rench
expatriates

Religion: 80% Muslim, remainder indigenous beliefs and Christians

Language: French (official); Hausa, Djerma

Literacy: 13.9%

Labor force: 2,500,000 wage earners (1982); 90% agriculture, 6% industry
and commerce, 4% government; 51% of population of working age (1985)

Organized labor: negligible

- Government
Long-form name: Republic of Niger

Type: republic; presidential system in which military officers
hold key offices

Capital: Niamey

Administrative divisions: 7 departments (departements,
singular--departement); Agadez, Diffa, Dosso, Maradi, Niamey, Tahoua, Zinder

Independence: 3 August 1960 (from France)

Constitution: adopted NA December 1989 after 15 years of
military rule

Legal system: based on French civil law system and customary law;
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

National holidays: Republic Day, 18 December (1958)

Executive branch: president, prime minister, Council of Ministers
(cabinet)

Legislative branch: National Development Council

Judicial branch: State Court (Cour d'Etat), Court of Appeal
(Cour d'Apel)

Leaders:
Chief of State--President Brig. Gen. Ali SAIBOU (since 14 November 1987);

Head of Government--Prime Minister ALIOU MAHAMIDA (since 2 March
1990)

Political parties and leaders: only party--National Movement
for the Development Society (MNSD), leader NA

Suffrage: universal adult at age 18

Elections:
President--last held December 1989 (next to be held NA 1996);
results--President Ali Saibou was reelected without opposition;

National Development Council--last held December 1989 (next to be
held NA 1994); results--MNSD is the only party;
seats--(150 total) MNSD 150 (indirectly elected)

Communists: no Communist party; some sympathizers in outlawed Sawaba party

Member of: ACP, AfDB, APC, CCC, CEAO, EAMA, ECA, ECOWAS, Entente,
FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB--Islamic Development Bank,
IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ITU, Lake Chad Basin
Commission, Niger River Commission, NAM, OAU, OCAM, OIC, UN, UNESCO,
UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Moumouni Adamou DJERMAKOYE;
Chancery at 2204 R Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 483-4224
through 4227; US--Ambassador Carl C. CUNDIFF; Embassy at Avenue des
Ambassadeurs, Niamey (mailing address is B. P. 11201, Niamey); telephone
p227o 72-26-61 through 64 and 72-26-70

Flag: three equal horizontal bands of orange (to