Chapter 84
Military manpower - fit for military service: males: 632,433 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males : 49,552 (1997 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $27.48 million (1996)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.35% (1996)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: territorial disputes with Colombia over the Archipelago de San Andres y Providencia and Quita Sueno Bank; with respect to the maritime boundary question in the Golfo de Fonseca, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) referred the disputants to an earlier agreement in this century and advised that some tripartite resolution among El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua likely would be required; maritime boundary dispute with Honduras
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for cocaine destined for the US ______________________________________________________________________
NIGER
@Niger:Geography
Location: Western Africa, southeast of Algeria
Geographic coordinates: 16 00 N, 8 00 E
Map references: Africa
Area: total: 1.267 million sq km land: 1,266,700 sq km water : 300 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly less than twice the size of Texas
Land boundaries: 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
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
Climate: desert; mostly hot, dry, dusty; tropical in extreme south
Terrain: predominately desert plains and sand dunes; flat to rolling plains in south; hills in north
Elevation extremes: lowest point : Niger River 200 m highest point: Mont Greboun 1,944 m
Natural resources: uranium, coal, iron ore, tin, phosphates
Land use: arable land: 3% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 7% forests and woodland: 2% other: 88% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 660 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: recurring droughts
Environment - current issues: overgrazing; soil erosion; deforestation; desertification; wildlife populations (such as elephant, hippopotamus, and lion) threatened because of poaching and habitat destruction
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Geography - note: landlocked
@Niger:People
Population: 9,388,859 (July 1997 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 48% (male 2,303,790; female 2,207,542) 15-64 years: 50% (male 2,272,535; female 2,381,033) 65 years and over: 2% (male 118,333; female 105,626) (July 1997 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.98% (1997 est.)
Birth rate: 53.73 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate: 23.98 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years : 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.12 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 116 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 41.09 years male: 41.44 years female: 40.73 years (1997 est.)
Total fertility rate: 7.37 children born/woman (1997 est.)
Nationality: noun: Nigerien(s) adjective: Nigerien
Ethnic groups: Hausa 56%, Djerma 22%, Fula 8.5%, Tuareg 8%, Beri Beri (Kanouri) 4.3%, Arab, Toubou, and Gourmantche 1.2%, about 4,000 French expatriates
Religions: Muslim 80%, remainder indigenous beliefs and Christians
Languages: French (official), Hausa, Djerma
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 13.6% male: 20.9% female: 6.6% (1995 est.)
@Niger:Government
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Niger conventional short form: Niger local long form : Republique du Niger local short form: Niger
Data code: NG
Government type: republic
National capital: Niamey
Administrative divisions: 7 departments (departements, singular - departement), and 1 capital district* (capitale district); Agadez, Diffa, Dosso, Maradi, Niamey*, Tahoua, Tillaberi, Zinder
Independence: 3 August 1960 (from France)
National holiday: Republic Day, 18 December (1958)
Constitution: the constitution of January 1993 was revised by national referendum on 12 May 1996
Legal system: based on French civil law system and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Ibrahim BARE Mainassara (since 28 January 1996); note - President is chief of state and head of government head of government: President Ibraham BARE Mainassara (since 28 January 1996); note - President is chief of state and head of government; Prime Minister Amadou Boubacar CISSE (since 21 December 1996) was appointed by the president cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by President BARE elections : the president is elected by popular vote for a five-year term; last election 7-8 July 1996 (next election NA 2001); note - Ibrahim BARE Mainassara initially became president when he ousted President Mahamane OUSMANE in a coup on 27 January 1996 and subsequently defeated him in the flawed election of July 1996 election results: percent of total vote - Ibrahim BARE Mainassara 52.22%, Mahamane OUSMANE 19.75%, Tandja MAMADOU 15.65%, Mahamadou ISSOUFOU 7.60%, Moumouni AMADOU Djermakoye 4.77%
Legislative branch: two chamber National Assembly; one chamber with 83 seats directly elected by proportional representation for five-year terms; selection process for second chamber not established elections: last held 23 November1996 (next to be held NA 2001) election results : percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UNIRD 59, ANDPS-Zaman Lahiya 8, UDPS-Amana 3, coalition of independents 3, MDP-Alkwali 1, UPDP-Shamuwa 4, DARAJA 3, PMT-Albarka 2
Judicial branch: State Court or Cour d'Etat; Court of Appeal or Cour d'Apel
