Compare Niger (2003) - Costa Rica (2005)

Compare Niger (2003) z Costa Rica (2005)

	Niger (2003)	Costa Rica (2005)

Administrative divisions	7 departments (departements, singular - departement) and 1 capital district (capitale district); Agadez, Diffa, Dosso, Maradi, Niamey, Tahoua, Tillaberi, Zinder	7 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Alajuela, Cartago, Guanacaste, Heredia, Limon, Puntarenas, San Jose
Age structure	0-14 years: 47.6% (male 2,686,169; female 2,581,785) 15-64 years: 50.2% (male 2,710,554; female 2,842,319) 65 years and over: 2.2% (male 125,505; female 112,258) (2003 est.)	0-14 years: 28.9% (male 593,540/female 566,361) 15-64 years: 65.5% (male 1,330,481/female 1,300,664) 65 years and over: 5.6% (male 104,564/female 120,563) (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products	cowpeas, cotton, peanuts, millet, sorghum, cassava (tapioca), rice; cattle, sheep, goats, camels, donkeys, horses, poultry	coffee, pineapples, bananas, sugar, corn, rice, beans, potatoes; beef; timber
Airports	27 (2002)	149 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 9 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 under 914 m: 1 (2002)	total: 30 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 18 under 914 m: 8 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 18 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 14 under 914 m: 2 (2002)	total: 119 914 to 1,523 m: 24 under 914 m: 95 (2004 est.)
Area	total: 1.267 million sq km land: 1,266,700 sq km water: 300 sq km	total: 51,100 sq km land: 50,660 sq km water: 440 sq km note: includes Isla del Coco
Area - comparative	slightly less than twice the size of Texas	slightly smaller than West Virginia
Background	Not until 1993, 33 years after independence from France, did Niger hold it's first free and open elections. A 1995 peace accord ended a five-year Tuareg insurgency in the north. Coups in 1996 and 1999 were followed by the creation of a National Reconciliation Council that effected a transition to civilian rule by December 1999.	Costa Rica is a Central American success story: since the late 19th century, only two brief periods of violence have marred its democratic development. Although still a largely agricultural country, it has expanded its economy to include strong technology and tourism sectors. The standard of living is relatively high. Land ownership is widespread.
Birth rate	49.54 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)	18.6 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Budget	revenues: $320 million - including $134 million from foreign sources expenditures: $320 million, including capital expenditures of $178 million (2002 est.)	revenues: $2.497 billion expenditures: $3.094 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.)
Capital	Niamey	San Jose
Climate	desert; mostly hot, dry, dusty; tropical in extreme south	tropical and subtropical; dry season (December to April); rainy season (May to November); cooler in highlands
Coastline	0 km (landlocked)	1,290 km
Constitution	the constitution of January 1993 was revised by national referendum on 12 May 1996 and again by referendum on 18 July 1999	7 November 1949
Country name	conventional long form: Republic of Niger conventional short form: Niger local long form: Republique du Niger local short form: Niger	conventional long form: Republic of Costa Rica conventional short form: Costa Rica local long form: Republica de Costa Rica local short form: Costa Rica
Currency	Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States	-
Death rate	21.71 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)	4.33 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Debt - external	$1.6 billion (1999 est.)	$5.962 billion (2004 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US	chief of mission: Ambassador Gail Dennise Thomas MATHIEU 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, 72-31-46	chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Douglas M. BARNES embassy: Calle 120 Avenida O, Pavas, San Jose mailing address: APO AA 34020 telephone: [506] 220-3939 FAX: [506] 519-2305
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 FAX: [1] (202)483-3169	chief of mission: Ambassador Tomas DUENAS chancery: 2114 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 234-2945 FAX: [1] (202) 265-4795 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico), and Tampa consulate(s): Austin
Disputes - international	Libya claims about 25,000 sq km in a currently dormant dispute; much of Benin-Niger boundary, including tripoint with Nigeria, remains undemarcated but states accept 2001 arbitration over disputed Niger River islands; Lake Chad Commission continues to urge signatories Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria to ratify delimitation treaty over the lake region, which remains the site of armed clashes among local populations and militias	legal dispute over navigational rights of Rio San Juan on the border with Nicaragua remains unresolved
Economic aid - recipient	$341 million (1997)	-
Economy - overview	Niger is a poor, landlocked Sub-Saharan nation, whose economy centers on subsistence agriculture, animal husbandry, and reexport trade, and increasingly less on uranium, because of declining world demand. The 50% devaluation of the West African franc in January 1994 boosted exports of livestock, cowpeas, onions, and the products of Niger's small cotton industry. The government relies on bilateral and multilateral aid - which was suspended following the April 1999 coup d'etat - for operating expenses and public investment. In 2000-01, the World Bank approved a structural adjustment loan of $105 million to help support fiscal reforms. However, reforms could prove difficult given the government's bleak financial situation. The IMF approved a $73 million poverty reduction and growth facility for Niger in 2000 and announced $115 million in debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative. Further disbursements of aid occurred in 2002. Future growth may be sustained by exploitation of oil, gold, coal, and other mineral resources.	Costa Rica's basically stable economy depends on tourism, agriculture, and electronics exports. Poverty has been substantially reduced over the past 15 years, and a strong social safety net has been put into place. Foreign investors remain attracted by the country's political stability and high education levels, and tourism continues to bring in foreign exchange. Low prices for coffee and bananas have hurt the agricultural sector. The government continues to grapple with its large deficit and massive internal debt. The reduction of inflation remains a difficult problem because of rises in the price of imports, labor market rigidities, and fiscal deficits. The country also needs to reform its tax system and its pattern of public expenditure. Costa Rica recently concluded negotiations to participate in the US-Central American Free Trade Agreement, which, if ratified by the Costa Rican Legislature, would result in economic reforms and an improved investment climate.
