3.8 GEOGRAPHY
Area-Comparative: Slightly less than twice the size of
Texas.
Land Boundaries: Total - 5,697 Km
Border countries: Algeria 956km, Benin Rep. 266km, Burkina
Faso 628km, Libya 354km, Mali 821km, Nigeria 1,500km
Coastland: 0km (Land-locked)
Terrain: Predominantly desert plains and sand dunes, flat to
rolling plains
Elevation Extremes: Lowest point: Niger River 200m
Highest Point: Mont Bagazane 2,022m
Natural Resources: Uranium, Coal, Iron Ore, Tin, Phosphates,
gold, petroleum
Land Use: Arable land: 3.94%
Permanent Crop: 0%
Others: 96.06% (1998 est.)
Irrigated Land: 660 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural Hazards: Recurring droughts
Environment Current: Overgrazing, soil erosion, deforestation,
desertification, wildlife population
Issues: Elephant, hippopotamus, giraffe and lion threatened
because of population destruction.
Environment: pat to: Biodiversity, climate change,
desertification, Endangered.
International: Environmental modification, hazardous wastes,
nuclear test-ban
Agreements: Protection, wetlands signed, but not ratified,
climate change - Kyoto protocol, law of the sea.
Geography-Note: Land-locked, one of the hottest countries in
the world, northern four, southern one-fifth, is savanna, suitable for
livestock and limited agriculture.
3.9 POLITICAL PARTIES
LIST OF IMPORTANT PARTIES IN NIGER
Democratic and social convention (CDS RAHAMA)
National Movement for the Development of Society (MNSD
NASSARA)
Niger Party for Democracy and Socialism (PNDS TARRAYYA)
Democratic Rally for the People (RDP JAMA'A)
Nigerien Alliance for Democracy and Social Progress (ANDP
ZAMAN LAHIYA)
3.10 NIGER MILITARY
Military Branches: Army, Air Force, Gendarmerie, national
Intervention and Security Force (GIP-NINJA), Police, Republican Guard
Total: 11,470 men
Land: 7,470
Gendarmes: 1,650
Policemen: 2,000
Military Manpower-Military Age: 18 Years of age (2003 est.)
Military Manpower Availability: Males age: 15 - 49, 2, 379,
485 (2003 est.)
Military Manpower Fit for Military Service: Male age: 15 - 49:
1,288,326 (2000 est.).
Military Manpower Reaching Military Age Annually: Males:
119,367 (2000 est.).
Military Expenditures (Dollar figures) $20.54million (FY02)
Military Expenditures (Percent of GDP) 1.1% (FY02)
3.11 FOREIGN RELATIONS
Niger pursues a moderate foreign policy and maintains friendly
relations with the west and the Islamic world as well as non-aligned countries.
It belongs to the United Nations and its main specialized agencies and in 1980-
81 served on the UN Security Council.
Niger maintains a special relationship with France and enjoys
close relations with its West African neighbors. It is a charter member of the
African Union and the west African monetary Union (UEMOA) and also belongs to
the Niger river and Lake Chad Basin Commissions, the Economic Community of West
African States (ECOWAS - CEDEAO), the Non aligned Movement, the organization of
the Islamic conference (OIC), The Entente Council (Conseil de l'Entente), the
community of Sahel Saharan states (CEN-SAD) and the New Partnership for
Africa's Development (NEPAD).
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