Best Bitcoin Card for Niger
The Republic of Niger is a landlocked country in Central Africa and, with an area of 1,267,000 km², is the sixth largest state on the African continent (about three and a half times the size of Germany). Niger borders Algeria and Libya to the north, Chad to the east, Nigeria and Benin to the south and Mali and Burkina Faso to the west. A large part of the country belongs to the Sahara or the Sahel zone.
In the centre of Niger lies the Aïr mountains (Azbine) with peaks of over 2,000 m height. Here is also the highest mountain of the country, the Mont Bagzane with 2022 m. The mountains are of volcanic origin, in the valleys there are oases (Timia, Iférouane). In the northwest the mountains merge into the Algerian Ahaggar Mountains. In the west, south and east, the Aïr mountains are surrounded by desert-like basins, which lie about 300 to 400 m above sea level. The Ténéré and Kaouar deserts in the east extend to the border with Chad and occupy over 50% of the national territory.
In the north of Niger, on the border with Libya, there is the Djado Plateau, while the extreme northeast is occupied by the foothills of the Chadian Tibesti Mountains. The south and southeast of the country belong to the Sahel zone, and the desert is spreading more and more from the north due to overgrazing and several droughts. In the southeast, the country has a share of Lake Chad, but its water level is subject to extreme fluctuations. In the last 40 years Lake Chad has shrunk to one twentieth of its former surface area of 25,000 km² due to the discharge of water to irrigate the fields.
Only the south-western part of Niger can be used for agriculture (this corresponds to about three percent of the total national territory). The river Niger flows through the country over a length of about 600 km (and with a total length of about 4 180 km it is the third largest river on the African continent). On its northern bank lies the capital Niamey.
Political System
Niger is a presidential republic, the current constitution dates from 2010. The head of state is the president elected by the people for a term of five years (since April 2011 Mahamadou Issoufou), who has extensive powers. He can be re-elected once. The President appoints the Prime Minister, who runs the government (since April 2011 Brigi Rafini).
- The National Assembly has 113 seats in the legislature. The deputies are elected by the people for a term of five years.
- The legal system in Niger is based on the French system.
- Niger is divided into eight départements including the capital district.
Economy
Niger is the second poorest country on the African continent after Sierra Leone. The agricultural sector accounts for about 40 % of the gross domestic product (GDP). Livestock farming (horses, cattle, goats, camels, sheep) is of the greatest importance. The crop yields of millet, bean, peanut, manioc, rice and cotton cultivation are low and mostly only serve self-sufficiency. Although 90% of the population is active in agriculture, this is usually a subsistence economy and is also heavily dependent on climatic conditions (recurring droughts). The country has long since been unable to meet the food needs of the population itself.
The Republic of Niger’s main export is uranium, which accounts for about half of its export revenues. The industrial sector is poorly developed and concentrates on the processing and production of food, textiles, building materials and chemicals. France is the most important trading partner for exports (uranium, animals, cotton, peanuts, onions), followed by Nigeria and Japan. The main imports are consumer goods, machinery, raw materials and food. Here, too, France is the leading trading partner, followed by Côte d’Ivoire and China.
In Niger there are about 19,000 km of roads available, of which about 4,000 km are paved. There is no railway network. The river Niger is navigable for about 300 km. There are international airports in Niamey and Agadez. In the desert areas, caravans are still very important for trade. Currency is the CFA franc.