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Niger

Niger
General information
Common nameNiger
Local nameRepublic of Niger
République du Niger  
Jamhuriyar Nijar  
NameRepublic of Niger
République du Niger  
Jamhuriyar Nijar  
Motto"Fraternité, Travail, Progrès"  
"Fraternity, Work, Progress"
AnthemLa Nigérienne
CapitalNiamey
Largest cityNiamey
Official languagesFrench
National languagesHausa, Fulfulde, Gulmancema, Kanuri, Zarma, Tamasheq
DemonymNigerien (-ennaɪdʒɪrɪˈɛnpron or -enniːˈʒɛəriən)
Government
GovernmentSemi-presidential republic
PresidentMahamadou Issoufou
Prime MinisterBrigi Rafini
IndependenceIndependence (from France)
Declared3 August 1960
Geography
Total Area489678 sq mi (1268266 km2) (22nd)
Water %0.02
Demography
Population Est.15306252 (63rd)
Population census10790352 (2001)
Density (pop.)12/km2 (31.2/sq mi)
Economy
GDP PPP$11.051 billion (2010)
GDP (PPP) per capita$755
GDP (nominal)$5.577 billion (2010)
GDP (nominal) per capita$381
Other information
Gini50.5 (1995) (high)
HDI(+) 0.261 (2010) (low) (170th)
CurrencyWest African CFA franc (XOF)
Time zoneWAT (UTC+1)
- Summer (DST)not observed (UTC+1)
Drives on theright
Internet TLD.ne
Calling code227

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Niger (c-enaudio=En-us-Niger, officially named the Republic of Niger, is a landlocked country in Western Africa, named after the Niger River. It borders Nigeria and Benin to the south, Burkina Faso and Mali to the west, Algeria and Libya to the north and Chad to the east. Niger covers a land area of almost 1,270,000 km2, making it the largest nation in West Africa, with over 80 percent of its land area covered by the Sahara desert. The country's predominantly Islamic population of just above 15,000,000 is mostly clustered in the far south and west of the nation. The capital city is Niamey.

Niger is a developing country. It consistently has one of the lowest ranks of the United Nations' Human Development Index (HDI), currently 167th of 169 countries. Much of the non-desert portions of the country are threatened by periodic drought and desertification. The economy is concentrated around subsistence and some export agriculture clustered in the more fertile south, and the export of raw materials-especially uranium ore. Niger remains handicapped by its landlocked position, desert terrain, poor education and poverty of its people, lack of infrastructure, poor health care, and environmental degradation.

Nigerien society reflects a diversity drawn from the long independent histories of its several ethnic groups and regions and their relatively short period living in a single state. Historically, what is now Niger has been on the fringes of several large states. Since independence, Nigeriens have lived under five constitutions and three periods of military rule. A majority live in rural areas, and have little access to advanced education.


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