NAVIGATION
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NAVIGATION
Federal Republic of Nigeria
INTRODUCTION
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Background:
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Following nearly 16 years of military rule, a new constitution was adopted in 1999, and a peaceful transition to civilian government was completed. The president faces the daunting task of rebuilding a petroleum-based economy, whose revenues have been squandered through corruption and mismanagement, and institutionalizing democracy. In addition, the OBASANJO administration must defuse longstanding ethnic and religious tensions, if it is to build a sound foundation for economic growth and political stability. |
GEOGRAPHY
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Location:
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Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Benin and Cameroon |
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Geographic coordinates:
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10 00 N, 8 00 E |
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Map references:
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Africa |
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Area:
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total: 923,768 sq km
water: 13,000 sq km land: 910,768 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly more than twice the size of California |
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Land boundaries:
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total: 4,047 km
border countries: Benin 773 km, Cameroon 1,690 km, Chad 87 km, Niger 1,497 km |
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Coastline:
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853 km |
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Maritime claims:
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continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
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Climate:
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varies; equatorial in south, tropical in center, arid in north |
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Terrain:
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southern lowlands merge into central hills and plateaus; mountains in southeast, plains in north |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Chappal Waddi 2,419 m |
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Natural resources:
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natural gas, petroleum, tin, columbite, iron ore, coal, limestone, lead, zinc, arable land |
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Land use:
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arable land: 30.96%
permanent crops: 2.79% other: 66.25% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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2,330 sq km (1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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periodic droughts; flooding |
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Environment - current issues:
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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 |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
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Geography - note:
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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 |
PEOPLE
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Population:
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129,934,911
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 2002 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 43.6% (male 28,503,211; female 28,156,976)
15-64 years: 53.6% (male 35,418,119; female 34,179,802) 65 years and over: 2.8% (male 1,832,682; female 1,844,121) (2002 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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2.54% (2002 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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39.22 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Death rate:
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14.1 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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0.27 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.99 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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72.49 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 50.59 years
female: 50.6 years (2002 est.) male: 50.58 years |
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Total fertility rate:
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5.49 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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5.06% (1999 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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2.7 million (1999 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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250,000 (1999 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun: Nigerian(s)
adjective: Nigerian |
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Ethnic groups:
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Nigeria, which is 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% |
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Religions:
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Muslim 50%, Christian 40%, indigenous beliefs 10% |
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Languages:
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English (official), Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo (Ibo), Fulani |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 57.1% male: 67.3% female: 47.3% (1995 est.) |