ival 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 ass