Political parties and leaders: Alliance for Democracy and Progress or ADP-AUMUNCI [Issoufou BACHARD, chairman]; DARAJA [Ali TALBA, chairman]; Democratic and Social Convention-Rahama or CDS-Rahama [Mahamane OUSMANE]; Movement for Development and Pan-Africanism or MDP-Alkwali [Mai Manga BOUCAR, chairman]; National Movement of the Development Society-Nassara or MNSD-Nassara [Tandja MAMADOU, chairman]; National Union of Independents for Democratic Revival or UNIRD [leader NA]; Niger Progressive Party-African Democratic Rally or PPN-RDA [Dori ABDOULAI]; Niger Social Democrat Party or PADN [Malam Adji WAZIRI]; Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism-Tarayya or PNDS-Tarayya [Mahamadou ISSOUFOU]; Nigerien Alliance for Democracy and Social Progress-Zaman Lahia or ANDPS-Zaman Lahia [Moumouni Adamou DJERMAKOYE]; PMT-Albarka; Union for Democracy and Social Progress-Amana or UDPS-Amana [Akoli DAOUEL]; Union of Patriots, Democrats, and Progressives-Shamuwa or UPDP-Shamuwa [Professor Andre' SALIFOU, chairman]; Union of Popular Forces for Democracy and Progress-Sawaba or UFPDP-Sawaba [Djibo BAKARY, chairman]
International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Joseph DIATTA chancery : 2204 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 483-4224 through 4227
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Charles O. CECIL (20 August 1996) 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
Flag description: 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
Economy - overview: Niger is a poor, landlocked Sub-Saharan nation, whose recent GDP growth has barely matched the rapid growth of population. The economy is centered on subsistence agriculture, animal husbandry, and reexport trade, and increasingly less on uranium, its major export throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Terms of trade with Nigeria, Niger's largest regional trade partner, have improved dramatically since the 50% devaluation of the African franc in January 1994; this devaluation boosted exports of livestock, peas, onions, and the products of Niger's small cotton industry. The government relies on bilateral and multilateral aid for operating expenses and public investment and is strongly induced to adhere to structural adjustment programs designed by the IMF and the World Bank. The US terminated bilateral assistance to Niger after the coup of 1996. Other donors have reduced their aid.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $5.9 billion (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 4% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $640 (1996 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 41% industry: 18% services: 41% (1995)
Inflation rate - consumer price index: 10.6% (1995 est.)
Labor force: total: 2.5 million wage earners (1982) by occupation: agriculture 90%, industry and commerce 6%, government 4%
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues: $200 million expenditures : $387 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997 est.)
Industries: cement, brick, textiles, food processing, chemicals, slaughterhouses, and a few other small light industries; uranium mining
Industrial production growth rate: 0.5% (1994 est.)
Electricity - capacity: 105,000 kW (1991)
Electricity - production: 230 million kWh (1991) note: imports about 200 million kW of electricity from Nigeria
Electricity - consumption per capita: 53 kWh (1991 est.)
Agriculture - products: cowpeas, cotton, peanuts, millet, sorghum, cassava (tapioca), rice; cattle, sheep, goats
Exports: total value: $247 million (f.o.b., 1995 est.) commodities: uranium ore 67%, livestock products 20%, cowpeas, onions partners: France 77%, Nigeria 8%, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Canada
Imports: total value : $307 million (c.i.f., 1995 est.) commodities: consumer goods, primary materials, machinery, vehicles and parts, petroleum, cereals partners: France 23%, Cote d'Ivoire, China, Belgium-Luxembourg
Debt - external: $1.6 billion (1995 est.)
Economic aid: recipient: ODA; bilateral donors: France, Japan, Germany, US
Currency: 1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: CFA francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 541.69 (January 1997), 511.55 (1996), 499.15 (1995), 555.20 (1994), 283.16 (1993), 264.69 (1992) note: beginning 12 January 1994, the CFA franc was devalued to CFAF 100 per French franc from CFAF 50 at which it had been fixed since 1948
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Niger:Communications
Telephones: 14,000 (1991 est.)
Telephone system: small system of wire, radiotelephone communications, and microwave radio relay links concentrated in southwestern area domestic: wire, radiotelephone communications, and microwave radio relay; domestic satellite system with 3 earth stations and 1 planned international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 15, FM 6, shortwave 0
Radios: 500,000 (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 18 stations in a single network (1995)
Televisions: 38,000 (1992 est.)
@Niger:Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways: total: 9,863 km paved: 779 km unpaved: 9,084 km (1995 est.)
Waterways: Niger river is navigable 300 km from Niamey to Gaya on the Benin frontier from mid-December through March
Ports and harbors: none
Airports: 23 (1996 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total : 11 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (1996 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 12 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 11 (1996 est.)