Electricity - consumption	325.1 million kWh (2001)	5.733 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2001)	477 million kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports	100 million kWh (2001)	59 million kWh (2002)
Electricity - production	242 million kWh (2001)	6.614 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - production by source	fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)	-
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Niger River 200 m highest point: Mont Bagzane 2,022 m	lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Cerro Chirripo 3,810 m
Environment - current issues	overgrazing; soil erosion; deforestation; desertification; wildlife populations (such as elephant, hippopotamus, giraffe, and lion) threatened because of poaching and habitat destruction	deforestation and land use change, largely a result of the clearing of land for cattle ranching and agriculture; soil erosion; coastal marine pollution; fisheries protection; solid waste management; air pollution
Environment - international agreements	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
Ethnic groups	Hausa 56%, Djerma 22%, Fula 8.5%, Tuareg 8%, Beri Beri (Kanouri) 4.3%, Arab, Toubou, and Gourmantche 1.2%, about 1,200 French expatriates	white (including mestizo) 94%, black 3%, Amerindian 1%, Chinese 1%, other 1%
Exchange rates	Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000), 615.7 (1999), 589.95 (1998)	Costa Rican colones per US dollar - 437.91 (2004), 398.66 (2003), 359.82 (2002), 328.87 (2001), 308.19 (2000)
Executive branch	chief of state: President TANDJA Mamadou (since 22 December 1999); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government head of government: President TANDJA Mamadou (since 22 December 1999); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; Prime Minister Hama AMADOU (since 31 December 1999) was appointed by the president and shares some executive responsibilities with the president cabinet: 23-member Cabinet appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; last held 24 November 1999 (next to be held NA 2004); prime minister appointed by the president election results: TANDJA Mamadou elected president; percent of vote - TANDJA Mamadou 59.9%, Mahamadou ISSOUFOU 40.1%	chief of state: President Abel PACHECO (since 8 May 2002); First Vice President Lineth SABORIO (since 8 May 2002); Second Vice President (vacant); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Abel PACHECO (since 8 May 2002); First Vice President Lineth SABORIO (since 8 May 2002); Second Vice President (vacant); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet selected by the president elections: president and vice presidents elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms; election last held 3 February 2002; run-off election held 7 April 2002 (next to be held February 2006) election results: Abel PACHECO elected president; percent of vote - Abel PACHECO (PUSC) 58%; Rolando ARAYA (PLN) 42%
Exports	NA (2001)	NA
Exports - commodities	uranium ore, livestock, cowpeas, onions	coffee, bananas, sugar; pineapples; textiles, electronic components, medical equipment
Exports - partners	France 39%, Nigeria 33.2%, Japan 17.1% (2002)	US 46.9%, Netherlands 5.3%, Guatemala 4.4% (2004)
Fiscal year	calendar year	calendar year
Flag description	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	five horizontal bands of blue (top), white, red (double width), white, and blue, with the coat of arms in a white elliptical disk on the hoist side of the red band; above the coat of arms a light blue ribbon contains the words, AMERICA CENTRAL, and just below it near the top of the coat of arms is a white ribbon with the words, REPUBLICA COSTA RICA
GDP	purchasing power parity - $8.713 billion (2002 est.)	-
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 39% industry: 17% services: 44% (2001)	agriculture: 8.5% industry: 29.7% services: 61.8% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $800 (2002 est.)	purchasing power parity - $9,600 (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	2.9% (2002 est.)	3.9% (2004 est.)
