: 660 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: recurring droughts

Environment - current issues: overgrazing; soil erosion; deforestation;
desertification; wildlife populations (such as elephant, hippopotamus,
giraffe, and lion) threatened because of poaching and habitat destruction

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate
Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification,
Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea

Geography - note: landlocked; one of the hottest countries in the world:
northern four-fifths is desert, southern one-fifth is savanna, suitable
for livestock and limited agriculture

People Niger

Population: 10,639,744 (July 2002 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 47.9% (male 2,594,932; female 2,503,867)
15-64 years: 49.8% (male 2,594,307; female 2,706,164) 65 years and over:
2.3% (male 125,898; female 114,576) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.7% (2002 est.)

Birth rate: 49.95 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate: 22.25 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.71 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04
male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over:
1.1 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 122.23 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: 41.77 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility
rate: 7 children born/woman (2002 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 4% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths: 17,700 (2002est.)

Nationality: noun: Nigerien(s) adjective: Nigerien

Ethnic groups: Hausa 56%, Djerma 22%, Fula 8.5%, Tuareg 8%, Beri Beri
(Kanouri) 4.3%, Arab, Toubou, and Gourmantche 1.2%, about 1,200 French
expatriates

Religions: Muslim 80%, remainder indigenous beliefs and Christian

Languages: French (official), Hausa, Djerma

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total
population: 15.3% male: 21.2% female: 9.4% (2002)

Government Niger

Country name: Republic of Niger conventional short form: Government
type: republic

Capital: Niamey

Administrative divisions: 7 departments (departements, singular -
departement) and 1 capital district* (capitale district); Ag