Niger, located in the heart of West Africa, is 489,189 sq mi (1,267,000 sq km) - approximately the size of Texas and California combined.

Formerly a French colony, Niger gained its independence in 1960.

The bulk of the population (10.639,744 people) is concentrated in the southern third of the country, known as the Sahel. The Sahel is a semi-arid transition zone between the savannas to the south and the Sahara desert to the north. Only 4-5% of the land is considered arable.

Over 90% of Nigeriens are Muslim. Ethnic groups include: Hausa 56%, Djerma 22%, Fula 8.5%, Tuareg 8%, Beri Beri (Kanouri) 4.3%, Arab, Toubou, and Gourmantche 1.2%.

Niger is among the poorest countries in the world.

• Niger's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita in 2000 was $150.
• Only 70,000 people (less than 0.6%) recieve regular wages or salaries. 90% of the labor force engages in subsistance farming and agriculture work.
• Fewer than 15% of the national population is literate.
• Life expectancy is a mere 49 years.
• 40% of children under 5 are below the normal weight range.
• The child mortality rate of 280/1000 (compared to the US Child Mortality rate of 6/1000).
• Only 18% of children receive routine vaccinations.
• The reported HIV/AIDS rate is between 2-6% but cannot truly be known due to a lack of testing.