Military
Military branches: Army, Air Force, National Gendarmerie, Republican Guard, National Police
Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 1,983,377 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males: 1,069,743 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males : 95,217 (1997 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $32 million (FY92/93)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.3% (FY92/93)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: Libya claims about 19,400 sq km in northern Niger; demarcation of international boundaries in the vicinity of Lake Chad, the lack of which has led to border incidents in the past, is completed and awaiting ratification by Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria ______________________________________________________________________
NIGERIA
@Nigeria:Geography
Location: Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Benin and Cameroon
Geographic coordinates: 10 00 N, 8 00 E
Map references: Africa
Area: total: 923,770 sq km land: 910,770 sq km water : 13,000 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly more than twice the size of California
Land boundaries: total: 4,047 km border countries: Benin 773 km, Cameroon 1,690 km, Chad 87 km, Niger 1,497 km
Coastline: 853 km
Maritime claims: continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone : 200 nm territorial sea: 30 nm
Climate: varies; equatorial in south, tropical in center, arid in north
Terrain: southern lowlands merge into central hills and plateaus; mountains in southeast, plains in north
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point : Chappal Waddi 2,419 m
Natural resources: petroleum, tin, columbite, iron ore, coal, limestone, lead, zinc, natural gas
Land use: arable land: 33% permanent crops: 3% permanent pastures: 44% forests and woodland: 12% other : 8% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 9,570 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: periodic droughts
Environment - current issues: soil degradation; rapid deforestation; desertification; recent droughts in north severely affecting marginal agricultural activities
Environment - international agreements: party to : Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Desertification
@Nigeria:People
Population: 107,129,469 (July 1997 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 45% (male 24,142,369; female 23,931,502) 15-64 years: 52% (male 28,502,597; female 27,432,816) 65 years and over : 3% (male 1,572,773; female 1,547,412) (July 1997 est.)
Population growth rate: 3.05% (1997 est.)
Birth rate: 42.58 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate: 12.45 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Net migration rate: 0.33 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years : 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.02 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 70.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 54.65 years male: 53.32 years female : 56.03 years (1997 est.)
Total fertility rate: 6.17 children born/woman (1997 est.)
Nationality: noun: Nigerian(s) adjective: Nigerian
Ethnic groups: Hausa, Fulani, Yoruba, Ibo, Kanuri, Ibibio, Tiv, Ijaw
Religions: Muslim 50%, Christian 40%, indigenous beliefs 10%
Languages: English (official), Hausa, Yoruba, Ibo, Fulani
Literacy: definition : age 15 and over can read and write total population: 57.1% male: 67.3% female: 47.3% (1995 est.)
@Nigeria:Government
Country name: conventional long form : Federal Republic of Nigeria conventional short form: Nigeria
Data code: NI
Government type: military government; Nigeria has been ruled by one military regime after another since 31 December 1983; on 1 October 1995, the present military government announced it will turn power over to democratically elected civilian authorities in October 1998
National capital: Abuja note : on 12 December 1991 the capital was officially moved from Lagos to Abuja; many government offices remain in Lagos pending completion of facilities in Abuja
Administrative divisions: 30 states and 1 territory*; Abia, Abuja Capital Territory*, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Enugu, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe note: the government has announced the creation of six additional states named Bayelsa, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Gombe, Nassarawa, and Zamfara as part of the process of transition to a civilian government
Independence: 1 October 1960 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 1 October (1960)
Constitution: 1979 constitution still partially in force; plan for 1989 constitution to take effect in 1993 was not implemented
Legal system: based on English common law, Islamic law, and tribal law
Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: Chairman of the Provisional Ruling Council and Commander in Chief of Armed Forces and Defense Minister Gen. Sani ABACHA (since 17 November 1993); Vice Chairman of the Provisional Ruling Council Oladipo DIYA (since 17 November 1993); note - the chairman of the Provisional Ruling Council is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: Chairman of the Provisional Ruling Council and Commander in Chief of Armed Forces and Defense Minister Gen. Sani ABACHA (since 17 November 1993); Vice Chairman of the Provisional Ruling Council Oladipo DIYA (since 17 November 1993); note - the chairman of the Provisional Ruling Council is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Federal Executive Council elections: none; Chairman of the Provisional Ruling Council Gen. Sani ABACHA assumed power in a military coup 17 November 1993; the government's provisions for a return to civilian rule call for the election of a president by universal suffrage in the third quarter of 1998 (inaugeration planned for October 1998)
