ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,
IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU,
MIPONUH, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB, WAEMU,
WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Joseph DIATTA
chancery: 2204 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 483-4224 through 4227
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Charles O. CECIL
embassy: Rue Des Ambassades, Niamey
mailing address: B. P. 11201, Niamey
telephone: [227] 72 26 61 through 72 26 64
FAX: [227] 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
@Niger:Economy
Economy-overview: Niger is a poor, landlocked Sub-Saharan nation,
whose economy centers on subsistence agriculture, animal husbandry,
reexport trade, and increasingly less on uranium, its major export
since the 1970s. Terms of trade with Nigeria, Niger's largest regional
trade partner, have improved dramatically since the 50% devaluation of
the West African franc in January 1994; this devaluation boosted
exports of livestock, cowpeas, onions, and the products of Niger's
small cotton industry. The government relies on bilateral and
multilateral aid for operating expenses and public investment and is
strongly induced to adhere to structural adjustment programs designed
by the IMF and the World Bank. The US terminated bilateral assistance
to Niger after the coup of 1996. Other donors have reduced their aid.
GDP: purchasing power parity-$6.3 billion (1997 est.)
GDP-real growth rate: 4.5% (1997 est.)
GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity-$670 (1997 est.)
GDP-composition by sector:
agriculture: 41%
industry: 18%
services: 41% (1996)
Inflation rate-consumer price index: 5.3% (1996)
Labor force:
total: 70,000 receive regular wages or salaries
by occupation: agriculture 90%, industry and commerce 6%, government
4%
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $370 million (including $160 million from foreign sources)
expenditures: $370 million, including capital expenditures of $186
million (1998 est.)
Industries: cement, brick, textiles, food processing, chemicals,
slaughterhouses, and a few other small light industries; uranium
mining
Industrial production growth rate: 0.5% (1994 est.)
Electricity-capacity: 63,000 kW (1995)
Electricity-production: 170 million kWh (1995)
note: imports about 200 million kWh of electricity from Nigeria
Electricity-consumption per capita: 40 kWh (1995)
Agriculture-products: cowpeas, cotton, peanuts, millet, sorghum,
cassava (tapioca), rice; cattle, sheep, goats, camels, donkeys,
horses, poultry
Exports:
total value: $188 million (f.o.b., 1996)
commodities: uranium ore 67%, livestock products 20%, cowpeas, onions
partners: France 41%, Nigeria 22%, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Japan
18%
Imports:
total value: $374 million (c.i.f., 1996)
commodities: consumer goods, primary materials, machinery, vehicles
and parts, petroleum, cereals
partners: France 24%, Nigeria 19%, Cote d'Ivoire, China,
Belgium-Luxembourg
Debt-external: $1.3 billion (1996 est.)
Economic aid:
recipient: ODA; bilateral donors: France, Germany, EU, Japan
Currency: 1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100
centimes
Exchange rates: CFA francs (CFAF) per US$1-608.36 (January 1998),
583.67 (1997), 511.55 (1996), 499.15 (1995), 555.20 (1994), 283.16
(1993)
note: beginning 12 January 1994, the CFA franc was devalued to CFAF
100 per French franc from CFAF 50 at which it had been fixed since
1948
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 14,000 (1991 est.)
Telephone system: small system of wire, radiotelephone communications,
and microwave radio relay links concentrated in southwestern area
domestic: wire, radiotelephone communications, and microwave radio
relay; domestic satellite system with 3 earth stations and 1 planned
international: satellite earth stations-2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean
and 1 Indian Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 15, FM 6, shortwave 0
Radios: 500,000 (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 18 stations in a single network (1995)
Televisions: 38,000 (1992 est.)
@Niger:Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways:
total: 10,100 km
paved: 798 km
unpaved: 9,302 km (1996 est.)
Waterways: Niger river is navigable 300 km from Niamey to Gaya on the
Benin frontier from mid-December through March
Ports and harbors: none
Airports: 27 (1997 est.)
Airports-with paved runways:
total: 9
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 6
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1997 est.)
Airports-with unpaved runways:
total: 18
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 14
under 914 m: 3 (1997 est.)
@Niger:Military
Military branches: Army, Air Force, National Gendarmerie, Republican
Guard, National Police
Military manpower-military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower-availability:
males age 15-49: 2,049,296 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-fit for military service:
males: 1,105,821 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-reaching military age annually:
males: 98,946 (1998 est.)
Military expenditures-dollar figure: $23 million (FY97/98)
Military expenditures-percent of GDP: 1.3% (FY92/93)
@Niger:Transnational Issues
Disputes-international: Libya claims about 19,400 sq km in northern
Niger; demarcation of international boundaries in the vicinity of Lake
Chad, the lack of which led to border incidents in the past, is
completed and awaits ratification by Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and
Nigeria
______________________________________________________________________
NIGERIA
@Nigeria:Geography
Location: Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Benin
and Cameroon
Geographic coordinates: 10 00 N, 8 00 E
Map references: Africa
Area:
total: 923,770 sq km
land: 910,770 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:
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 30 nm
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: petroleum, tin, columbite, iron ore, coal,
limestone, lead, zinc, natural gas
Land use:
arable land: 33%
permanent crops: 3%
permanent pastures: 44%
forests and woodland: 12%
other: 8% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 9,570 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: periodic droughts
Environment-current issues: soil degradation; rapid deforestation;
desertification; recent droughts in north severely affecting marginal
agricultural activities
Environment-international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life
Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
@Nigeria:People
Population: 110,532,242 (July 1998 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 45% (male 24,871,855; female 24,661,134)
15-64 years: 52% (male 29,420,428; female 28,343,567)
65 years and over: 3% (male 1,627,452; female 1,607,806) (July 1998
est.)
Population growth rate: 2.96% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 42.24 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 12.95 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Net migration rate: 0.32 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.01 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 70.74 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 53.55 years
male: 52.68 years
female: 54.45 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 6.09 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Nigerian(s)
adjective: Nigerian
Ethnic groups: Hausa, Fulani, Yoruba, Ibo, Kanuri, Ibibio, Tiv, Ijaw
Religions: Muslim 50%, Christian 40%, indigenous beliefs 10%
Languages: English (official), Hausa, Yoruba, Ibo, Fulani
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 57.1%
male: 67.3%
female: 47.3% (1995 est.)
@Nigeria:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Federal Republic of Nigeria
conventional short form: Nigeria
Data code: NI
Government type: military government; Nigeria has been ruled by one
military regime after another since 31 December 1983; on 1 October
1995, the present military government announced it will turn power
over to democratically elected civilian authorities on 1 October 1998
National capital: Abuja
note: on 12 December 1991 the capital was officially moved from Lagos
to Abuja; many government offices remain in Lagos pending completion
of facilities in Abuja
Administrative divisions: 30 states and 1 territory*; Abia, Abuja
Federal Capital Territory*, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi,
Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Enugu, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna,
Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun,
Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe
note: the government has announced the creation of six additional
states named Bayelsa, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Gombe, Nassarawa, and Zamfara as
part of the process of transition to a civilian government
Independence: 1 October 1960 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 1 October (1960)
Constitution: 1979 constitution still partially in force; plan for
1989 constitution to take effect in 1993 was not implemented; draft
1995 constitution has not been published; the military government
rules by decree
Legal system: based on English common law, Islamic law, and tribal law
Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Chairman of the Provisional Ruling Council and
Commander in Chief of Armed Forces Gen. Abdulsalam ABUBAKAR (since 9
June 1998); note-the chairman of the Provisional Ruling Council is
both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: Chairman of the Provisional Ruling Council and
Commander in Chief of Armed Forces Gen. Abdulsalam ABUBAKAR (since 9
June 1998); note-the chairman of the Provisional Ruling Council is
both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Federal Executive Council (chaired by the Chairman of the
Provisional Ruling Council)
elections: none; on 9 June 1998, the Provisional Ruling Council
appointed Gen. Abdulsalam ABUBAKAR as their new Chairman to replace
Gen. Sani ABACHA who died in office; Gen. ABUBAKAR immediately pledged
a program to return the government to civilian rule as promised by
Gen. ABACHA
Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly, comprising a
109-member Senate and a 360-member House of Representatives
note: the National Assembly was suspended after the military takeover
of 17 November 1993; in October 1995, the government announced a
three-year program for transition to civilian rule; elections to the
National Assembly took place 25 April 1998 for a term starting 1
October 1998; the election was substantially boycotted by the
opposition and the legislature is unlikely to be representative of the
electorate
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, judges appointed by the Provisional
Ruling Council; Federal Court of Appeal, judges are appointed by the
federal government on the advice of the Advisory Judicial Committee
Political parties and leaders: political party system, which was
suspended after the military takeover of 17 November 1993, was
reestablished by the Provisional Ruling Council on 30 September 1996
with the registration of five of 15 competing political parties; these
were the United Nigeria Congress Party or UNCP [Isa MOHAMMED,
chairman]; National Center Party of Nigeria or NCPN [Magaji ABDULLAHI,
chairman]; Grassroots Democratic Movement or GDM [Alhaji Gambo LAWAN,
chairman]; Committee for National Consensus or CNC [Barnabas GEMADE,
chairman]; Democratic Party of Nigeria or DPN [Saleh HASSAN, chairman]
International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, C (suspended),
CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat,
Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MONUA, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPEC, PCA, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMIBH, UNMOP, UNPREDEP,
UNTAES, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Wakili Hassan ADAMU
chancery: 1333 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 986-8400
consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador William TWADDELL
embassy: 2 Louis Farrakhan Crescent, Lagos
mailing address: P. O. Box 554, Lagos
telephone: [234] (1) 261-0097
FAX: [234] (1) 261-0257
Flag description: three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side),
white, and green
@Nigeria:Economy
Economy-overview: The oil-rich Nigerian economy continues to be
hobbled by political instability, corruption, and poor macroeconomic
management. Nigeria's unpopular military rulers have failed to make
significant progress in diversifying the economy away from
overdependence on the capital intensive oil sector which provides 30%
of GDP, 95% of foreign exchange earnings, and about 80% of budgetary
revenues. The government's resistance to initiating greater
transparency and accountability in managing the country's multibillion
dollar oil earnings continues to limit economic growth and prevent an
agreement with the IMF and bilateral creditors on debt relief. The
largely subsistence agricultural sector has failed to keep up with
rapid population growth, and Nigeria, once a large net exporter of
food, now must import food. Agricultural production in 1996 suffered
from severe shortages of fertilizer, and production of fertilizer fell
even further in 1997.
GDP: purchasing power parity-$132.7 billion (1996 est.)
GDP-real growth rate: 3.3% (1996 est.)
GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity-$1,300 (1996 est.)
GDP-composition by sector:
agriculture: 39%
industry: 31%
services: 30% (1996 est.)
Inflation rate-consumer price index: 12% (1997 est.)
Labor force:
total: 42.844 million
by occupation: agriculture 54%, industry, commerce, and services 19%,
government 15%
Unemployment rate: 28% (1992 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $13.9 billion (1998 est.)
expenditures: $13.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
billion (1998 est.)
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
Industrial production growth rate: 4.1% (1996)
Electricity-capacity: 5.881 million kW (1995)
Electricity-production: 16.21 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity-consumption per capita: 152 kWh (1995)
Agriculture-products: cocoa, peanuts, palm oil, corn, rice, sorghum,
millet, cassava (tapioca), yams, rubber; cattle, sheep, goats, pigs;
fishing and forest resources extensively exploited
Exports:
total value: $15 billion (f.o.b., 1996)
commodities: petroleum and petroleum products 95%, cocoa, rubber
partners: US 40%, EU 21% (1995)
Imports:
total value: $8 billion (c.i.f., 1996)
commodities: machinery, chemicals, transportation equipment,
manufactured goods, food and animals
partners: EU 50%, US 12%, Japan 7%
Debt-external: $34 billion (1997 est.)
Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $NA
Currency: 1 naira (N) = 100 kobo
Exchange rates: naira (N) per US$1-21.886 (December 1997), 21.886
(1997), 21.895 (1995), 21.996 (1994), 22.065 (1993)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 492,204 (1990 est.)
Telephone system: average system limited by poor maintenance; major
expansion in progress
domestic: microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, and 20 domestic
satellite earth stations carry intercity traffic
international: satellite earth stations-3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean
and 1 Indian Ocean); 1 coaxial submarine cable
Radio broadcast stations: AM 35, FM 17, shortwave 0
Radios: 20 million (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 28
Televisions: 3.8 million (1992 est.)
@Nigeria:Transportation
Railways:
total: 3,557 km
narrow gauge: 3,505 km 1.067-m gauge
standard gauge: 52 km 1.435-m gauge (1995)
Highways:
total: 32,105 km
paved: 26,005 km (including 2,044 km of expressways)
unpaved: 6,100 km (1994 est.)
note: many of the roads reported as paved may be graveled; because of
poor maintenance, much of the road system is barely useable
Waterways: 8,575 km consisting of the Niger and Benue rivers and
smaller rivers and creeks
Pipelines: crude oil 2,042 km; petroleum products 3,000 km; natural
gas 500 km
Ports and harbors: Calabar, Lagos, Onne, Port Harcourt, Sapele, Warri
Merchant marine:
total: 39 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 379,210 GRT/643,851 DWT
ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 14, chemical tanker 3, oil tanker 20,
roll-on/roll-off cargo 1 (1997 est.)
Airports: 72 (1997 est.)
Airports-with paved runways:
total: 36
over 3,047 m: 6
2,438 to 3,047 m: 10
1,524 to 2,437 m: 10
914 to 1,523 m: 8
under 914 m: 2 (1997 est.)
Airports-with unpaved runways:
total: 36
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 14
under 914 m: 20 (1997 est.)
Heliports: 1 (1997 est.)
@Nigeria:Military
Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary Police Force
Military manpower-military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower-availability:
males age 15-49: 25,228,197 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-fit for military service:
males: 14,461,304 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-reaching military age annually:
males: 1,154,721 (1998 est.)
Military expenditures-dollar figure: $685 million (1996 est.)
Military expenditures-percent of GDP: less than 1% (1996 est.)
@Nigeria:Transnational Issues
Disputes-international: demarcation of international boundaries in the
vicinity of Lake Chad, the lack of which led to border incidents in
the past, is completed and awaits ratification by Cameroon, Chad,
Niger, and Nigeria; dispute with Cameroon over land and maritime
boundaries in the vicinity of the Bakasi Peninsula has been referred
to the ICJ with a ruling expected in 1998; maritime boundary dispute
with Equatorial Guinea because of disputed jurisdiction over oil-rich
areas in the Gulf of Guinea
Illicit drugs: facilitates movement of heroin en route from Southeast
and Southwest Asia to Western Europe and North America; increasingly a
transit route for cocaine from South America intended for European,
East Asian, and North American markets
______________________________________________________________________
NIUE
(self-governing in free association with New Zealand)
@Niue:Geography
Location: Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Tonga
Geographic coordinates: 19 02 S, 169 52 W
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:
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 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: 19%
permanent crops: 8%
permanent pastures: 4%
forests and woodland: 19%
other: 50% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: typhoons
Environment-current issues: traditional methods of burning brush and
trees to clear land for agriculture have threatened soil supplies
which are not naturally very abundant
Environment-international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Geography-note: one of world's largest coral islands
@Niue:People
Population: 1,647 (July 1998 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA
65 years and over: NA
Population growth rate: -3.65% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: NA births/1,000 population
Death rate: NA deaths/1,000 population
Net migration rate: NA migrant(s)/1,000 population
Infant mortality rate: NA deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: NA
male: NA
female: NA
Total fertility rate: NA children born/woman
Nationality:
noun: Niuean(s)
adjective: Niuean
Ethnic groups: Polynesian (with some 200 Europeans, Samoans, and
Tongans)
Religions: Ekalesia Niue (Niuean Church) 75%-a Protestant church
closely related to the London Missionary Society, Latter-Day Saints
10%, other 15% (mostly Roman Catholic, Jehovah's Witnesses,
Seventh-Day Adventist)
Languages: Polynesian closely related to Tongan and Samoan, English
Literacy:
definition: NA
total population: 95%
male: NA%
female: NA%
@Niue:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Niue
Data code: NE
Dependency status: self-governing in free association with New
Zealand; Niue fully responsible for internal affairs; New Zealand
retains responsibility for external affairs
Government type: self-governing parliamentary democracy
National capital: Alofi
Administrative divisions: none; note-there are no first-order
administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there
are 14 villages each with its own village council whose members are
elected and serve three-year terms
Independence: on 19 October 1974, Niue became a self-governing
parliamentary government in free association with New Zealand
National holiday: Waitangi Day, 6 February (1840) (Treaty of Waitangi
established British sovereignty)
Constitution: 19 October 1974 (Niue Constitution Act)
Legal system: English common law
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II of the UK (since 6 February 1952);
the queen and New Zealand are represented by New Zealand High
Commissioner Warren SEARELL (since NA August 1993)
head of government: Premier Frank Fakaotimanava LUI (since 12 March
1993)
cabinet: Cabinet consists of the premier and three ministers
elections: the queen is a hereditary monarch; premier elected by the
Legislative Assembly for a three-year term; election last held 23
February 1996 (next to be held NA March 1999)
election results: Frank Fakaotimanava LUI elected premier; percent of
Legislative Assembly vote-NA
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Assembly (20 seats; members
elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms; six elected from a
common roll and 14 are village representatives)
elections: last held 23 February 1996 (next to be held NA March 1999)
election results: percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-NPP 9,
independents 11
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of New Zealand; High Court of Niue
Political parties and leaders: Niue People's Action Party (NPP), Young
VIVIAN
International organization participation: ESCAP (associate), Intelsat
(nonsignatory user), Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UNESCO, WHO
Diplomatic representation in the US: none (self-governing territory in
free association with New Zealand)
Diplomatic representation from the US: none (self-governing territory
in free association with New Zealand)