Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

International disputes: Libya claims about 19,400 sq km in
northern Niger; demarcation of international boundaries in 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; Burkina Faso and Mali are proceeding with boundary
demarcation, including the tripoint with Niger

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
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%
meadows and pastures: 7%
forest and woodland: 2%
other: 88%

Irrigated land: 320 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment:
current issues: overgrazing; soil erosion; deforestation;
desertification; wildlife populations (such as elephant,
hippopotamus, and lion) threatened because of poaching and habitat
destruction
natural hazards: recurring droughts
international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Nuclear Test Ban,
Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified -
Desertification, Law of the Sea

Geographic note: landlocked

People
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Population: 9,113,001 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 48% (male 2,233,157; female 2,138,096)
15-64 years: 50% (male 2,202,413; female 2,317,188)
65 years and over: 2% (male 117,337; female 104,810) (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.99% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 54.46 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 24.57 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 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
all ages: 1 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 117.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 40.66 years
male: 41.05 years
female: 40.25 years (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate: 7.44 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Nigerien(s)
adjective: Nigerien

Ethnic divisions: Hausa 56%, Djerma 22%, Fula 8.5%, Tuareg 8%,