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Nigeria is a West African country. Situated on the
southern coast of the Gulf of Guinea, the country owes
its name to the fact that it is crossed by the Niger
River, which flows into an extensive delta. It occupies
an area of 923 768 km2. Nigeria is bordered
by Niger in the north, Chad in the northeast, Cameroon
in the east and southeast, and Benin in the west and is
bordered by the Gulf of Guinea to the south. The capital
is Abuja. The largest cities are Lagos, with 8 682 200
inhabitants (2003), Kano (3,412,900 inhabitants), Ibadan
(3,201,500 inhabitants) and Kaduna (1,563,300
inhabitants). The relief of Nigeria is, in general,
characterized by the predominance of plateaus with
altitudes between 600 and 1200 meters, divided by small
plains where its main rivers, Niger and Benué run. These
two rivers come together in the center of the country,
flowing into the Gulf of Guinea. The entire Nigerian
coast is made up of sandy plains.
Climate
Nigeria's climate varies from equatorial, on the south
coast, to dry tropical, in the northern regions.
Economy
Nigeria's economy depends to a large extent on revenues
from oil exploration. The country is the main African
producer of oil and has been a member of OPEC since
1975. Tin and lime stone are also extracted in large
quantities, and the production of natural gas is
developing at a rapid pace. However, manufacturing
industries remain underdeveloped.
The development of rubber plantations, while making
Nigeria a major producer (60% of all African
production), poses environmental problems, given the
extent of the forested area. The cocoa sector, which is
also responsible for deforestation, is experiencing
difficulties that translate into unemployment. Among the
agricultural products destined for domestic consumption,
cassava, yam, sorghum, corn, rice and peanuts stand
out. Nigeria's main trading partners are the United
States of America, the United Kingdom, Spain and France.
Environmental indicator: the value of carbon dioxide
emissions, per capita (metric tons, 1999), is
0.3.
Population
Nigeria is the most populous African country: in 2006 it
had 131 859 731 inhabitants, equivalent to a population
density of 139.4 inhab./km2. The birth and
death rates are respectively 40.43% and 16.94%. Average
life expectancy is 47.08 years. The value of the Human
Development Index (HDI) is 0.463 and the value of the
Gender-adjusted Development Index (IDG) is 0.450
(2001). It is estimated that, by 2025, the population
will be about 204,000,000 inhabitants.
The Nigerian population is made up of more than 200
ethnicities, which is due to the geographical location
of Nigeria at the meeting point of several
transcontinental migratory routes, with the most
important ethnic groups being the Hausa (21%), the
Yoruba (21%), the Ibos (18%), Fulas (11%), Ibibio (6%)
and Kanuri (4%).
History
As can be deduced by the number of ethnicities residing
in Nigeria, the initial history of this country is
written by the influence of several peoples. Thus,
between 500 a. C. and 200 d. C., Nigeria had in the Nok
people (established at the confluence of the Niger and
Benué rivers) its first properly structured
civilization. In the 11th century, the Kanem empire was
formed, which included the province of Bornu and the
territories to the east and west of Lake Chad, and which
resulted from the migrations of the Kanuri (Bornu),
Hausa and Fulas peoples towards the North. This empire
would dismember in the 14th century, surviving only the
region of Bornu as a kingdom. By this time Islam had
already been introduced in Nigeria (13th century), and
this fact would favor the appearance, in the beginning
of the 19th century, of another empire, the Fulas
empire.
Although the Portuguese were the first Europeans to
reach the Nigerian coast, in the 15th century, it was
the British who settled in the territory. English
interest in Nigeria began in the 17th century, when the
slave trade flourished. With the end of this trade in
1807, curiously imposed by England, this country sent a
squadron to the Gulf of Guinea to enforce that decree,
and it was not long before English merchants began to
approach the Nigerian coast in search of marketable
products. Thus, the British presence officially began
with the control of Lagos in 1861. In 1866, Nigeria
became an English colony, assuming the status of Colony
and Protectorate of Nigeria in 1914.
The origin of federalism in Nigeria dates back to
1939, when the western and eastern administrative
regions were created, and 1954, when a third region, the
northern one, was created. The ten years prior to the
declaration of independence, on October 1, 1960, were
marked by several constitutional initiatives subordinate
to Nigerian autonomy with independence goals. Of these,
the Lyttelton Constitution stands out, which managed to
take into account the existing imbalances at various
levels between the regions. But it was these imbalances
that were the cause of the military coup d'état that
took place on January 15, 1966 (with the territory
already divided into 12 states), led by General Johnson
Aguiyi-Ironsi, who, for trying to dissolve federalism,
would be assassinated at July 29 of that year.
Ethnic conflicts led to civil war when, on May 30, 1967,
the leader of the eastern region declared independence
from the Republic of Biafra. But despite the recognition
and support given by some African states to the new
republic, the truth is that on January 15, 1970, a
delegation from Biafra formally surrendered to the
Nigerian government in Lagos.
General Gowon, when communicating the postponement of
the entry into force of a civil administration, caused
his deposition, carried out on July 29, 1975 by
Brigadier Murtala Ramat Mohammed, who would be
assassinated on February 13, 1976, the year in which the
number of states in the territory increased to 19 (in
1991, this number increased to 30).
The Second Republic, established on October 1, 1979,
has also lived in permanent government
instability. After the overthrow of the first elected
President of the Second Republic, Shehu Shagari, by a
military coup on December 31, 1993, another coup
occurred on August 27, 1985, led by General Ibrahim
Babangida, who ruled the country until 1993, the year in
which, after having annulled the presidential elections,
he was overthrown by the military, and General Sani
Abacha came to power.
Abacha's policy was guided by political
authoritarianism, repressing and outlawing any
pro-democracy movement, of which Moshood Abiola, the
presumed winner of the 1993 elections, which was
annulled stood out. When Abiola proclaimed himself on
June 11, 1994 and before a crowd of 3000 people,
president, head of the armed forces and leader of the
government, he immediately caused a violent government
reaction culminating in Abiola's arrest on June 23,
which was later convicted of treason. This decision by
the Abuja High Court has led to numerous popular
uprisings which, together with strikes carried out in
oil exploration, have undermined the already weak
Nigerian economy. This picture of social and political
instability remained until September of that year, when
the leaders of the oil workers' unions decided to end
the strike. On September 6, Abacha decreed absolute
powers for his regime, denying any right of jurisdiction
by the courts over his government.
After sixteen years of military rule, the People's
Democratic Party (PDP) won the 1999 and 2003 elections,
with President Olusegun Obasanjo who, in his second
term, promised to strengthen democracy and promote
political stability and economic growth.
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