Ha pp y B ir th da y

Niger’s subtropical climate is mainly very hot and dry. In the extreme south there is a tropical climate on the edges of the Niger River Basin. The lowest point is the Niger River, at 722 feet. The highest point is Mont Idoukal-n-Taghes at 6,634 feet.

The economy is concentrated around subsistence crops, including Cowpeas, cotton, peanuts, millet, sorghum, cassava (tapioca), rice; cattle, sheep, goats, camels, donkeys, horses, and poultry. It exports raw materials, especially uranium. Remember Joe Wilson and Valerie Plame? Substantial deposits of phosphates, coal, iron, limestone and gypsum have been found in Niger.

Niger's new constitution was approved in July 1999. It restored the semi-presidential system of government of the December 1992 constitution (Third Republic) in which the president of the republic, elected by universal suffrage for a five-year term, and a prime minister named by the president share executive power. As a reflection of Niger's increasing population, the unicameral National Assembly was expanded in 2004 to 113 deputies elected for a 5 year term under a majority system of representation. Political parties must attain at least 5% of the vote in order to gain a seat in the legislature.

The constitution also provides for the popular election of municipal and local officials, and the first-ever successful municipal elections took place on July 24, 2004. Prior to this new government and constitution, Niger had undergone several changes in its governing structure, including military rule for a period of time.

This new government inherited serious financial and economic problems. (Sounds like the United States to some measure). Niger’s treasury was virtually empty, and there were 11 months of salaries in arrears, increased debt, reduced revenues just to name a few problems.

The vast majority of peoples who live in Niger are Muslim, live in rural areas and have little access to advanced education. Their health care system is not able to provide adequate health care to its peoples.

According to the organization “Save the Children” Niger has the world’s higher infant mortality rate. This is due to generally poor health conditions and inadequate nutrition for most of the country’s children. Niger also has the world’s highest fertility rate of 7.2 births per woman. Nearly half of Niger’s population is under the age of 15.

Niger began developing diverse media in the late 1990s. Prior to 1991, Nigeriens only had access to tightly controlled state media. Now there are scores of newspapers and magazines, some, lke Le Sahel government operated, many critical of the government. Radio is the most important medium, as television sets are beyond the buying power of many of the rural poor, and illiteracy prevents print media from becoming a mass medium. Aside from Nigerien radio stations, the BBC's Hausa service is listened to on FM repeaters across wide parts of the country, particularly in the south, close to the border with Nigeria. Radio France Internationale also rebroadcasts in French through some of the commercial stations, via satellite. Tenere FM also runs a national independent television station of the same name. Despite relative freedom at the national level, Nigerien journalists say they are often pressured by local authorities.

Some 59.5 percent of the population is living below the poverty line. Agriculture is the engine of Niger’s weak economy, with 82 percent of the population relying on farming. The malnutrition rates in Niger are elevated; ten percent of children under five suffer from acute malnutrition and 44 percent of children suffer from chronic malnutrition.

Social indicators are also low: life expectancy at birth is only 44.7 years and the child mortality rate is 20 percent, suggesting that one in five children will never reach the age of five. Poor school attendance, especially among girls, contributes to Niger’s 71 percent illiteracy rate. In 2005, Niger suffered from a severe food security crisis aggravated by drought and locust invasions.

With a reduction in food availability and people’s ability to purchase what food there was, the crisis resulted in a drastic reduction in household food consumption, distress sales of livestock and other assets, higher than normal out-migration as well as rising levels of acute malnutrition and admissions to health centers.

Thanks to the effective partnership between the Government and humanitarian partners, the first positive results have been seen.

According to the latest nutrition survey conducted jointly by the government, UNICEF and WFP, the rate of global acute malnutrition has decreased from 15 to 10 percent since November 2005 and the latest Government /WFP/FAO/UNICEF/FEWS- Net food security survey indicates that the proportion of households in severe food insecurity decreased from 15 to 9 percent during the same period.