POPULATION:	7 million
LITERACY RATE:	11%
SELF DEFENSE FORCES:	Niger Armed Forces
LANGUAGES:	French (official), Hausa, Djerma
ETHNIC GROUPS:	Hausa, Djerma, Songhai, Fulani and Tuaregs
BORDERING COUNTRIES:	Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Libya, Mali, Nigeria

NIGER- Once a major crossroads for trade in Africa, Niger was left virtually forgotten in the  years bridging the gap between the old and new centuries.  A major deposit of Gold and Uranium was virtually the only trade link between Niger and Europe, wihle the rest of the world ignored the country.   Now Niger has joined its neigboring contries of Algeria, Tunisia, and Mali in their anti-western agrresion.  Niger's forces are actively patrolling the borders of northern Nigeria and Benin, and breif borders skirmishes are beoming more frequent as all sides press their boundaries.  Niger's leaders are also actively in meetings with Chads leaders, in Chads efforts to recruit Niger's aid in their war against Sudan.  If all that conflict wasn't enough for Niger it also has to deal with its own inner strife as rebel forces and angry tribes fight it out.  Chief among the aggressors are the Touregs, also known as the blue people for their use of indigo dyes on their skin, who often engage in open conflict among other tribes, as well as terrorist and guerilla attacks against the central government.  Roving bandits also roam the deserts and plains of Niger.  And to the North it is believed that many training camps for Niger's allies in their anti-western movement are hidden and protected.

It is also rumored that a conglomerate of scientists and military technicians from these countries is hiding somewhere in the mountains, taking advantage of the rich Uranium deposits working to build weapons of mass destruction.  Although this remains a rumor, especially since Niger should have learned its lessons from the near misses of the Mideast Meltdown.  On the other hand the fallout absorbed by these mountains creates enough of a radioactive blanket to possibly conceal any satellite or surveilance craft from detecting such a facility.  A scary thought indeed.  On an slightly related matter slight mutations and birth defects, as well as an increased cancer rate is showing up in the people of the north due to the fallout from rainwater seeping into the drinking supplies.