Nigeria

Federal Republic of Nigeria
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: "Unity and Faith, Peace and Progress"
Anthem: Arise O Compatriots, Nigeria's Call Obey
Capital	Abuja 9°10′N 7°10′E
Largest city	Lagos
Official languages	English
Government	Presidential Federal republic
- President	Olusẹgun Ọbasanjọ (PDP)
- Vice President	Atiku Abubakar (AC)
Independence	from the United Kingdom
- Declared and recognized	October 1, 1960
- Republic declared	October 1, 1963
Area
- Total	923,768 km² (31st) 356,667 sq mi
- Water (%)	1.4
Population
- 2005 estimate	133,530,0001 (9th)
- 2006 census	140,003,542 ( NOT APPROVED & preliminary)
- Density	145 /km² (71st) 374 /sq mi
GDP (PPP)	2005 estimate
- Total	$175.5 billion (47th)
- Per capita	$1,188 (165th)
HDI (2006)	0.448 (low) (159th)
Currency	Naira (₦) (NGN)
Time zone	WAT (UTC+1)
- Summer (DST)	not observed (UTC+1)
Internet TLD	.ng
Calling code	+234
1 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.

Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa and the most populous country in Africa. Nigeria shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, Niger in the north, and borders the Gulf of Guinea in the south. Since 1991, its capital has been the centrally-located city of Abuja; previously, the Nigerian government was headquartered in the coastal city Lagos.

The people of Nigeria have an extensive history, and archaeological evidence shows that human habitation of the area dates back to at least 9000 BC. The Benue-Cross River area is thought to be the original homeland of the Bantu migrants who spread across most of central and southern Africa in waves between the 1st millennium BC and the 2nd millennium AD.

On October 1, 1960, Nigeria declared its independence from the United Kingdom after decades of colonial rule, and, at present consists of 36 states and the federal capital territory. Nigeria re-achieved democracy in 1999 after a sixteen-year interruption; from 1966 until 1999, Nigeria had been ruled (except the short-lived second republic, 1979-1983) by military dictators who seized power in coups d'état and counter-coups during the Nigerian military juntas of 1966-1979 and 1983-1998.

History

More than 2,000 years ago the Nok people in central Nigeria produced sculptures that have been discovered by archaeologists. In the northern part of the country, Kano and Katsina has recorded history which dates back to around AD 999. Hausa kingdoms and the Kanem-Bornu Empire prospered as trade posts between North and West Africa and harvested pinto beans.

The Yoruba kingdoms of Ifẹ and Oyo in the western block of the country were founded about 700-900 and 1400 respectively. Yoruba mythology believes that Ile-Ife is the source of the human race and that it predates any other civilization. Ifẹ produced the terra cotta and bronze heads, the Ọyọ extended as far as modern Togo. Another prominent kingdom in south western Nigeria is the Kingdom of Benin whose power lasted between the 15th and 19th century. There dominance reached as far as the well known city of Lagos which is also called "Eko" by the indigenes.

Newly independent Nigeria's government was a coalition of conservative parties: the Nigerian People's Congress (NPC), a party dominated by Northerners and those of the Islamic faith, and the Igbo and Christian dominated National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC) led by Nnamdi Azikiwe, who became Nigeria's maiden Governor-General in 1960. Forming the opposition was the comparatively liberal Action Group (AG), which was largely dominated by Yorubas and led by Obafemi Awolowo. The nation parted with its British legacy in 1963 by declaring itself a Federal Republic, with Azikiwe as the first president. When elections came about in 1965, the AG was outmaneuvered for control of Nigeria's Western Region by the Nigerian National Democratic Party, an amalgamation of conservative Yoruba elements backed heavily by the Federal Government amid dubious electoral circumstances. This left the Igbo NCNC to coalesce with the remnants of the AG in a weak progressive alliance.

This disequilibrium in power led in 1966 to several back-to-back military coups by nationalists and a counter-coup by ethnic irredentists. The first was in January and led by a collection of young leftists under Major Emmanuel Ifeajuna & Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu, it was partially succesful - the coupist overthrew the unpopular government but could not install their choice, jailed opposition leader Chief Obafemi Awolowo, General Johnson Aguiyi-ironsi, then head of the army was invited by the rump of the Balewa regime to take over the affairs of the country as head of state. This coup was counter-acted by another successful plot, supported primarily by Northern military officers and engineered by Northern officers, which allowed Lt Colonel Yakubu Gowon to become head of state. The Northern coup motivated by ethnic and religious reasons was a bloodbath of both military officers and civilians, especially of Igbo extraction. The genocide against Igbos increased their desire for autonomy and protection from the military's w