Conventional long form name of country: Republic of Niger
Capital city: Niamey
Type of government: republic
Date of independence: 3 August 1960 (from France)
National Holiday[s]: Republic Day, 18 December (1958); note - commemorates the founding of the Republic of Niger which predated independence from France in 1960
Chief of state: President ISSOUFOU Mahamadou (since 7 April 2011)
Capital city: Niamey
Type of government: republic
Date of independence: 3 August 1960 (from France)
National Holiday[s]: Republic Day, 18 December (1958); note - commemorates the founding of the Republic of Niger which predated independence from France in 1960
Chief of state: President ISSOUFOU Mahamadou (since 7 April 2011)
Head of government: Prime Minister Brigi RAFINI (since 7 April 2011); appointed by the president and shares some executive responsibilities with the president
Executive branch/powers: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); candidate must receive a majority of the votes to be elected president; a presidential election to restore civilian rule was held 31 January 2011 with a runoff election between ISSOUFOU Mahamadou and Seini OUMAROU held on 12 March 2011Legislative branch/powers: unicameral National Assembly (113 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)elections: last held on 31 January 2011)
Judicial branch/powers: Constitutional Court judges appointed by the president; judges serve 6-year nonrenewable consecutive terms; High Judicial Court members selected from among the legislature and judiciary; members serve 5-year terms
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Ambassador to the U.S: Ambassador Maman Sambo SIDIKOU
Location of embassy in U.S: 2204 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
Location of consulates in U.S: none
U.S. Ambassador to them: Ambassador Bisa WILLIAMS
Location of U.s embassy there: Rue Des Ambassades, Niamey
Location of U.S. consulates there: none
Their representative to UN:
Judicial branch/powers: Constitutional Court judges appointed by the president; judges serve 6-year nonrenewable consecutive terms; High Judicial Court members selected from among the legislature and judiciary; members serve 5-year terms
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Ambassador to the U.S: Ambassador Maman Sambo SIDIKOU
Location of embassy in U.S: 2204 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
Location of consulates in U.S: none
U.S. Ambassador to them: Ambassador Bisa WILLIAMS
Location of U.s embassy there: Rue Des Ambassades, Niamey
Location of U.S. consulates there: none
Their representative to UN:
Flag symbolism: three equal horizontal bands of orange (top), white, and green with a small orange disk centered in the white band; the orange band denotes the drier northern regions of the Sahara; white stands for purity and innocence; green symbolizes hope and the fertile and productive southern and western areas, as well as the Niger River; the orange disc represents the sun and the sacrifices made by the people
Ntional symbols: none specified
Ntional symbols: none specified