PeopleNiger
Population:
13,272,679 (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 47% (male 3,174,834/female 3,057,003) 15-64 years: 50.6% (male 3,450,393/female 3,267,496) 65 years and over: 2.4% (male 159,945/female 163,008) (2008 est.)
Median age:
total: 16.4 years male: 16.5 years female: 16.4 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.878% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
49.62 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
20.26 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
-0.57 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.98 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 115.42 deaths/1,000 live births male: 119.3 deaths/1,000 live births female: 111.42 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 44.28 years male: 44.3 years female: 44.26 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
7.29 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
1.2% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
70,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
4,800 (2003 est.)
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne disease: malaria respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2008)
Nationality:
noun: Nigerien(s) adjective: Nigerien
Ethnic groups:
Haoussa 55.4%, Djerma Sonrai 21%, Tuareg 9.3%, Peuhl 8.5%, KanouriManga 4.7%, other 1.2% (2001 census)
Religions:
Muslim 80%, other (includes indigenous beliefs and Christian) 20%
Languages:
French (official), Hausa, Djerma
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 28.7% male: 42.9% female: 15.1% (2005 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 4 years male: 5 years female: 3 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
3.4% of GDP (2006)
GovernmentNiger
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Niger conventional short form: Niger local long form: Republique du Niger local short form: Niger
Government type:
republic
Capital:
name: Niamey geographic coordinates: 13 31 N, 2 07 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
8 regions (regions, singular - region) includes 1 capital district* (communite urbaine); Agadez, Diffa, Dosso, Maradi, Niamey*, Tahoua, Tillaberi, Zinder
Independence:
3 August 1960 (from France)
National holiday:
Republic Day, 18 December (1958)
Constitution:
new constitution adopted 18 July 1999
Legal system:
based on French civil law system and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Mamadou TANDJA (since 22 December 1999) head of government: Prime Minister Seyni OUMAROU (since 3 June 2007); appointed by the president and shares some executive responsibilities with the president cabinet: 26-member Cabinet appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); second round of election last held 4 December 2004 (next to be held December 2009) election results: Mamadou TANDJA reelected president; percent of vote - Mamadou TANDJA 65.5%, Mahamadou ISSOUFOU 34.5%
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly (113 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 4 December 2004 (next to be held in December 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - MNSD 47, PNDS 25, CDS 22, RSD 7, RDP 6, ANDP 5, PSDN 1
Judicial branch:
State Court or Cour d'Etat; Court of Appeals or Cour d'Appel
Political parties and leaders:
Democratic and Social Convention-Rahama or CDS-Rahama [MahamaneOUSMANE]; National Movement for a Developing Society-Nassara orMNSD-Nassara [Hama AMADOU]; Niger Social Democratic Party or PSDN;Nigerien Alliance for Democracy and Social Progress-Zaman Lahiya orANDP-Zaman Lahiya [Moumouni DJERMAKOYE]; Nigerien Party for Autonomyor PNA-Alouma'a [Sanousi JACKOU]; Nigerien Party for Democracy andSocialism or PNDS-Tarrayya [Issifou MAHAMADOU]; Nigerien ProgressiveParty or PPN-RDA [Abdoulaye DIORI]; Rally for Democracy and Progressor RDP-jama'a [Hamid ALGABID]; Social and Democratic Rally orRSD-Gaskiyya [Cheiffou AMADOU]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
The Nigerien Movement for Justice or MNJ, a predominantly Tuareg rebel group
International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC,IOM, IPU, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD,UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU,WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Aminata Djibrilla Maiga TOURE chancery: 2204 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 483-4224 through 4227 FAX: [1] (202)483-3169
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Bernadette M. ALLEN embassy: Rue Des Ambassades, Niamey mailing address: B. P. 11201, Niamey telephone: [227] 20-72-26-61 thru 64 FAX: [227] 20-73-31-67
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
EconomyNiger
Economy - overview:
Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world, ranking near last on the United Nations Development Fund index of human development. It is a landlocked, Sub-Saharan nation, whose economy centers on subsistence crops, livestock, and some of the world's largest uranium deposits. Drought cycles, desertification, and a 2.9% population growth rate, have undercut the economy. Niger shares a common currency, the CFA franc, and a common central bank, the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO), with seven other members of the West African Monetary Union. In December 2000, Niger qualified for enhanced debt relief under the International Monetary Fund program for Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) and concluded an agreement with the Fund on a Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF). Debt relief provided under the enhanced HIPC initiative significantly reduces Niger's annual debt service obligations, freeing funds for expenditures on basic health care, primary education, HIV/AIDS prevention, rural infrastructure, and other programs geared at poverty reduction. In December 2005, Niger received 100% multilateral debt relief from the IMF, which translates into the forgiveness of approximately US $86 million in debts to the IMF, excluding the remaining assistance under HIPC. Nearly half of the government's budget is derived from foreign donor resources. Future growth may be sustained by exploitation of oil, gold, coal, and other mineral resources. Uranium prices have increased sharply in the last few years. A drought and locust infestation in 2005 led to food shortages for as many as 2.5 million Nigeriens.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$8.859 billion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$4.174 billion (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
3.2% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$700 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 39% industry: 17% services: 44% (2001)
Labor force:
70,000 salaried workers, 60% of whom are employed in the public sector (1995)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 90% industry: 6% services: 4% (1995)
Unemployment rate:
Population below poverty line:
63% (1993 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 0.8% highest 10%: 35.4% (1995)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
50.5 (1995)
Budget:
revenues: $320 million (includes $134 million from foreign sources) expenditures: $320 million (2002 est.)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
0.1% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
4.25% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
NA (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$604.5 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$193.7 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$318.9 million (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
cowpeas, cotton, peanuts, millet, sorghum, cassava (tapioca), rice; cattle, sheep, goats, camels, donkeys, horses, poultry
Industries:
uranium mining, cement, brick, soap, textiles, food processing, chemicals, slaughterhouses
Industrial production growth rate:
5.1% (2003 est.)
Electricity - production:
240 million kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - consumption:
443.2 million kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
225 million kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - consumption:
5,550 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - imports:
5,425 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - proved reserves:
NA bbl
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
Current account balance:
-$321 million (2007 est.)
Exports:
$428 million f.o.b. (2006)
Exports - commodities:
uranium ore, livestock, cowpeas, onions
Exports - partners:
France 57%, Nigeria 26.4%, Ghana 4.1% (2007)
Imports:
$800 million f.o.b. (2006)
Imports - commodities:
foodstuffs, machinery, vehicles and parts, petroleum, cereals
Imports - partners:
France 15.9%, French Polynesia 8.8%, Nigeria 8.6%, Belgium 8.6%, US 6.9%, Cote d'Ivoire 5.6% (2007)
Economic aid - recipient:
$515.4 million (2005)
Debt - external:
$2.1 billion (2003 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
Currency (code):
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States
Currency code:
Exchange rates:
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 493.51 (2007), 522.59 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003) note: since 1 January 1999, the XOF franc has been pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 XOF francs per euro
CommunicationsNiger
Telephones - main lines in use:
24,000 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
900,000 (2007)
Telephone system:
general assessment: inadequate; small system of wire, radio telephone communications, and microwave radio relay links concentrated in the southwestern area of Niger domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity only about 7 per 100 persons; domestic satellite system with 3 earth stations and 1 planned international: country code - 227; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 5, FM 6, shortwave 4 (2001)
Radios:
680,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
5 (2007)
Televisions:
125,000 (1997)
Internet country code:
.ne
Internet hosts:
216 (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2002)
Internet users:
40,000 (2006)
TransportationNiger
Airports:
28 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 9 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 under 914 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 19 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 14 under 914 m: 3 (2007)
Roadways:
total: 18,550 km paved: 3,803 km unpaved: 14,747 km (2006)
Waterways:
300 km (the Niger, the only major river, is navigable to Gaya between September and March) (2005)
MilitaryNiger
