Long-form name: Republic of Niger

Type: republic; military regimes in power since April 1974

Capital: Niamey

Administrative divisions: 7 departments (departements, singular--departement); Agadez, Diffa, Dosso, Maradi, Niamey, Tahoua, Zinder

Independence: 3 August 1960 (from France)

Constitution: 8 November 1960, suspended after coup of 15 April 1974

Legal system: based on French civil law system and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

National holidays: Republic Day, 18 December (1958)

Branches: executive authority exercised by president in the name of the Supreme Military Council (SMC), which is composed of Army officers; prime minister

Leaders: @m5Chief of State--President of the Supreme Military Council Brig. Gen. Ali SAIBOU (since 14 November 1987); @m5Head of Government--Prime Minister Oumarou MAMANE (since 15 July 1988)

Suffrage: universal adult

Elections: popular elections currently allowed only for choosing representatives for village Development Councils, which advise on local economic development

Political parties and leaders: political parties banned

Communists: no Communist party; some sympathizers in outlawed Sawaba party

Member of: AfDB, APC, CCC, CEAO, EAMA, ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB--Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ITU, Lake Chad Basin Commission, Niger River Commission, NAM, OAU, OCAM, OIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Moumouni Adamou DJERMAKOYE; Chancery at 2204 R Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 483-4224 through 4227; US--Ambassador Carl C. CUNDIFF; Embassy at Avenue des Ambassadeurs, Niamey (mailing address is B. P. 11201, Niamey); telephone �227� 72-26-61 through 64 and 72-26-70

Flag: three equal horizontal bands of orange (top), white, and green with a small orange disk (representing the sun) centered in the white band; similar to the flag of India which has a blue, spoked wheel centered in the white band

NOTE: The information regarding Niger on this page is re-published from the 1989 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Niger Government 1989 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Niger Government 1989 should be addressed to the CIA.