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Embassies

Embassy of the Republic of Niger in Beijing
Ambassador: H.E. Mr. Adamou Boubakar
Address: No. 1-21, San Li Tun Apartment
Postal Code: 100600
Tel: (+86)10 6532 4279
Fax: (+86)10 6532 7041


Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Republic of Niger
Ambassador: Mr. Chen Gonglai
Address: B.P. 873 Niamey, Niger
Tel: +227-723283
Fax: +227-723285, 752851
Email: chinaemb_ne@mfa.gov.cn 

Economic & Commercial Counselor's Office
Address: B.P 10777, Niamey, Niger
Tel: +227-20722126
Fax: +227-20722106
Email: ne@mofcom.gov.cn
Website: http://ne2.mofcom.gov.cn/index.shtml (French)



Geography

Niger is a landlocked nation in West Africa located along the border between the Sahara and Sub-Saharan regions. Its geographic coordinates are latitude 16°N and longitude 8°E. Its area is 1,267,000 square kilometres (489,000 sq mi) of which 300 square kilometres (115 sq mi) is water. This makes Niger slightly less than twice the size of the U.S. state of Texas, and the world's twenty-second largest country (after Chad). Niger is comparable in size to Angola.
Niger borders seven countries on all sides and has a total of 5,697 kilometres (3,540 mi) of borders. The longest border is with Nigeria to the south (1,497 km; 930 mi). This is followed by Chad to the east, at 1,175 kilometres (730 mi), Algeria to the north-northwest (956 km; 594 mi), and Mali at 821 kilometres (510 mi). Niger also has small borders in its far southwest frontier with Burkina Faso at 628 kilometres (390 mi) and Benin at 266 kilometres (165 mi) and to the north-northeast (Libya at 354 kilometres (220 mi).
Niger's subtropical climate is mainly very hot and dry, with much desert area. In the extreme south there is a tropical climate on the edges of the Niger River basin. The terrain is predominantly desert plains and sand dunes, with flat to rolling savanna in the south and hills in the north.




Government

Niger's new constitution was approved in July 1999. It restored the semi-presidential system of government of the December 1992 constitution (Third Republic) in which the president of the republic, elected by universal suffrage for a five-year term, and a prime minister named by the president share executive power. As a reflection of Niger's increasing population, the unicameral National Assembly was expanded in 2004 to 113 deputies elected for a 5 year term under a majority system of representation. Political parties must attain at least 5% of the vote in order to gain a seat in the legislature.




Population

The largest ethnic groups in Niger are the Hausa, who also constitute the major ethnic group in northern Nigeria, the Djerma-Songhai, who also are found in parts of Mali. Both groups, along with the Gourmantche, are sedentary farmers who live in the arable, southern tier of the country.
The remainder of Nigeriens are nomadic or semi-nomadic livestock-raising peoples—Fulani, Tuareg, Kanuri, Arabs, and Toubou—who make up about 20% of
More than 90% of the population is Muslim, with small Animist and Christian communities, the latter a consequence of missionaries established during the French colonial years, as well as urban expatriate communities from Europe and West Africa. pproximately 95% of Muslims are Sunni; 5% are Shi'a.
Niger maintains a tradition as a secular state, protected by law.[Interfaith relations are deemed very good, and the forms of Islam traditionally practiced in most of the country is marked by tolerance of other faiths and lack of restrictions on personal freedom
Population: 15,306,252 (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 64
Age structure: 0-14 years: 49.6% (male 3,840,379/female 3,758,674)
15-64 years: 48% (male 3,658,361/female 3,690,373)
65 years and over: 5.4% (male 1,121,412/female 1,493,298) (2009 est.)
Population growth rate: 3.677% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 2
Birth rate: 51.6 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 1
Death rate: 20.26 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 21
Urbanization 16% of total population (2008)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 52.6 years
country comparison to the world: 201
male: 51.39 years
female: 53.85 years (2009 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.8% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 58
HIV/AIDS - people living
with HIV/AIDS:		 60,000 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 60
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 4,000 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 50
Religions: Muslim 80%, other (includes indigenous beliefs and Christian) 20%
Education expenditures: 3.4% of GDP (2006)
country comparison to the world: 134




Economy

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 strong population growth 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): $9.784 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 149
$9.239 billion (2007)
$8.944 billion (2006)
GDP (official exchange rate): $5.322 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 5.9% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 67
3.3% (2007 est.)
5.2% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP): $700 (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 221
$600 (2007 est.)
$700 (2006 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)
country comparison to the world: 178
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 90%
industry: 6%
services: 4% (1995)
Unemployment rate:
Household income
or consumption by % share		 63% (1993 est.)
Population below poverty rate lowest 10%: 0.8%
highest 10%: 35.4% (1995)
Budget: revenues: $320 million (includes $134 million from foreign sources)
expenditures: $320 million (2002 est.)
Public debt:
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 0.1% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 3
Agriculture - products: rice, pulses, beans, sesame, groundnuts, sugcowpeas, cotton, peanuts, millet, sorghum, cassava (tapioca), rice; cattle, sheep, goats, camels, donkeys, horses, poultry
Industries: uranium mining, cement, brick, soap, textiles, food processing, chemicals, slaughterhousest,
Electricity - production: 240 million kWh (2006 est.)
country comparison to the world: 172
Electricity - consumption: 443.2 million kWh (2006 est.)
country comparison to the world: 161
Telephones - main lines in use: 24,000 (2005)
country comparison to the world: 184
Telephones - mobile cellular: 900,000 (2007)
country comparison to the world: 140
Telephone system general assessment: inadequate; small system of wire, radio telephone communications, and microwave radio relay links concentrated in the southwestern area of Niger
Internet hosts: 216 (2008)
country comparison to the world: 176
Internet users: 40,000 (2006)
country comparison to the world: 171



- Imagine Media, 2009 -