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November 2014

Nigeria

Nigeria

Nigeria is located in Western Africa, between Benin and Cameroon, along the Gulf of Guinea. Slightly larger than twice the size of California, Nigeria is Africa's most populous country. Although there are more than 250 ethnic groups in the country, the most populous and influential groups are the Hausa and Fulani (29%) and the Yoruba (21%). English is the official language of the 500+ languages within Nigeria.

Much of the 19th century kept Nigeria under British influence and control. After World War II, a series of constitutions granted Nigeria greater autonomy. Independence came in 1960. After nearly 16 years of military rule, a constitution was adopted in 1999. A peaceful transition to civil government also occurred. The general election of 2007 marked the first civilian-to-civilian transfer of power in the country's history. In January 2014, Nigeria assumed a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2014-15 term.

The natural resources of Nigeria include: natural gas, petroleum, tin, iron ore, coal, limestone, niobium, lead, and zinc.

CIA World Factbook, 6/2014

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