Long-form name: Republic of Niger

Type: republic; presidential system in which military officers hold key offices

Capital: Niamey

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

Independence: 3 August 1960 (from France)

Constitution: adopted NA December 1989 after 15 years of military rule

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

National holidays: Republic Day, 18 December (1958)

Executive branch: president, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

Legislative branch: National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)

Judicial branch: State Court (Cour d'Etat), Court of Appeal (Cour d'Apel)

Leaders: Chief of State--President Brig. Gen. Ali SAIBOU (since 14 November 1987); Head of Government--Prime Minister Aliou MAHAMIDOU (since 2 March 1990)

Political parties and leaders: National Movement for the Development Society (MNSD), leader NA; other political parties now forming

Suffrage: universal adult at age 18

Elections: President--last held December 1989 (next to be held NA 1996); results--President Ali SAIBOU was reelected without opposition; National Assembly--last held 10 December 1989 (next to be held NA); results--MNSD was the only party; seats--(150 total) MNSD 150 (indirectly elected); note--Niger is to hold a national conference to decide upon a transitional government and an agenda for multiparty elections

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

Member of: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEAO, ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

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 Ambassades, Niamey (mailing address is B. P. 11201, Niamey); telephone [227] 72-26-61 through 64

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 1991 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Niger Government 1991 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Niger Government 1991 should be addressed to the CIA.