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 di