Geographic coordinates	16 00 N, 8 00 E	10 00 N, 84 00 W
Geography - note	landlocked; one of the hottest countries in the world: northern four-fifths is desert, southern one-fifth is savanna, suitable for livestock and limited agriculture	four volcanoes, two of them active, rise near the capital of San Jose in the center of the country; one of the volcanoes, Irazu, erupted destructively in 1963-65
Highways	total: 10,100 km paved: 798 km unpaved: 9,302 km (1999 est.)	total: 35,303 km paved: 4,236 km unpaved: 31,067 km (2002)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: 0.8% highest 10%: 35.4% (1995)	lowest 10%: 1.1% highest 10%: 36.8% (2002)
Illicit drugs	-	transshipment country for cocaine and heroin from South America; illicit production of cannabis on small, scattered plots; domestic cocaine consumption, particularly crack cocaine, is rising
Imports	NA (2001)	NA
Imports - commodities	foodstuffs, machinery, vehicles and parts, petroleum, cereals	raw materials, consumer goods, capital equipment, petroleum
Imports - partners	France 16.8%, Cote d'Ivoire 14.9%, China 9.8%, Nigeria 7.4%, US 5.2%, Japan 4.6%, India 4.4% (2002)	US 46.1%, Japan 5.9%, Mexico 5.1%, Brazil 4.2% (2004)
Independence	3 August 1960 (from France)	15 September 1821 (from Spain)
Industrial production growth rate	NA%	3.1% (2004 est.)
Industries	uranium mining, cement, brick, textiles, food processing, chemicals, slaughterhouses	microprocessors, food processing, textiles and clothing, construction materials, fertilizer, plastic products
Infant mortality rate	total: 123.64 deaths/1,000 live births male: 127.99 deaths/1,000 live births female: 119.16 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)	total: 9.95 deaths/1,000 live births male: 10.85 deaths/1,000 live births female: 9 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	3% (2002 est.)	11.5% (2004 est.)
International organization participation	ACCT, ACP, AfDB, ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, MIPONUH, MONUC, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO	BCIE, CACM, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)	1 (2002)	-
Irrigated land	660 sq km (1998 est.)	1,260 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch	State Court or Cour d'Etat; Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel	Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (22 justices are elected for eight-year terms by the Legislative Assembly)
Labor force	70,000 receive regular wages or salaries	1.81 million (2004 est.)
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture 90%, industry and commerce 6%, government 4%	agriculture 20%, industry 22%, services 58% (1999 est.)
Land boundaries	total: 5,697 km border countries: Algeria 956 km, Benin 266 km, Burkina Faso 628 km, Chad 1,175 km, Libya 354 km, Mali 821 km, Nigeria 1,497 km	total: 639 km border countries: Nicaragua 309 km, Panama 330 km
Land use	arable land: 3.94% permanent crops: 0% other: 96.06% (1998 est.)	arable land: 4.41% permanent crops: 5.88% other: 89.71% (2001)
Languages	French (official), Hausa, Djerma	Spanish (official), English
Legal system	based on French civil law system and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction	based on Spanish civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch	unicameral National Assembly (83 seats, members elected by popular vote for five-year terms) elections: last held 24 November 1999 (next to be held NA 2004) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - MNSD-Nassara 38, CDS-Rahama 17, PNDS-Tarayya 16, RDP-Jama'a 8, ANDPS-Zaman Lahiya 4	unicameral Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa (57 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 3 February 2002 (next to be held 3 February 2006) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PUSC 19, PLN 17, PAC 14, PML 6, PRC 1; note - seats by party as of January 2005 - PUSC 19, PLN 16, PAC 8, PML 5, PRC 1, Patriotic Union 3, Homeland First 1, Authentic Member from Heredia 1, Democratic National Alliance 1, independent 2
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 42.21 years male: 42.29 years female: 42.12 years (2003 est.)	total population: 76.84 years male: 74.26 years female: 79.55 years (2005 est.)
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 17.6% male: 25.8% female: 9.7% (2003 est.)	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 96% male: 95.9% female: 96.1% (2003 est.)
