STUDENTS CORNER
Information on Nigeria
Geography
Location:
West Africa
Map references:
Africa
Area:
923,770 sq km
Area-comparative:
slightly more than twice the size of California
Border Countries:
To the west Benin Republic, to the east Cameroon, to the north Chad and Niger, to the south the Gulf of Guinea
Coastline:
853 km
Climate:
varies from equatorial in south, tropical in center, to arid in north
Terrain:
southern lowlands merge into central hills and plateaus; mountains in southeast, and plains in the north
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point. Chappal Waddi 2,419 m
Natural resources:
crude oil (petroleum), tin, columbite, iron ore, coal, limestone, lead, zinc, natural gas, gold, bauxite, bitumen, gypsum etc.
Currency:
Naira (100k = 1 Naira)
N130 to $1 (conversion)
Pictures of Nigerian Currency
Pictures of Nigerian Stamps
Land use:
arable land: 33%, permanent crops: 3%, permanent pastures: 44%, forests and woodland: 12%, other: 8% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land:
9,570 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards:
periodic droughts
Population:
110,532,242 (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.96% (1998 est.)
Major ethnic groups:
Hausa, Fulani, Yoruba, Ibo, Kanuri,Ibibio, Ijaw, Tiv
Religions:
Islam , Christianity , Traditional beliefs
Language (Major):
English (official), Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo
Country name:
Federal Republic of Nigeria; Nigeria (in short)
Nationality:
Nigerian(s)
Independence:
1 October 1960 (from the United Kingdom)
National holidays:
Independence Day, 1 October
New Year Day, 1 January
Good Friday
Easter Monday
Worker’s Day, 1 May
Children’s Day 27, May (for children alone)
Id-el-Fitri
Id-el-Kabir
Id-el-Maulud
Christmas day, 25 December
Boxing Day, 26 December
Government:
Democracy, Presidential System of Government
National capital:
Abuja
Administrative divisions:
36 states and Federal Capital territory; Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Enugu, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Bayelsa, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Gombe, Nassarawa, Zamfara and Abuja, {776 local government councils} (counties)
Constitution:
1999 constitution
Legal system:
English common law, Islamic law, and traditional customs
Political Parties:
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
All Peoples Party (APP)
Alliance for Democracy (AD)
Suffrage:
Universal Adult (18 years of age)
Executive branch:
President Olusegun Obasanjo, Head of State, Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces; Federal Executive Council (Council of Ministers)
Legislative branch:
Bicameral National Assembly, comprising a Senate – 109 Members; House of Representatives – 360 Members
Judicial branch (Federal Level):
Supreme Court, Federal Court of Appeal, Federal High court
Educational system:
6 years primary education
3 years junior secondary education
3 years senior secondary education
4 years post secondary education
Agriculture:
All tropical crops – cocoa, rubber, palm oil, yam, cassava,
vegetable, rice, fruits, maize, cotton, groundnut, potatoes,
sorghum, sugar cane, etc.
Football:
African Champion -- 1980
World Champion (Maiden Edition of under 17 championship in
China 1985)
Runners Up (Second Edition in Canada 1987)
African Champion – 1980 and 1987
Olympic Football Champion (Atlanta)
Beauty Champion:
Miss World (2001) -- Miss Agbani Darego (Miss Nigeria)
Pictures of Nigerian Dishes (coming soon)