Military branches:
Nigerien Armed Forces (Forces Armees Nigeriennes, FAN): Army, NigerAir Force (Force Aerienne du Niger) (2008)
Military service age and obligation:
17-21 years of age for voluntary military service; 2-year service term; women may serve in health care (2008)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 2,871,868 females age 16-49: 2,696,966 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,665,108 females age 16-49: 1,548,965 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 150,728 female: 143,379 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.3% of GDP (2006)
Transnational IssuesNiger
Disputes - international:
Libya claims about 25,000 sq km in a currently dormant dispute in the Tommo region; much of Benin-Niger boundary, including tripoint with Nigeria, remains undemarcated; only Nigeria and Cameroon have heeded the Lake Chad Commission's admonition to ratify the delimitation treaty which also includes the Chad-Niger and Niger-Nigeria boundaries
Trafficking in persons:
current situation: Niger is a source, transit, and destination country for children and women trafficked for forced labor and sexual exploitation; caste-based slavery practices, rooted in ancestral master-slave relationships, continue in isolated areas of the country - an estimated 8,800 to 43,000 Nigeriens live under conditions of traditional slavery; children are trafficked within Niger for forced begging, forced labor in gold mines, domestic servitude, sexual exploitation, and possibly for forced labor in agriculture and stone quarries; women and children from neighboring states are trafficked to and through Niger for domestic servitude, sexual exploitation, forced labor in mines and on farms, and as mechanics and welders tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Niger is on the Tier 2 Watch List for its failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts to eliminate trafficking in 2007; in particular, measures to combat and eliminate traditional slavery practices were weak; the government's overall law enforcement efforts have stalled from 2006; while efforts to protect child trafficking victims were steady, the government failed to provide services to or rescue adult victims subjected to traditional slavery practices, and made poor efforts to educate the public about traditional slavery practices in general (2008)
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
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@Nigeria
IntroductionNigeria
Background:
British influence and control over what would become Nigeria grew through the 19th century. A series of constitutions after World War II granted Nigeria greater autonomy; independence came in 1960. Following nearly 16 years of military rule, a new constitution was adopted in 1999, and a peaceful transition to civilian government was completed. The government continues to face the daunting task of reforming a petroleum-based economy, whose revenues have been squandered through corruption and mismanagement, and institutionalizing democracy. In addition, Nigeria continues to experience longstanding ethnic and religious tensions. Although both the 2003 and 2007 presidential elections were marred by significant irregularities and violence, Nigeria is currently experiencing its longest period of civilian rule since independence. The general elections of April 2007 marked the first civilian-to-civilian transfer of power in the country's history.
GeographyNigeria
Location:
Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Benin andCameroon
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 923,768 sq km land: 910,768 sq km water: 13,000 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly more than twice the size of California
Land boundaries:
total: 4,047 km border countries: Benin 773 km, Cameroon 1,690 km, Chad 87 km, Niger 1,497 km
Coastline:
853 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climate:
varies; equatorial in south, tropical in center, arid in north
Terrain:
southern lowlands merge into central hills and plateaus; mountains in southeast, plains in north
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Chappal Waddi 2,419 m
Natural resources:
natural gas, petroleum, tin, iron ore, coal, limestone, niobium, lead, zinc, arable land
Land use:
arable land: 33.02% permanent crops: 3.14% other: 63.84% (2005)
Irrigated land:
2,820 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
286.2 cu km (2003)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 8.01 cu km/yr (21%/10%/69%) per capita: 61 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
periodic droughts; flooding
Environment - current issues:
soil degradation; rapid deforestation; urban air and water pollution; desertification; oil pollution - water, air, and soil; has suffered serious damage from oil spills; loss of arable land; rapid urbanization
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
the Niger enters the country in the northwest and flows southward through tropical rain forests and swamps to its delta in the Gulf of Guinea
PeopleNigeria
Population:
146,255,312 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 41.7% (male 31,171,949/female 29,806,204) 15-64 years: 55.3% (male 41,243,003/female 39,611,565) 65 years and over: 3% (male 2,152,318/female 2,270,267) (2008 est.)
