Country name
conventional long form: Republic of Niger
conventional short form: Niger
local long form : Republique du Niger
local short form: Niger

Data code NG

Government type republic

National capital Niamey

Administrative divisions 7 departments (departements, singular - departement), and 1 capitaldistrict* (capitale district); Agadez, Diffa, Dosso, Maradi, Niamey*, Tahoua,Tillaberi, Zinder

Independence 3 August 1960 (from France)

National holiday Republic Day, 18 December (1958)

Constitution the constitution of January 1993 was revised by national referendumon 12 May 1996

Legal system based on French civil law system and customary law; has not acceptedcompulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
chief of state: President Ibrahim BARE Mainassara (since 28 January 1996); note - Presidentis chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Ibraham BARE Mainassara (since 28 January 1996); note - Presidentis chief of state and head of government; Prime Minister Amadou Boubacar CISSE(since 21 December 1996) was appointed by the president
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by President BARE
elections : the president is elected by popular vote for a five-year term; lastelection 7-8 July 1996 (next election NA 2001); note - Ibrahim BARE Mainassarainitially became president when he ousted President Mahamane OUSMANE in acoup on 27 January 1996 and subsequently defeated him in the flawed electionof July 1996
election results: percent of total vote - Ibrahim BARE Mainassara 52.22%, Mahamane OUSMANE19.75%, Tandja MAMADOU 15.65%, Mahamadou ISSOUFOU 7.60%, Moumouni AMADOU Djermakoye4.77%

Legislative branch two chamber National Assembly; one chamber with 83 seats directly electedby proportional representation for five-year terms; selection process forsecond chamber not established
elections: last held 23 November1996 (next to be held NA 2001)
election results : percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UNIRD 59, ANDPS-ZamanLahiya 8, UDPS-Amana 3, coalition of independents 3, MDP-Alkwali 1, UPDP-Shamuwa4, DARAJA 3, PMT-Albarka 2

Judicial branch State Court or Cour d'Etat; Court of Appeal or Cour d'Apel

Political parties and leaders Alliance for Democracy and Progress or ADP-AUMUNCI [Issoufou BACHARD,chairman]; DARAJA [Ali TALBA, chairman]; Democratic and Social Convention-Rahamaor CDS-Rahama [Mahamane OUSMANE]; Movement for Development and Pan-Africanismor MDP-Alkwali [Mai Manga BOUCAR, chairman]; National Movement of the DevelopmentSociety-Nassara or MNSD-Nassara [Tandja MAMADOU, chairman]; National Unionof Independents for Democratic Revival or UNIRD [leader NA]; Niger ProgressiveParty-African Democratic Rally or PPN-RDA [Dori ABDOULAI]; Niger Social DemocratParty or PADN [Malam Adji WAZIRI]; Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism-Tarayyaor PNDS-Tarayya [Mahamadou ISSOUFOU]; Nigerien Alliance for Democracy andSocial Progress-Zaman Lahia or ANDPS-Zaman Lahia [Moumouni Adamou DJERMAKOYE];PMT-Albarka; Union for Democracy and Social Progress-Amana or UDPS-Amana [AkoliDAOUEL]; Union of Patriots, Democrats, and Progressives-Shamuwa or UPDP-Shamuwa[Professor Andre' SALIFOU, chairman]; Union of Popular Forces for Democracyand Progress-Sawaba or UFPDP-Sawaba [Djibo BAKARY, chairman]

International organization participation ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD,ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat, Interpol,IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB, WCL, WFTU,WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Joseph DIATTA
chancery : 2204 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 483-4224 through 4227

Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Charles O. CECIL (20 August 1996)
embassy: Rue Des Ambassades, Niamey
mailing address: B. P. 11201, Niamey
telephone : [227] 72 26 61 through 72 26 64
FAX: [227] 73 31 67

Flag description three equal horizontal bands of orange (top), white, and green witha small orange disk (representing the sun) centered in the white band; similarto the flag of India, which has a blue spoked wheel centered in the whiteband

NOTE: The information regarding Niger on this page is re-published from the 1997 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Niger Government 1997 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Niger Government 1997 should be addressed to the CIA.