|
|
|
World > Africa > Nigeria
 |
Nigeria |
Introduction:
|
British influence and control over what would become Nigeria 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 faces the daunting task of reforming a petroleum-based economy, whose revenues have been squandered through corruption and mismanagement, and institutionalizing democracy. In addition, the defusing longstanding ethnic and religious tensions are a priority if Nigeria is to build a sound foundation for economic growth and political stability. Although the April 2003 elections were marred by some irregularities, Nigeria is currently experiencing its longest period of civilian rule since independence. General elections in April 2007 were considered significantly flawed by Nigerian and international observers but they marked the first civilian-to-civilian transfer of power in the country's history. President Umaru Musa YAR'ADUA took office on 29 May 2007.
|
| Official name: |
Federal Republic of Nigeria |
| Capital: |
name: Abuja
geographic coordinates: 9 12 N, 7 11 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
| Government type: |
federal republic |
| Population: |
135,031,164
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2007 est.) |
| Languages: |
English (official), Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo (Ibo), Fulani |
| Official Currency: |
Nigerian Naira (NGN) |
| Currency code: |
NGN |
| Area: |
total: 923,768 sq km
land: 910,768 sq km
water: 13,000 sq km |
| Climate: |
varies; equatorial in south, tropical in center, arid in north |
|
Map of Nigeria
|
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
|
|
-
-
-
-
-
|
|
|
|
|