Location	Western Africa, southeast of Algeria	Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Nicaragua and Panama
Map references	Africa	Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims	none (landlocked)	territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm
Merchant marine	-	total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,716 GRT/ DWT by type: passenger/cargo 2 (2005)
Military branches	Army, Air Force, Gendarmerie, National Intervention and Security Force	no regular military forces; Ministry of Public Security, Government, and Police
Military expenditures - dollar figure	$20.54 million (FY02)	$64.2 million (2004)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	1.1% (FY02)	0.4% (2003)
Military manpower - availability	males age 15-49: 2,379,485 (2003 est.)	-
Military manpower - fit for military service	males age 15-49: 1,288,396 (2003 est.)	-
Military manpower - military age	18 years of age (2003 est.)	-
Military manpower - reaching military age annually	males: 119,367 (2003 est.)	-
National holiday	Republic Day, 18 December (1958)	Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
Nationality	noun: Nigerien(s) adjective: Nigerien	noun: Costa Rican(s) adjective: Costa Rican
Natural hazards	recurring droughts	occasional earthquakes, hurricanes along Atlantic coast; frequent flooding of lowlands at onset of rainy season and landslides; active volcanoes
Natural resources	uranium, coal, iron ore, tin, phosphates, gold, petroleum	hydropower
Net migration rate	-0.69 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)	0.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Pipelines	-	refined products 242 km (2004)
Political parties and leaders	Democratic Rally of the People-Jama'a or RDP-Jama'a [Hamid ALGABID]; Democratic and Social Convention-Rahama or CDS-Rahama [Mahamane OUSMANE]; National Movement for a Developing Society-Nassara or MNSD-Nassara [Mamadou TANDJA, chairman]; Nigerien Alliance for Democracy and Social Progress-Zaman Lahiya or ANDPS-Zaman Lahiya [Moumouni Adamou DJERMAKOYE]; Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism-Tarayya or PNDS-Tarayya [Mahamadou ISSOUFOU]; Union of Democratic Patriots and Progressives-Chamoua or UPDP-Chamoua [Professor Andre' SALIFOU, chairman]	Authentic Member from Heredia [Jose SALAS]; Citizen Action Party or PAC [Otton SOLIS]; Costa Rican Renovation Party or PRC [Justo OROZCO]; Democratic Force Party or PFD [Juan Carlos CHAVES Mora]; Democratic National Alliance [Emilia RODRIGUEZ]; General Union Party or PUGEN [Carlos Alberto FERNANDEZ Vega]; Homeland First [Juan Jose VARGAS]; Independent Worker Party or PIO [Jose Alberto CUBERO Carmona]; Libertarian Movement Party or PML [Otto GUEVARA Guth]; National Christian Alliance Party or ANC [Victor GONZALEZ]; National Integration Party or PIN [Walter MUNOZ Cespedes]; National Liberation Party or PLN [Francisco Antonio PACHECO]; National Patriotic Party or PPN [Daniel Enrique REYNOLDS Vargas]; National Rescue Party or PRN [Carlos VARGAS Solano]; Patriotic Union [Humberto ARCE]; Popular Vanguard [Trino BARRANTES Araya]; Social Christian Unity Party or PUSC [Lorena VASQUEZ Badilla]
Political pressure groups and leaders	NA	Authentic Confederation of Democratic Workers or CATD (Communist Party affiliate); Chamber of Coffee Growers; Confederated Union of Workers or CUT (Communist Party affiliate); Costa Rican Confederation of Democratic Workers or CCTD (Liberation Party affiliate); Federation of Public Service Workers or FTSP; National Association for Economic Development or ANFE; National Association of Educators or ANDE; Rerum Novarum or CTRN (PLN affiliate) [Gilbert Brown]
Population	11,058,590 (July 2003 est.)	4,016,173 (July 2005 est.)
Population below poverty line	63% (1993 est.)	18% (2004 est.)
Population growth rate	2.71% (2003 est.)	1.48% (2005 est.)
Ports and harbors	none	Caldera, Puerto Limon
Radio broadcast stations	AM 5, FM 6, shortwave 4 (2001)	AM 65, FM 51, shortwave 19 (2002)
Railways	0 km	total: 278 km narrow gauge: 278 km 1.067-m gauge (2004)
Religions	Muslim 80%, remainder indigenous beliefs and Christian	Roman Catholic 76.3%, Evangelical 13.7%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.3%, other Protestant 0.7%, other 4.8%, none 3.2%
Sex ratio	at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.12 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2003 est.)	at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal	18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Telephone system	general assessment: small system of wire, radio telephone communications, and microwave radio relay links concentrated in the southwestern area of Niger domestic: wire, radiotelephone communications, and microwave radio relay; domestic satellite system with 3 earth stations and 1 planned international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean)	general assessment: good domestic telephone service in terms of breadth of coverage; restricted cellular telephone service domestic: point-to-point and point-to-multi-point microwave, fiber-optic, and coaxial cable link rural areas; Internet service is available international: country code - 506; connected to Central American Microwave System; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); two submarine cables (1999)
Telephones - main lines in use	20,000 (2001)	1.132 million (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular	6,700 (2002)	528,047 (2002)
Television broadcast stations	3 (plus seven low-power repeaters) (2002)	20 (plus 43 repeaters) (2002)
Terrain	predominately desert plains and sand dunes; flat to rolling plains in south; hills in north	coastal plains separated by rugged mountains including over 100 volcanic cones, of which several are major volcanoes
Total fertility rate	6.91 children born/woman (2003 est.)	2.28 children born/woman (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate	NA%	6.6% (2004 est.)
Waterways	300 km note: the Niger River is navigable from Niamey to Gaya on the Benin frontier from mid-December through March	730 km (seasonally navigable by small craft) (2004)

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