STUDENTS CORNER

GENERAL INFORMATION

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) N150 to $1 (conversion)

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: 140,532,242 (July 2009 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, {774 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)
-Action Congress (AC)

Suffrage: Universal Adult (18 years of age)

Executive branch: President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, 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, 1994
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:
Most Recent Miss World (2001) -- Miss Agbani Darego (Miss Nigeria).

Pictures of Nigerian Dishes (coming soon).