Legislative branch: National Assembly note: the National Assembly was suspended after the military takeover of 17 November 1993; in October 1995, the government announced a three-year program for transition to civilian rule; elections to the National Assembly are to take place in the second quarter of 1998
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, judges appointed by the Armed Forces Ruling Council; Federal Court of Appeal, judges are appointed by the federal government on the advice of the Advisory Judicial Committee
Political parties and leaders: political party system, which was suspended after the military takeover of 17 November 1993, was reestablished by the Provisional Ruling Council on 30 September 1996 with the registration of five of 15 competing political parties; these were the United Nigeria Congress Party or UNCP [Isa MOHAMMED, chairman]; National Center Party of Nigeria or NCPN [Magaji ABDULLAH, chairman]; Grassroots Democratic Movement or GDM [Gambo LAWAR, chairman]; Comittee for National Consensus or CNC [Abel UBEKU, chairman]; Democratic Party of Nigeria or DPN [Sale HASSAN, chairman]
International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, C (suspended), CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNAVEM III, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMIBH, UNMOP, UNPREDEP, UNTAES, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Wakili Hassan ADAMU chancery: 1333 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 986-8400 consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Walter C. CARRINGTON embassy: 2 Eleke Crescent, Lagos mailing address: P. O. Box 554, Lagos telephone : [234] (1) 261-0097 FAX: [234] (1) 261-0257
Flag description: three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and green
Economy
Economy - overview: The oil-rich Nigerian economy continues to be hobbled by political instability, corruption, and poor macroeconomic management. Nigeria's unpopular military rulers have failed to make significant progress in diversifying the economy away from overdependence on the capital intensive oil sector which provides half of GDP, 95% of foreign exchange earnings, and about 80% of budgetary revenues. Regime officials also appear divided on how to redress fundamental economic imbalances that result in troublesome inflation and the discouragement of investors. The government's resistance to initiating greater transparency and accountability in managing the country's multibillion dollar oil earnings continues to limit economic growth and prevent an agreement with the IMF and bilateral creditors on debt relief. The largely subsistence agricultural sector has failed to keep up with rapid population growth, and Nigeria, once a large net exporter of food, now must import food. Agricultural production in 1996 suffered from severe shortages of fertilizer.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $143.5 billion (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 3% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,380 (1996 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture : 28% industry: 53% services: 19% (1995 est.)
Inflation rate - consumer price index: 57% (1996 est.)
Labor force: total: 42.844 million by occupation: agriculture 54%, industry, commerce, and services 19%, government 15%
Unemployment rate: 28% (1992 est.)
Budget: revenues: $16.1 billion expenditures: $16 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA billion (1995 est.)
Industries: crude oil, coal, tin, columbite, palm oil, peanuts, cotton, rubber, wood, hides and skins, textiles, cement and other construction materials, food products, footwear, chemicals, fertilizer, printing, ceramics, steel
Industrial production growth rate: -1% (1995)
Electricity - capacity: 5.88 million kW (1994)
Electricity - production: 14.88 billion kWh (1994)
Electricity - consumption per capita: 141 kWh (1995 est.)
Agriculture - products: cocoa, peanuts, palm oil, corn, rice, sorghum, millet, cassava (tapioca), yams, rubber ; cattle, sheep, goats, pigs; fishing and forest resources extensively exploited
Exports: total value : $11.6 billion (f.o.b., 1995) commodities: petroleum and petroleum products 95%, cocoa, rubber partners : US 52%, EU 34%
Imports: total value: $10 billion (c.i.f., 1995) commodities: machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods, chemicals, food and animals partners : EU 50%, US 13%, Japan 7%
Debt - external: $34 billion (1994 est.)
Economic aid: recipient: ODA, $NA
Currency: 1 naira (N) = 100 kobo
Exchange rates: naira (N) per US$1 - 21.886 (October 1996), 21.895 (1995), 21.996 (1994), 22.065 (1993), 17.298 (1992)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Nigeria:Communications
Telephones: 492,204 (1990 est.)
Telephone system: average system limited by poor maintenance; major expansion in progress domestic: microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, and 20 domestic satellite earth stations carry intercity traffic international: satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean); 1 coaxial submarine cable
Radio broadcast stations: AM 35, FM 17, shortwave 0
Radios: 20 million (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 28
Televisions: 3.8 million (1992 est.)
@Nigeria:Transportation
Railways: total: 3,557 km narrow gauge: 3,505 km 1.067-m gauge standard gauge: 52 km 1.435-m gauge (1995)