Information about Niger
The Republic of Niger is independent since 1960 and still belongs to the poorest and least developed countries of the world. Niger is a landlocked state with a big share of the Sahara and the Sahel. Especially in the north there are numerous nomads, semi-nomads and inhabitants of oasis, but the majority of the population lives in the south near the border to Nigeria and Benin.
After a period of coups and rebellions by the Tuareg the political situation of Niger seems to become stable. French is the official language and from 1999 - 2010 Tandja Mamadou was elected state president.
On a surface which is thirty times as large as Switzerland live about 11,7 million persons, 18,4% of them are Tuareg.
- The per capita income is 150 Euro a year
- 61,4% of the populationlive below the limits of poverty
- 28% of the children die before the age of 5
- The present life expectancy is about 42 years
- At present life expectancy is about 42 years
- 69% of the men and 82% of the women are illiterates
- 94% of the population are Muslim
Regular droughts, water shortage and food shortage threaten the existence of the greater part of the population.
40% of the national income is supplied by agriculture, whereas industry makes up only about 14% of the whole. Uran is the most important export goods (32% of the total exports), the most important trading partner is still France.