Economic Overview
Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world, ranking near last on the united nations development fund index of human development. it is a landlocked, sub-saharan nation, whose economy centers on subsistence crops, livestock, and some of the world's largest uranium deposits. drought cycles, desertification, and a 2.9% population growth rate, have undercut the economy. niger shares a common currency, the cfa franc, and a common central bank, the central bank of west african states (bceao), with seven other members of the west african monetary union. in december 2000, niger qualified for enhanced debt relief under the international monetary fund program for highly indebted poor countries (hipc) and concluded an agreement with the fund on a poverty reduction and growth facility (prgf). debt relief provided under the enhanced hipc initiative significantly reduces niger's annual debt service obligations, freeing funds for expenditures on basic health care, primary education, hiv/aids prevention, rural infrastructure, and other programs geared at poverty reduction. in december 2005, niger received 100% multilateral debt relief from the imf, which translates into the forgiveness of approximately us $86 million in debts to the imf, excluding the remaining assistance under hipc. nearly half of the government's budget is derived from foreign donor resources. future growth may be sustained by exploitation of oil, gold, coal, and other mineral resources. uranium prices have increased sharply in the last few years. a drought and locust infestation in 2005 led to food shortages for as many as 2.5 million nigeriens.
Environmental Issues
Overgrazing; soil erosion; deforestation; desertification; wildlife populations (such as elephant, hippopotamus, giraffe, and lion) threatened because of poaching and habitat destruction
Government Type
Republic
Population
13,272,679 (july 2008 est.)
Location
Western africa, southeast of algeria
Area
Total: 1.267 million sq km
land: 1,266,700 sq km
water: 300 sq km
Slightly less than twice the size of texas
Country Aliases
Conventional long form: republic of niger
conventional short form: niger
local long form: republique du niger
local short form: niger
Capital
Name: niamey
geographic coordinates: 13 31 n, 2 07 e
time difference: utc+1 (6 hours ahead of washington, dc during standard time)
Military Service
18 years of age for compulsory military service; 2-year conscript service obligation (2006)
International Disputes
Libya claims about 25,000 sq km in a currently dormant dispute in the tommo region; much of benin-niger boundary, including tripoint with nigeria, remains undemarcated; only nigeria and cameroon have heeded the lake chad commission's admonition to ratify the delimitation treaty which also includes the chad-niger and niger-nigeria boundaries
Sources: Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
