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

_#_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%; includes irrigated NEGL%

_#_Environment: recurrent drought and desertification severely
affecting marginal agricultural activities; overgrazing; soil erosion

_#_Note: landlocked

_*_People
_#_Population: 8,154,145 (July 1991), growth rate 3.4% (1991)

_#_Birth rate: 50 births/1,000 population (1991)

_#_Death rate: 16 deaths/1,000 population (1991)

_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)

_#_Infant mortality rate: 129 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

_#_Life expectancy at birth: 49 years male, 53 years female (1991)

_#_Total fertility rate: 7.0 children born/woman (1991)

_#_Nationality: noun--Nigerien(s) adjective--Nigerien

_#_Ethnic divisions: 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

_#_Religion: Muslim 80%, remainder indigenous beliefs and Christians

_#_Language: French (official); Hausa, Djerma

_#_Literacy: 28% (male 40%, female 17%) age 15 and over can
read and write (1990 est.)

_#_Labor force: 2,500,000 wage earners (1982); agriculture 90%,
industry and commerce 6%, government 4%; 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 Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)