The 2008 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency (ebook reader 8 inch .txt) 📕

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Communications
Niger

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)

Transportation
Niger

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)

Military
Niger

Military branches:

Nigerien Armed Forces (Forces Armees Nigeriennes, FAN): Army, Niger
Air 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 Issues
Niger

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

Introduction
Nigeria

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.

Geography
Nigeria

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: 923,768 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

People
Nigeria

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)

Government
Nigeria

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 [Hassan
ZUMI]; Alliance for Democracy or AD [Mojisoluwa AKINFENWA]; All
Nigeria Peoples' Party or ANPP [Edwin UME-EZEOKE]; All Progressives
Grand Alliance or APGA [Victor C. UMEH]; Democratic People's Party
or DPP [Jeremiah USENI]; Fresh Democratic Party [Chris OKOTIE];
Labor Party [Dan NWANYANWU]; Movement for the Restoration and
Defense of Democracy or MRDD [Mohammed Gambo JIMETA]; National
Democratic Party or NDP [Aliyu Habu FARI]; Peoples Democratic Party
or PDP [vacant]; Peoples Progressive Alliance [Clement EBRI];
Peoples Redemption Party or PRP [Abdulkadir Balarabe MUSA]; Peoples
Salvation Party or PSP [Lawal MAITURARE]; United Nigeria Peoples
Party or UNPP [Mallam Selah JAMBO]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

Academic Staff Union for Universities or ASUU; Campaign for
Democracy or CD; Civil Liberties Organization or CLO; Committee for
the Defense of Human Rights or CDHR; Constitutional Right Project or
CRP; Human Right Africa; National Association of Democratic Lawyers
or NADL; National Association of Nigerian Students or NANS; Nigerian
Bar Association or NBA; Nigerian Labor Congress or NLC; Nigerian
Medical Association or NMA; the Press; Universal Defenders of
Democracy or UDD

International