| three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and green; the color green represents the forests and abundant natural wealth of the country, white stands for peace and unity |
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Background:
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. In January 2010, Nigeria assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2010-11 term. |
Location:
Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Benin and Cameroon
Geographic coordinates:
10 00 N, 8 00 E
Area:
total: 923,768 sq km
country comparison to the world: 32
land: 910,768 sq km
water: 13,000 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly more than twice the size of California
Land boundaries:
total: 4,047 km
border countries: Benin 773 km, Cameroon 1,690 km, Chad 87 km, Niger 1,497 km
Coastline:
853 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climate:
varies; equatorial in south, tropical in center, arid in north
Terrain:
southern lowlands merge into central hills and plateaus; mountains in southeast, plains in north
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Chappal Waddi 2,419 m
Natural resources:
natural gas, petroleum, tin, iron ore, coal, limestone, niobium, lead, zinc, arable land
Land use:
arable land: 33.02%
permanent crops: 3.14%
other: 63.84% (2005)
Irrigated land:
2,930 sq km (2008)
Total renewable water resources:
286.2 cu km (2003)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 8.01 cu km/yr (21%/10%/69%)
per capita: 61 cu m/yr (2000)
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
Geography - note:
the Niger enters the country in the northwest and flows southward through tropical rain forests and swamps to its delta in the Gulf of Guinea |
Population:
155,215,573 (July 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 8
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, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected
Age structure:
0-14 years: 40.9% (male 32,476,681/female 31,064,539)
15-64 years: 55.9% (male 44,296,228/female 42,534,542)
65 years and over: 3.1% (male 2,341,228/female 2,502,355) (2011 est.)
Median age:
total: 19.2 years
male: 19.2 years
female: 19.3 years (2011 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.935% (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 59
Birth rate:
35.51 births/1,000 population (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 27
Death rate:
16.06 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 4
Net migration rate:
-0.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 122
Urbanization:
urban population: 50% of total population (2010)
rate of urbanization: 3.5% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
Major cities - population:
Lagos 10.203 million; Kano 3.304 million; Ibadan 2.762 million; ABUJA (capital) 1.857 million; Kaduna 1.519 million (2009)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.94 male(s)/female
total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2011 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 91.54 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 10
male: 97.42 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 85.31 deaths/1,000 live births (2011 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 47.56 years
country comparison to the world: 219
male: 46.76 years
female: 48.41 years (2011 est.)
Total fertility rate:
4.73 children born/woman (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 27
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
3.6% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 17
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
3.3 million (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 2
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
220,000 (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 2
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: malaria and yellow fever
respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis
aerosolized dust or soil contact disease: one of the most highly endemic areas for Lassa fever
water contact disease: leptospirosis and shistosomiasis
animal contact disease: rabies
note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2009)
Drinking water source:
improved:
urban: 75% of population
rural: 42% of population
total: 58% of population
unimproved:
urban: 25% of population
rural: 58% of population
total: 42% of population (2008)
Sanitation facility access:
improved:
urban: 36% of population
rural: 28% of population
total: 32% of population
unimproved:
urban: 67% of population
rural: 72% of population
total: 68% of population (2008)
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%
Religions:
Muslim 50%, Christian 40%, indigenous beliefs 10%
Languages:
English (official), Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo (Ibo), Fulani, over 500 additional indigenous languages
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 68%
male: 75.7%
female: 60.6% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 9 years
male: 10 years
female: 8 years (2005)
Education expenditures:
NA |
Country name:
conventional long form: Federal Republic of Nigeria
conventional short form: Nigeria
Government type:
federal republic
Capital:
name: Abuja
geographic coordinates: 9 05 N, 7 32 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
36 states and 1 territory*; Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Federal Capital Territory*, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nassarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara
Independence:
1 October 1960 (from the UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day (National Day), 1 October (1960)
Constitution:
adopted 5 May 1999; effective 29 May 1999
Legal system:
mixed legal system of English common law, Islamic law (in 12 northern states), and traditional law
International law organization participation:
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Goodluck JONATHAN (since 5 May 2010, acting since 9 February 2010); Vice President Mohammed Namadi SAMBO (since 19 May 2010); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government; JONATHAN assumed the presidency on 5 May 2010 following the death of President YAR'ADUA; JONATHAN was declared Acting President on 9 February 2010 by the National Assembly during the extended illness of the former president