Median age:
total: 18.9 years male: 18.8 years female: 19 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.025% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
37.23 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
16.88 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
-0.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 95.74 deaths/1,000 live births male: 101.83 deaths/1,000 live births female: 89.28 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 46.53 years male: 45.78 years female: 47.32 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
5.01 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
5.4% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
3.6 million (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
310,000 (2003 est.)
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne disease: malaria and yellow fever respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis aerosolized dust or soil contact disease: one of the most highly endemic areas for Lassa fever water contact disease: leptospirosis and shistosomiasis note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2008)
Nationality:
noun: Nigerian(s) adjective: Nigerian
Ethnic groups:
Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, is composed of more than 250 ethnic groups; the following are the most populous and politically influential: Hausa and Fulani 29%, Yoruba 21%, Igbo (Ibo) 18%, Ijaw 10%, Kanuri 4%, Ibibio 3.5%, Tiv 2.5%
Religions:
Muslim 50%, Christian 40%, indigenous beliefs 10%
Languages:
English (official), Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo (Ibo), Fulani
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 68% male: 75.7% female: 60.6% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 8 years male: 9 years female: 7 years (2004)
Education expenditures:
0.9% of GDP (1991)
GovernmentNigeria
Country name:
conventional long form: Federal Republic of Nigeria conventional short form: Nigeria
Government type:
federal republic
Capital:
name: Abuja geographic coordinates: 9 05 N, 7 32 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
36 states and 1 territory*; Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra,Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo,Ekiti, Enugu, Federal Capital Territory*, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa,Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nassarawa, Niger,Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara
Independence:
1 October 1960 (from UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day (National Day), 1 October (1960)
Constitution:
new constitution adopted 5 May 1999; effective 29 May 1999
Legal system:
based on English common law, Islamic law (in 12 northern states), and traditional law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Umaru Musa YAR'ADUA (since 29 May 2007); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Umaru Musa YAR'ADUA (since 29 May 2007) cabinet: Federal Executive Council elections: president is elected by popular vote for a four-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 21 April 2007 (next to be held in April 2011) election results: Umaru Musa YAR'ADUA elected president; percent of vote - Umaru Musa YAR'ADUA 69.8%, Muhammadu BUHARI 18.7%, Atiku ABUBAKAR 7.5%, Orji Uzor KALU 1.7%, other 2.3%
Legislative branch:
bicameral National Assembly consists of the Senate (109 seats, 3 from each state plus 1 from Abuja; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) and House of Representatives (360 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: Senate - last held 21 April 2007 (next to be held in April 2011); House of Representatives - last held 21 April 2007 (next to be held in April 2011) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - PDP 53.7%, ANPP 27.9%, AD 9.7%, other 8.7%; seats by party - PDP 76, ANPP 27, AD 6; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - PDP 54.5%, ANPP 27.4%, AD 8.8%, UNPP 2.8%, NPD 1.9%, APGA 1.6%, PRP 0.8%; seats by party - PDP 76, ANPP 27, AD 6, UNPP 2, APGA 2, NPD 1, PRP 1, vacant 1
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges appointed by the President); Federal Court of Appeal (judges are appointed by the federal government on the advice of the Advisory Judicial Committee)
Political parties and leaders:
