Introduction
*Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
*The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in the north. Its coast in the south lies on the Gulf of Guinea on the Atlantic Ocean.
*The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in the north. Its coast in the south lies on the Gulf of Guinea on the Atlantic Ocean.
Brief history
British influence and control over what would become Nigeria and Africa's most populous country grew through the 19th century. A series of constitutions after World War II granted Nigeria greater autonomy; independence came in 1960. Following nearly 16 years of military rule, a new constitution was adopted in 1999, and a peaceful transition to civilian government was completed. The government continues to face the daunting task of reforming a petroleum-based economy, whose revenues have been squandered through corruption and mismanagement, and institutionalizing democracy. In addition, Nigeria continues to experience longstanding ethnic and religious tensions. Although both the 2003 and 2007 presidential elections were marred by significant irregularities and violence, Nigeria is currently experiencing its longest period of civilian rule since independence. The general elections of April 2007 marked the first civilian-to-civilian transfer of power in the country's history and the elections of 2011 were generally regarded as credible. In January 2014, Nigeria assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2014-15 term.
Geography
Location: Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Benin and Cameroon
Area: 923,768 sq km
Climate: varies; equatorial in south, tropical in center, arid in north
Natural resources: natural gas, petroleum, tin, iron ore, coal, limestone, niobium, lead, zinc, arable land.
Land use: arable land: 38.97%, permanent crops: 3.46%, other: 57.57% (2011)
Total renewable water resources: 286.2 cu km (2011)
Natural hazards: periodic droughts; flooding
Environment - current issues: soil degradation; rapid deforestation; urban air and water pollution; desertification; oil pollution - water, air, and soil; has suffered serious damage from oil spills; loss of arable land; rapid urbanization.
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Area: 923,768 sq km
Climate: varies; equatorial in south, tropical in center, arid in north
Natural resources: natural gas, petroleum, tin, iron ore, coal, limestone, niobium, lead, zinc, arable land.
Land use: arable land: 38.97%, permanent crops: 3.46%, other: 57.57% (2011)
Total renewable water resources: 286.2 cu km (2011)
Natural hazards: periodic droughts; flooding
Environment - current issues: soil degradation; rapid deforestation; urban air and water pollution; desertification; oil pollution - water, air, and soil; has suffered serious damage from oil spills; loss of arable land; rapid urbanization.
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
People and society
Nationality: noun: Nigerian(s), adjective: Nigerian
Ethnic groups: Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, is composed of more than 250 ethnic groups; the following are the most populous and politically influential: Hausa and Fulani 29%, Yoruba 21%, Igbo (Ibo) 18%, Ijaw 10%, Kanuri 4%, Ibibio 3.5%, Tiv 2.5%
Languages: English (official), Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo (Ibo), Fulani, over 500 additional indigenous languages
Religions: Muslim 50%, Christian 40%, indigenous beliefs 10%
Population: 177,155,754 (July 2014 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 52.62 years
Total fertility rate: 5.25 children born/woman (2014 est.)
Sanitation facility access:
urban: 33.2% of population
rural: 28.1% of population
total: 30.6% of population
Health:
Literacy: (age 15 and over can read and write): total population: 61.3%
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): total: 9 years
Ethnic groups: Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, is composed of more than 250 ethnic groups; the following are the most populous and politically influential: Hausa and Fulani 29%, Yoruba 21%, Igbo (Ibo) 18%, Ijaw 10%, Kanuri 4%, Ibibio 3.5%, Tiv 2.5%
Languages: English (official), Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo (Ibo), Fulani, over 500 additional indigenous languages
Religions: Muslim 50%, Christian 40%, indigenous beliefs 10%
Population: 177,155,754 (July 2014 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 52.62 years
Total fertility rate: 5.25 children born/woman (2014 est.)
Sanitation facility access:
urban: 33.2% of population
rural: 28.1% of population
total: 30.6% of population
Health:
- HIV/AIDS: adult prevalence rate 3.1 % (2014 est.) Degree of risk: Very High
- food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever
- vectorborne diseases: malaria, dengue fever, and yellow fever
- water contact diseases: leptospirosis and schistosomiasis
- respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis
- animal contact disease: rabies
Literacy: (age 15 and over can read and write): total population: 61.3%
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): total: 9 years
Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Federal Republic of Nigeria
conventional short form: Nigeria
Government type: federal republic
Capital: Abuja
Legal system: mixed legal system of English common law, Islamic law (in 12 northern states), and traditional law
International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, AU, C, CD, D-8, ECOWAS, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNISFA, UNITAR, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
conventional long form: Federal Republic of Nigeria
conventional short form: Nigeria
Government type: federal republic
Capital: Abuja
Legal system: mixed legal system of English common law, Islamic law (in 12 northern states), and traditional law
International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, AU, C, CD, D-8, ECOWAS, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNISFA, UNITAR, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Economy
Agriculture - products: cocoa, peanuts, cotton, palm oil, corn, rice, sorghum, millet,tapioca, yams, rubber; cattle, sheep, goats, pigs; timber; fish.
Industries:crude oil, coal, tin, columbite; rubber products, wood; hides and skins, textiles, cement and other construction materials, food products, footwear, chemicals, fertilizer, printing, ceramics, steel
Unemployment rate: 23.9% (2011 est.)
Population below poverty line: 70% (2010 est.)
Exports - commodities: petroleum and petroleum products 95%, cocoa, rubber
Exports - partners: US 16.8%, India 11.5%, Netherlands 8.6%, Spain 7.8%, Brazil 7.6%, UK 5.1%, Germany 4.9%, Japan 4.1%, France 4.1% (2012)
Imports - commodities: machinery, chemicals, transport equipment, manufactured goods, food and live animals
Imports - partners:China 18.3%, US 10.1%, India 5.5% (2012)
Industries:crude oil, coal, tin, columbite; rubber products, wood; hides and skins, textiles, cement and other construction materials, food products, footwear, chemicals, fertilizer, printing, ceramics, steel
Unemployment rate: 23.9% (2011 est.)
Population below poverty line: 70% (2010 est.)
Exports - commodities: petroleum and petroleum products 95%, cocoa, rubber
Exports - partners: US 16.8%, India 11.5%, Netherlands 8.6%, Spain 7.8%, Brazil 7.6%, UK 5.1%, Germany 4.9%, Japan 4.1%, France 4.1% (2012)
Imports - commodities: machinery, chemicals, transport equipment, manufactured goods, food and live animals
Imports - partners:China 18.3%, US 10.1%, India 5.5% (2012)
Military
- Military branches: Nigerian Armed Forces: Army, Navy, Air Force (2013)
- Military service age and obligation:18 years of age for voluntary military service
- Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 37,087,711
females age 16-49: 35,232,127 (2010 est.)
- Military expenditures: 0.89% of GDP (2012)
Transnational issues
- Communal violence between Christians and Muslims
- Political violence
- Flooding
- Forced evictions
- A transit point for heroin and cocaine intended for European, East Asian, and North American markets;
- Consumer of amphetamines.
- Massive corruption and criminal activity