head of government: President Goodluck JONATHAN (since 5 May 2010, acting since 9 February 2010); Vice President Mohammed Namadi SAMBO (since 19 May 2010)
cabinet: Federal Executive Council
elections: president elected by popular vote for a four-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 16 April 2011 (next to be held in April 2015)
election results: Goodluck JONATHAN elected president; percent of vote - Goodluck JONATHAN 58.9%, Muhammadu BUHARI 32.0%, Nuhu RIBADU 5.4%, Ibrahim SHEKARAU 2.4%, other 1.3%
Legislative branch:
bicameral National Assembly consists of the Senate (109 seats, 3 from each state plus 1 from Abuja; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) and House of Representatives (360 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held on 9 April 2011 (next to be held in 2015); House of Representatives - last held on 9 April 2011 (next to be held in 2015)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PDP 45, ACN 13, ANPP 7, CPC 5, other 4; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PDP 123, ACN 47, CPC 30, ANPP 25, other 9; note - due to logistical problems elections in a number of constituencies were postponed
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges recommended by the National Judicial Council and appointed by the president); Federal Court of Appeal (judges are appointed by the federal government from a pool of judges recommended by the National Judicial Council)
Political parties and leaders:
Accord Party [Augustine MAZIE, acting]; Action Congress of Nigeria or ACN [Bisi AKANDE]; All Nigeria Peoples Party or ANPP [Ogbonnaya ONU]; All Progressives Grand Alliance or APGA [Victor C. UMEH]; Alliance for Democracy or AD [Mojisoluwa AKINFENWA]; Conference of Nigerian Political Parities or CNPP [Abdulkadir Balarabe MUSA]; Congress for Progressive Change or CPC; Democratic Peoples Party or DPP [Jeremiah USENI]; Fresh Democratic Party [Chris OKOTIE]; Labor Party [Dan NWANYANWU]; National Democratic Party or NDP [Aliyu Habu FARI]; Peoples Democratic Party or PDP [Dr. Okwesilieze NWODO]; Peoples Progressive Alliance [Larry ESIN]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Academic Staff Union for Universities or ASUU; Campaign for Democracy or CD; Civil Liberties Organization or CLO; Committee for the Defense of Human Rights or CDHR; Constitutional Right Project or CRP; Human Right Africa; National Association of Democratic Lawyers or NADL; National Association of Nigerian Students or NANS; Nigerian Bar Association or NBA; Nigerian Labor Congress or NLC; Nigerian Medical Association or NMA; the press; Universal Defenders of Democracy or UDD
International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, AU, C, D-8, ECOWAS, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNITAR, UNMIL, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
National anthem:
name: "Arise Oh Compatriots, Nigeria's Call Obey"
lyrics/music: John A. ILECHUKWU, Eme Etim AKPAN, B. A. OGUNNAIKE, Sotu OMOIGUI and P. O. ADERIBIGBE/Benedict Elide ODIASE
note: adopted 1978; the lyrics are a mixture of five of the top entries in a national contest |
Economy - overview:
Oil-rich Nigeria has been hobbled by political instability, corruption, inadequate infrastructure, and poor macroeconomic management but in 2008 began pursuing economic reforms. Nigeria's former military rulers failed to diversify the economy away from its overdependence on the capital-intensive oil sector, which provides 95% of foreign exchange earnings and about 80% of budgetary revenues. Following the signing of an IMF stand-by agreement in August 2000, Nigeria received a debt-restructuring deal from the Paris Club and a $1 billion credit from the IMF, both contingent on economic reforms. Nigeria pulled out of its IMF program in April 2002, after failing to meet spending and exchange rate targets, making it ineligible for additional debt forgiveness from the Paris Club. In November 2005, Abuja won Paris Club approval for a debt-relief deal that eliminated $18 billion of debt in exchange for $12 billion in payments - a total package worth $30 billion of Nigeria's total $37 billion external debt. Since 2008 the government has begun to show the political will to implement the market-oriented reforms urged by the IMF, such as modernizing the banking system, curbing inflation by blocking excessive wage demands, and resolving regional disputes over the distribution of earnings from the oil industry. GDP rose strongly in 2007-10 because of increased oil exports and high global crude prices in 2010. President JONATHAN has pledged to continue the economic reforms of his predecessor with emphasis on infrastructure improvements. Infrastructure is the main impediment to growth and in August 2010 JONATHAN unveiled a power sector blueprint that includes privatization of the state-run electricity generation and distribution facilities. The government also is working toward developing stronger public-private partnerships for roads. Nigeria's financial sector was hurt by the global financial and economic crises and the Central Bank governor has taken measures to strengthen that sector.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$377.9 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 32
$348.7 billion (2009 est.)
$326 billion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$216.8 billion (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
8.4% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 15
7% (2009 est.)
6% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$2,500 (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 177
$2,300 (2009 est.)
$2,200 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 30%
industry: 32%
services: 38% (2010 est.)
Labor force:
50.48 million (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 11
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 70%
industry: 10%
services: 20% (1999 est.)
Unemployment rate:
4.9% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 45
Population below poverty line:
70% (2007 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2%
highest 10%: 32.4% (2004)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
43.7 (2003)
country comparison to the world: 44
50.6 (1997)
Investment (gross fixed):
8.6% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 149
Budget:
revenues: $19.16 billion
expenditures: $33.67 billion (2010 est.)