Accord Party [Ikra Aliyu BILBIS]; Action Congress or AC [HassanZUMI]; Alliance for Democracy or AD [Mojisoluwa AKINFENWA]; AllNigeria Peoples' Party or ANPP [Edwin UME-EZEOKE]; All ProgressivesGrand Alliance or APGA [Victor C. UMEH]; Democratic People's Partyor DPP [Jeremiah USENI]; Fresh Democratic Party [Chris OKOTIE];Labor Party [Dan NWANYANWU]; Movement for the Restoration andDefense of Democracy or MRDD [Mohammed Gambo JIMETA]; NationalDemocratic Party or NDP [Aliyu Habu FARI]; Peoples Democratic Partyor PDP [vacant]; Peoples Progressive Alliance [Clement EBRI];Peoples Redemption Party or PRP [Abdulkadir Balarabe MUSA]; PeoplesSalvation Party or PSP [Lawal MAITURARE]; United Nigeria PeoplesParty or UNPP [Mallam Selah JAMBO]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Academic Staff Union for Universities or ASUU; Campaign forDemocracy or CD; Civil Liberties Organization or CLO; Committee forthe Defense of Human Rights or CDHR; Constitutional Right Project orCRP; Human Right Africa; National Association of Democratic Lawyersor NADL; National Association of Nigerian Students or NANS; NigerianBar Association or NBA; Nigerian Labor Congress or NLC; NigerianMedical Association or NMA; the Press; Universal Defenders ofDemocracy or UDD
International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, AU, C, ECOWAS, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURCAT,MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN,UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNOMIG,UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Oluwole ROTIMI chancery: 3519 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 986-8400 FAX: [1] (202) 775-1385 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Robin SANDERS embassy: 1075 Diplomatic Drive, Central District Area, Abuja mailing address: P. O. Box 5760, Garki, Abuja telephone: [234] (9) 461-4000 FAX: [234] (9) 461-4036
Flag description:
three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and green
EconomyNigeria
Economy - overview:
Oil-rich Nigeria, long hobbled by political instability, corruption, inadequate infrastructure, and poor macroeconomic management, is undertaking some reforms under a new reform-minded administration. Nigeria's former military rulers failed to diversify the economy away from its overdependence on the capital-intensive oil sector, which provides 20% of GDP, 95% of foreign exchange earnings, and about 80% of budgetary revenues. The largely subsistence agricultural sector has failed to keep up with rapid population growth - Nigeria is Africa's most populous country - and the country, once a large net exporter of food, now must import food. Following the signing of an IMF stand-by agreement in August 2000, Nigeria received a debt-restructuring deal from the Paris Club and a $1 billion credit from the IMF, both contingent on economic reforms. Nigeria pulled out of its IMF program in April 2002, after failing to meet spending and exchange rate targets, making it ineligible for additional debt forgiveness from the Paris Club. In the last year the government has begun showing the political will to implement the market-oriented reforms urged by the IMF, such as to modernize the banking system, to curb inflation by blocking excessive wage demands, and to resolve regional disputes over the distribution of earnings from the oil industry. In 2003, the government began deregulating fuel prices, announced the privatization of the country's four oil refineries, and instituted the National Economic Empowerment Development Strategy, a domestically designed and run program modeled on the IMF's Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility for fiscal and monetary management. In November 2005, Abuja won Paris Club approval for a debt-relief deal that eliminated $18 billion of debt in exchange for $12 billion in payments - a total package worth $30 billion of Nigeria's total $37 billion external debt. The deal requires Nigeria to be subject to stringent IMF reviews. GDP rose strongly in 2007, based largely on increased oil exports and high global crude prices. Newly-elected President YAR'ADUA has pledged to continue the economic reforms of his predecessor and the proposed budget for 2008 reflects the administrations emphasis on infrastructure improvements. Infrastructure is the main impediment to growth. The government is working toward developing stronger public-private partnerships for electricity and roads.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$296.1 billion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$166.8 billion (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
6.4% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$2,100 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 17.7% industry: 52.6% services: 29.8% (2007 est.)
