of the World
Area:
total area:
1.267 million km2
land area:
1,266,700 km2
comparative area:
slightly less than twice the size of Texas
Land boundaries:
total 5,697 km, Algeria 956 km, Benin 266 km, Burkina 628 km, Chad 1,175 km,
Libya 354 km, Mali 821 km, Nigeria 1,497 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none; landlocked
International disputes: Libya claims about 19,400 km2 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 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%
Irrigated land:
320 km2 (1989 est.)
Environment:
recurrent drought and desertification severely affecting marginal
agricultural activities; overgrazing; soil erosion
Note:
landlocked

*Niger, People

Population:
8,337,352 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
3.49% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
57.35 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
22.44 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
112.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
44.15 years
male:
42.6 years
female:
45.75 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
7.35 children born/woman (1993 est.)
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
Religions:
Muslim 80%, remainder indigenous beliefs and Christians
Languages:
French (official), Hausa, Djerma
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1990)
total population:
28%
male:
40%
female:
17%
Labor force:
2.5 million wage earners (1982)
by occupation:
agriculture 90%, industry and commerce 6%, government 4%
note:
51% of population of working age (1985)

*Nig