Taxes and other revenues:
8.8% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 205
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-):
-6.7% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 173
Public debt:
11.9% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 120
11.1% of GDP (2009 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
13.7% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 212
11.5% (2009 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
6% (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 46
9.75% (31 December 2008)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
17.585% (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 29
18.362% (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of narrow money:
$35.9 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 50
$30.13 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of broad money:
$94.47 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 53
$68.29 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of domestic credit:
$82.32 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 55
$61.9 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$33.32 billion (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 51
$49.8 billion (31 December 2008)
$86.35 billion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
cocoa, peanuts, cotton, palm oil, corn, rice, sorghum, millet, cassava (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
Industrial production growth rate:
5% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 81
Electricity - production:
21.92 billion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 69
Electricity - consumption:
19.21 billion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 69
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
2.211 million bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 15
Oil - consumption:
280,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 46
Oil - exports:
2.327 million bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 6
Oil - imports:
170,000 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 52
Oil - proved reserves:
37.5 billion bbl (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 10
Natural gas - production:
32.82 billion cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 26
Natural gas - consumption:
12.28 billion cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 44
Natural gas - exports:
20.55 billion cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 11
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 97
Natural gas - proved reserves:
5.246 trillion cu m (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 8
Current account balance:
$21.85 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 15
$21.66 billion (2009 est.)
Exports:
$82.54 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 39
$59.32 billion (2009 est.)
Exports - commodities:
petroleum and petroleum products 95%, cocoa, rubber
Exports - partners:
US 34%, India 9.8%, Brazil 9%, Spain 6.8%, France 4.5% (2009)
Imports:
$44.1 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 51
$30.28 billion (2009 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery, chemicals, transport equipment, manufactured goods, food and live animals
Imports - partners:
China 13.9%, US 9.3%, Netherlands 8.6%, UK 4.9%, France 4.4% (2009)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$34.92 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 44
$44.76 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Debt - external:
$9.462 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 89
$7.846 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$60.88 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 51
$57.88 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$6.08 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 57
$5.83 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Exchange rates:
nairas (NGN) per US dollar -
150.88 (2010)
148.9 (2009)
117.8 (2008)
127.46 (2007)
127.38 (2006) |
Telephones - main lines in use:
1.419 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 67
Telephones - mobile cellular:
73.099 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 16
Telephone system:
general assessment: further expansion and modernization of the fixed-line telephone network is needed; network quality remains a problem
domestic: the addition of a second fixed-line provider in 2002 resulted in faster growth but subscribership remains only about 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular services growing rapidly, in part responding to the shortcomings of the fixed-line network; multiple cellular providers operate nationally with subscribership reaching 50 per 100 persons in 2009
international: country code - 234; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe and Asia; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) (2009)
Broadcast media:
nearly 70 federal-government-controlled national and regional TV stations; all 36 states operate TV stations; several private TV stations operational; cable and satellite TV subscription services are available; network of federal-government-controlled national, regional, and state radio stations; roughly 40 state-government-owned radio stations typically carry their own programs except for news broadcasts; about 20 private radio stations also operate; transmissions of international broadcasters are available (2007)
Internet country code:
.ng
Internet hosts:
1,378 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 163
Internet users:
43.989 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 9 |
Airports:
54 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 86
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 38
over 3,047 m: 9
2,438 to 3,047 m: 11
1,524 to 2,437 m: 10
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 3 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 16
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 11
under 914 m: 2 (2010)
Heliports:
4 (2010)
Pipelines:
condensate 26 km; gas 2,756 km; liquid petroleum gas 97 km; oil 3,441 km; refined products 4,090 km (2010)
Railways:
total: 3,505 km
country comparison to the world: 49
narrow gauge: 3,505 km 1.067-m gauge (2010)
Roadways:
total: 193,200 km
country comparison to the world: 26
paved: 28,980 km
unpaved: 164,220 km (2004)
Waterways:
8,600 km (Niger and Benue rivers and smaller rivers and creeks) (2009)
country comparison to the world: 15
Merchant marine:
total: 98
country comparison to the world: 51
by type: cargo 4, chemical tanker 30, liquefied gas 2, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 60, specialized tanker 1
foreign-owned: 4 (India 1, Spain 1, UK 2)
registered in other countries: 37 (Bahamas 2, Belize 2, Bermuda 11, Comoros 1, Italy 1, Liberia 4, Malaysia 1, Malta 1, North Korea 1, Panama 7, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, Seychelles 1, unknown 4) (2010)
Ports and terminals:
Bonny Inshore Terminal, Calabar, Lagos
Transportation - note:
the International Maritime Bureau reports the territorial and offshore waters in the Niger Delta and Gulf of Guinea as high risk for piracy and armed robbery against ships; in 2010, 19 commercial vessels were boarded or attacked with most occurring in the vicinity of the port of Lagos; crews were robbed and stores or cargoes stolen
Source: The World Factbook |
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