GENERAL INFORMATIONS
Area : 1,267,000 sq km (489,191 sq miles).
Population: 11,058,590 (July 2003 est.)
Crude Birth Rate: 50 per thousand people (2001)
Crude Death Rate: 20 per thousand people (2001)
Infant Mortality Rate: 156 per thousand (2001)
Life Expectancy: Male: 44 years, Female: 48 years (2001)
Urban Population: 21.0 percent (2001)
Adult Literacy: 16.50 percent (2001)
Capital : Niamey. Population: 550,000 (1988).
Geography : Niger has borders with Libya and Algeria to the north, Chad to the east, Nigeria and Benin to the south, and Mali and Burkina Faso to the west. The capital, Niamey, stands on the north bank of the Niger River and has long been a major trading centre on this important navigable waterway. The river meanders for 500km (300 miles) through the southwestern corner of the country. To the east is a band of semi-arid bush country along the border with Nigeria, shrinking by 20km (12 miles) every year as over-grazing claims more land for the Ténéré Desert, which already occupies over half of Niger. This desert is divided by a range of low mountains, Aïr ou Azbine, in the eastern foothills of which lies the city of Agadez. Surrounded by green valleys and hot springs amid semi-desert, this regional capital is still a major terminus for Saharan caravans. The desert to the west of the mountains is a stony plain hosting seasonal pastures; to the north and west are mostly vast expanses of sand. There is arable land beside Lake Chad in the extreme southeastern corner of the country. The Hausa people live along the border with Nigeria and most are farmers. The Songhai and Djerma people live in the Niger valley and exist by farming and fishing. The nomadic Fulani have spread all over the Sahel. The robed and veiled Tuaregs once dominated the southern cities; the few who remain are camel herders and caravanners on the Saharan routes. The Manga (or Kanun) live near Lake Chad and are well known for their colourful ceremonies in which pipes and drums accompany slow, stately dancing.
Government : Republic since 1960. Head of State: President Mamadou Tandja since 1999. Head of Government: Prime Minister Hama Amadou since 2000.
Economy: Economy Mining, particularly extraction and export of uranium is one the main economic activities in Niger. The uranium industry generates most of the employment and income in the country. Other major natural resources are coal, iron ore, tin and phosphates. The largest enterprise is a publicly owned electric power generation unit. Hides, skin, cotton, maize, sorghum, cowpeas and cassava are the main agricultural products. Recurrent drought and desertification have a detrimental impact on livestock rearing. Manufacturing is concentrated in the processing of agricultural commodities such as sugar refining, brewing and cotton ginning.
Language : The official language is French. Also spoken are Hausa (by half of the population), Djerma, Fulani, Manga, Zarma and Tuareg dialects.
Religion : Approximately 95 per cent Muslim, with Christian and Animist minorities.
Time : GMT + 1.
Communications :
Internet: The main ISP is SONITEL. Internet access can be found in major urban areas.
Post : Airmail to Western Europe takes up to 2 weeks. Post office hours: generally 0730-1230 and 1530-1800.
Press : All newspapers are published in French; most are weeklies.
Radio : BBC World Service (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice) and Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov) can be received. From time to time the frequencies change and the most up-to-date can be found online.
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