威尼斯

尼日(Niger)

正式名稱尼日共和國（Republic of Niger）

非洲西部國家，位於撒哈拉沙漠南緣。面積1,186,408平方公里。人口約10,355,000（2001）。首都︰尼阿美。豪薩人佔全國半數的人口；其次是桑海-澤爾馬人和卡努里人。語言︰法語（官方語）、豪薩語和阿拉伯語。宗教︰伊斯蘭教、基督教、傳統宗教。貨幣︰非洲金融共同體法郎（CFAF）。尼日為一內陸國家，其特徵是南部為稀樹草原，中部及北部為沙漠；大部分人口居住在南部。尼日河支配著西南部和中北部的阿伊爾山地區。尼日發展中的經濟以農業和採礦為主。政府形式是共和國，一院制。總統是國家元首，總理為政府首腦。

在該地區存在著新石器時代文化的證明，有幾個前殖民時期的王國。18世紀晚期首先由歐洲人開發，1904年成為法屬西非的一部分。1946年時是法國的海外領土，1960年獲得獨立。1993年舉行第一次多黨選舉。1996年軍事政變的領袖在同年頒佈了一部新憲法。

English version：

Niger

Nation,western Africa,on the southern edge of the Sahara. Area: 459,073 sq mi (1,188,999 sq km). Population (1997 est.): 9,389,000. Capital: Niamey. More than half the people are Hausa; there are also Songhai-Zerma and Kanuri. Languages: French (official),Hausa,Arabic. Religions: Islam,Christianity,traditional beliefs. Currency: CFA franc. A landlocked country,it is characterized by savanna in the south and desert in the center and north; most of the population lives in the south. The Niger River dominates in the southwest,and the A?r Massif,a mountainous region,in the northern central part of the country. Niger has a developing economy based largely on agriculture and mining. It is a republic with one legislative body; its head of state and government is the president,assisted by the prime minister. There is evidence of Neolithic culture in the region,and there were several precolonial kingdoms. First explored by Europeans in the late 18th century,it became part of French West Africa in 1904. It became an overseas territory of France in 1946 and gained independence in 1960. The first multiparty elections were held in 1993. The leader of a military coup of 1996 promulgated a new constitution that year.