Labor force:
50.13 million (2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 70% industry: 10% services: 20% (1999 est.)
Unemployment rate:
4.9% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
70% (2007 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 1.9% highest 10%: 33.2% (2003)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
43.7 (2003)
Investment (gross fixed):
23.7% of GDP (2007 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $19.43 billion expenditures: $20.36 billion (2007 est.)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Public debt:
14.4% of GDP (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
5.4% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
9.5% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
16.94% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$21.72 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$19.07 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$16.15 billion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
cocoa, peanuts, palm oil, corn, rice, sorghum, millet, cassava (tapioca), yams, rubber; cattle, sheep, goats, pigs; timber; fish
Industries:
crude oil, coal, tin, columbite; palm oil, peanuts, cotton, rubber, wood; hides and skins, textiles, cement and other construction materials, food products, footwear, chemicals, fertilizer, printing, ceramics, steel, small commercial ship construction and repair
Industrial production growth rate:
3.2% (2007 est.)
Electricity - production:
22.11 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - consumption:
15.85 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 61.9% hydro: 38.1% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Oil - production:
2.352 million bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - consumption:
312,000 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - exports:
2.473 million bbl/day (2005)
Oil - imports:
154,300 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - proved reserves:
36.22 billion bbl (1 January 2008 est.)
Natural gas - production:
34.1 billion cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
12.9 billion cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
21.2 billion cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
5.21 trillion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)
Current account balance:
$2.514 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$61.79 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
petroleum and petroleum products 95%, cocoa, rubber
Exports - partners:
US 51.6%, Brazil 8.9%, Spain 7.7% (2007)
Imports:
$38.5 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery, chemicals, transport equipment, manufactured goods, food and live animals
Imports - partners:
China 10.6%, Netherlands 7.9%, US 7.8%, South Korea 6.6%, UK 5.7%,France 4.3%, Brazil 4.2%, Germany 4.1% (2007)
Economic aid - recipient:
$6.437 billion (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$51.33 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$8.007 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$33.64 billion (2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$12.63 billion (2007 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$32.82 billion (2006)
Currency (code):
naira (NGN)
Currency code:
Exchange rates:
nairas (NGN) per US dollar - 127.46 (2007), 127.38 (2006), 132.59 (2005), 132.89 (2004), 129.22 (2003)
CommunicationsNigeria
Telephones - main lines in use:
1.58 million (2007)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
40.395 million (2007)
Telephone system:
general assessment: further expansion and modernization of the fixed-line telephone network is needed domestic: the addition of a second fixed-line provider in 2002 resulted in faster growth but subscribership remains only about 1 per 100 persons; wireless telephony has grown rapidly, in part responding to the shortcomings of the fixed-line network; multiple service providers operate nationally; mobile-cellular teledensity reached 30 per 100 persons in 2007 international: country code - 234; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe and Asia; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) (2007)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 83, FM 36, shortwave 11 (2001)
Radios:
23.5 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
3 (the government controls 2 of the broadcasting stations and 15 repeater stations) (2001)
Televisions:
6.9 million (1997)
Internet country code:
.ng
Internet hosts:
1,048 (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
11 (2000)
Internet users:
10 million (2007)
TransportationNigeria
Airports:
70 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 36 over 3,047 m: 6 2,438 to 3,047 m: 12 1,524 to 2,437 m: 10 914 to 1,523 m: 6 under 914 m: 2 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 34 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 14 under 914 m: 19 (2007)
Heliports:
2 (2007)
Pipelines:
condensate 124 km; gas 3,071 km; liquid petroleum gas 156 km; oil 4,347 km; refined products 3,949 km (2007)
Railways:
total: 3,505 km narrow gauge: 3,505 km 1.067-m gauge (2006)
Roadways:
total: 193,200 km paved: 28,980 km unpaved: 164,220 km (2004)
Waterways:
8,600 km (Niger and Benue rivers and smaller rivers and creeks) (2007)
Merchant marine:
total: 68 by type: cargo 4, chemical tanker 12, combination ore/oil 1, liquefied gas 2, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 46, specialized tanker 2 foreign-owned: 3 (Japan 1, South Africa 1, Spain 1) registered in other countries: 34 (Bahamas 2, Bermuda 11, Cook Islands 1, Georgia 1, Italy 1, Liberia 2, Panama 10, Poland 1, Seychelles 1, Sierra Leone 1, unknown 3) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Bonny Inshore Terminal, Calabar, Lagos
Transportation - note:
the International Maritime Bureau reports the territorial and offshore waters in the Niger Delta and Gulf of Guinea as high risk for piracy and armed robbery against ships; numerous commercial vessels have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while underway; crews have been robbed and stores or cargoes stolen
MilitaryNigeria
Military branches:
Nigerian Armed Forces: Army, Navy, Air Force (2008)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service (2007)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 31,929,204 females age 16-49: 30,638,979 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 18,556,755 females age 16-49: 17,288,225 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 1,663,025 female: 1,585,224 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.5% of GDP (2006)
Transnational IssuesNigeria
Disputes - international:
Joint Border Commission with Cameroon reviewed 2002 ICJ ruling on the entire boundary and bilaterally resolved differences, including June 2006 Greentree Agreement that immediately cedes sovereignty of the Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon with a phase-out of Nigerian control within two years while resolving patriation issues; the ICJ ruled on an equidistance settlement of Cameroon-Equatorial Guinea-Nigeria maritime boundary in the Gulf of Guinea, but imprecisely defined coordinates in the ICJ decision and a sovereignty dispute between Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon over an island at the mouth of the Ntem River all contribute to the delay in implementation; only Nigeria and Cameroon have heeded the Lake Chad Commission's admonition to ratify the delimitation treaty which also includes the Chad-Niger and Niger-Nigeria boundaries
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 5,778 (Liberia) IDPs: undetermined (communal violence between Christians and Muslims since President OBASANJO's election in 1999; displacement is mostly short-term) (2007)
Illicit drugs:
a transit point for heroin and cocaine intended for European, East Asian, and North American markets; consumer of amphetamines; safe haven for Nigerian narcotraffickers operating worldwide; major money-laundering center; massive corruption and criminal activity; Nigeria has improved some anti-money-laundering controls, resulting in its removal from the Financial Action Task Force's (FATF's) Noncooperative Countries and Territories List in June 2006; Nigeria's anti-money-laundering regime continues to be monitored by FATF
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
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@Niue
IntroductionNiue
Background:
Niue's remoteness, as well as cultural and linguistic differences between its Polynesian inhabitants and those of the rest of the Cook Islands, have caused it to be separately administered. The population of the island continues to drop (from a peak of 5,200 in 1966 to an estimated 1,444 in 2008), with substantial emigration to New Zealand, 2,400 km to the southwest.
GeographyNiue
Location:
Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Tonga
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
Oceania
Area:
total: 260 sq km land: 260 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
64 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate:
tropical; modified by southeast trade winds
Terrain:
steep limestone cliffs along coast, central plateau
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location near Mutalau settlement 68 m
Natural resources:
fish, arable land
Land use:
arable land: 11.54% permanent crops: 15.38% other: 73.08% (2005)
Irrigated land:
Natural hazards:
typhoons
Environment - current issues:
increasing attention to conservationist practices to counter loss of soil fertility from traditional slash and burn agriculture
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
one of world's largest coral islands
PeopleNiue
Population:
1,444 (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: NA 15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA
Population growth rate:
-0.032% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
NA (2008 est.)
Death rate:
NA (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
NA (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
Infant mortality rate:
total: NA male: NA female: NA (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: NA male: NA female: NA (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
NA (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - deaths: