oal, 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 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment:
current issues: overgrazing; soil erosion; deforestation;
desertification; wildlife populations (such as elephant, hippopotamus,
and lion) threatened because of poaching and habitat destruction
natural hazards: recurring droughts
international agreements: party to - Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands;
signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Desertification, Law of the Sea

Note: landlocked

@Niger:People

Population: 9,280,208 (July 1995 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 49% (female 2,275,338; male 2,275,999)
15-64 years: 49% (female 2,314,857; male 2,188,938)
65 years and over: 2% (female 107,432; male 117,644) (July 1995 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.4% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 54.8 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 20.8 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 109.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 45.07 years
male: 43.42 years
female: 46.77 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 7.35 children born/woman (1995 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 (1988)
total population: 11%
male: 17%
female: 5%

Labor force: 2.5 million wage earners (1982)
by occupation: agriculture 90%, industry and commerce 6%, government
4%

@Niger:Government

Names:
conventional long form: Republic of Niger
conventional short form: Niger
local long form: Republique du Niger
local short form: Niger

Digraph: NG

Type: republic

Capital: Niamey

Administrative divisions: 7 departments (departements, singular -
departement); Agadez, Diffa, Dosso, Maradi, Niamey, Tahoua, Zinder

Independence: 3 August 1960 (from France)

National holiday: Republic Day, 18 December (1958)

Constitution: approv