federation or MODEN/FA Lumana [Hama AMADOU]

Nigerien Movement for Democratic Renewal or MNRD-Hankuri [Mahamane OUSMANE]

Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism or PNDS-Tarrayya [Mahamadou ISSOUFOU]

Nigerien Patriotic Movement or MPN-Kishin Kassa [Ibrahim YACOUBA]

Party for Socialism and Democracy in Niger or PSDN-Alheri

Patriotic Movement for the Republic or MPR-Jamhuriya [Albade ABOUBA]

Rally for Democracy and Progress-Jama'a or RDP-Jama'a [Hamid ALGABID]

Social and Democratic Rally or RSD-Gaskiyya [Amadou CHEIFFOU]

Social Democratic Party or PSD-Bassira [Mohamed BEN OMAR]

Union for Democracy and the Republic-Tabbat or UDR-Tabbat [Amadou Boubacar CISSE]

ACP, AfDB, AU, CD, ECOWAS, EITI (compliant country), Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

three equal horizontal bands of orange (top), white, and green with a small orange disk centered in the white band; the orange band denotes the drier northern regions of the Sahara; white stands for purity and innocence; green symbolizes hope and the fertile and productive southern and western areas, as well as the Niger River; the orange disc represents the sun and the sacrifices made by the people

zebu; national colors: orange, white, green

Niger is a landlocked, sub-Saharan nation, whose economy centers on subsistence crops, livestock, and some of the world's largest uranium deposits. Agriculture contributes nearly 40% of GDP and provides livelihood for most of the population. The UN ranked Niger as the least developed country in the world in 2015 due to multiple factors such as food insecurity, lack of industry, high population growth, a weak educational sector, and few prospects for work outside of subsistence farming and herding.

Since 2011 public debt has increased due to efforts to scale-up public investment, particularly that related to infrastructure. The government relies on foreign donor resources for a large portion of its fiscal budget. The economy in recent years has been hurt by terrorist activity and kidnappings near its uranium mines and by instability in Mali and in the Diffa region of the country; concerns about security have resulted in increased support from regional and international partners on defense. Low uranium prices, demographics, and security expenditures may continue to put pressure on the government’s finances.

Future growth may be sustained by exploitation of oil, gold, coal, and other mineral resources. Although Niger has sizable reserves of oil, the profitability of these commodities has been called in to question due to the prolonged drop in oil prices. Food insecurity and drought remain perennial problems for Niger, and the government plans to invest a little more in the agriculture sector, most notably irrigation. Niger’s three-year $131 million IMF Extended Credit Facility agreement for years 2012-15 was extended until the end of 2016, although formal private sector investment needed for economic diversification and growth remains a challenge, given the country’s limited domestic markets, access to credit, and competitiveness.

$19.05 billion (2015 est.)

$18.32 billion (2014 est.)

$17.11 billion (2013 est.)

$7.151 billion (2015 est.)

4% (2015 est.)

7.1% (2014 est.)

5.3% (2013 est.)

$1,100 (2015 est.)

$1,100 (2014 est.)

$1,000 (2013 est.)

21.4% of GDP (2015 est.)

22.5% of GDP (2014 est.)

21% of GDP (2013 est.)

cowpeas, cotton, peanuts, millet, sorghum, cassava (manioc, tapioca), rice; cattle, sheep, goats, camels, donkeys, horses, poultry

uranium mining, petroleum, cement, brick, soap, textiles, food processing, chemicals, slaughterhouses

4% (2015 est.)

6.3 million (2015 est.)

5.1% (2015 est.)

5.1% (2014 est.)

63% (1993 est.)

34 (2007)

50.5 (1995)

23.7% of GDP (2015 est.)

-9.1% of GDP (2015 est.)

calendar year

1% (2015 est.)

-0.9% (2014 est.)

4.25% (31 December 2009)

4.75% (31 December 2008)

3.5% (31 December 2015 est.)

3.5% (31 December 2014 est.)

$1.508 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$1.657 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$2.027 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$2.047 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$1.145 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$922.7 million (31 December 2014 est.)

$NA

-$1.289 billion (2015 est.)

-$1.318 billion (2014 est.)

$1.099 billion (2015 est.)

$1.448 billion (2014 est.)

uranium ore, livestock, cowpeas, onions

France 53.1%, Nigeria 20.3%, China 13.8% (2015)

$1.888 billion (2015 est.)

$2.157 billion (2014 est.)

foodstuffs, machinery, vehicles and parts, petroleum, cereals

France 12%, China 10.5%, Nigeria 9.5%, French Polynesia 9%, Togo 6.1%, Belgium 5.3%, Cote dIvoire 5.3%, US 4.3% (2015)

$2.611 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$2.585 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar -

591.45 (2015 est.)

494.42 (2014 est.)

494.42 (2013 est.)

510.53 (2012 est.)

471.87 (2011 est.)

600 million kWh (2014 est.)

1.2 billion kWh (2014 est.)

3 million kWh (2013 est.)

700 million kWh (2014 est.)

100,000 kW (2014 est.)

100% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

20,000 bbl/day (2015 est.)

0 bbl/day (2013 est.)

0 bbl/day (2013 est.)

150 million bbl (1 January 2016 es)

18,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)

14,000 bbl/day (2014 est.)

6,193 bbl/day (2013 est.)

2,417 bbl/day (2013 est.)

0 cu m (2013 est.)

0 cu m (2013 est.)

0 cu m (2013 est.)

0 cu m (2013 est.)

0 cu m (1 January 2014 es)

900,000 Mt (2013 est.)

state-run TV station; 3 private TV stations provide a mix of local and foreign programming; state-run radio has only radio station with national coverage; about 30 private radio stations operate locally; as many as 100 community radio stations broadcast; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are available (2007)

.ne

5U (2016)

30 (2013)

1 (2013)

300 km (the Niger, the only major river, is navigable to Gaya between September and March) (2012)

Nigerien Armed Forces (Forces Armees Nigeriennes, FAN): Army, Nigerien Air Force (Force Aerienne du Niger) (2012)

18 is the presumed legal minimum age for compulsory or voluntary military service; enlistees must be Nigerien citizens and unmarried; 2-year service term; women may serve in health care (2012)

1.06% of GDP (2012)

NA% (2011)

1.06% of GDP (2010)

Libya claims about 25,000 sq km in a currently dormant dispute in the Tommo region; location of Benin-Niger-Nigeria tripoint is unresolved; only Nigeria and Cameroon have heeded the Lake Chad Commission's admonition to ratify the delimitation treaty that also includes the Chad-Niger and Niger-Nigeria boundaries; the dispute with Burkina Faso was referred to the ICJ in 2010