Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa and the most populous country on the African continent. 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 Lagos, Nigeria's largest city by population.
Nigeria is bound by Cameroon to the east, Chad to the northeast, Niger to the north, Benin to the west, and the Atlantic Ocean to the south.
The climate of Nigeria is tropical in nature, which is occasionally subjected to variations, depending on the rainfall. During summers, major portion of the country comes under the influence of moisture-laden tropical maritime air. Temperatures are high throughout the year, averaging from 25° to 28°C. In the higher elevations of the Jos Plateau, temperature is at an average of 22°C. Northern Nigeria experiences greater temperature extremes than the south. Rainfall varies widely over short distances from year to year.
In the low-lying coastal regions, mangroves are found while swamp forest are found where the water is fresh. Farther inland, this vegetation gives way to tropical forest, with its many species of tropical hardwoods, including mahogany, iroko, and obeche. The fauna of Nigeria includes elephants, buffaloes, lions, leopards, smaller animals such as antelope, monkeys, jackals, and hyenas, which are found in abundance. Hippopotamuses and crocodiles are still common in the largest rivers. Birds, including species that migrate seasonally between Africa and Europe, are also abundant in Nigeria.
There are a total of 250 languages spoken in Nigeria which correspond with the estimated number of ethnic groups in Nigeria. To facilitate cultural and lingusitic unity, English was chosen as the official language. The major languages spoken in Nigeria are Hausa, Yoruba, and Igbo.
Nigeria has more than 250 ethnic groups, with varying languages and customs, creating a country of rich ethnic diversity. The largest ethnic groups are the Hausa-Fulani , Yoruba , Igbo (Ibo) , Ijaw , Kanuri , Ibibio , Tiv , Other .Who represent 70 percent of the population. Another 10 percent comprises of several other groups numbering more than 1 million members each, including the Kanuri, Tiv, and Ibibio. More than 300 smaller ethnic groups account for the remaining 20 percent of the population.
NIGERIA National Animal : Eagle
NIGERIA National Bird : Black Crowned-Crane
NIGERIA National Game : Football
Nigeria National Name : Federal Republic of Nigeria
National Capital : Abuja
Nigeria Area : Approx. 923,768n Sq Km (356,669 Sq. Mi), 0.62% of total
Nigeria Population : 158,259,000 in 2010 (2.31% in total)
Ethnicity in Nigeria : More than 250 ethnic groups, including Hausa and Fulani 29%, Yoruba 21%, Ibo 18%, Ijaw 10%, Kanuri 4%, Ibibio 3.5%, Tiv 2.5%
Nigeria Languages : English (official), Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo (Ibo), Fulani.
Religions in Nigeria: Islam 50%, Christian 40%, indigenous beliefs 10%
Currency : Naira ,NGN
Time Zone : UTC+01 (WAT)
