Nigeria

Nigeria is located in West Africa on the Gulf of Guinea. Its total area consists of 356,669 square miles and has a landmass of 923,768 square kilometers. Nigeria is bordered to the north by the Republics of Niger and Chad, and to the west with the Republic of Benin. It shares the eastern borders with the Republic of Cameroon right down to the shores of the Atlantic Ocean forming the southern limits of the Nigerian Territory.

Nigeria's highest point is Chappal Waddi at 7,936 feet (2,419) and its lowest point is the Atlantic Ocean at 0m. Nigeria's terrain consists of southern lowlands which merge into central hills and plateaus. It is known to be mountainous in the southeast and has a lot of plains in the north. Nigeria consists of thirty-six states. Abuja which is also called the Federal Capital Territory is Nigeria's current capital. Of its 923,768 square kilometers of landmass, 33.02% is arable land, 3.14% is made of permanent crops, 44.12% of permanent pastures, 12.09% of forests and woodlands, and 7.63% of other.

The names of the major rivers that flow through Nigeria are the river Niger and the river Benue. The Ð''end' region where the Niger River meets the ocean is commonly referred to as the Ð''Delta'. Nigeria's climate varies; it's equatorial in the south, tropical in the center, and arid in the north. With Nigeria being between the equator and the Tropic of Cancer, it gets pretty hot. Nigeria has two main temperature regions. The tropical region in the south usually has temperatures around 90 degrees Fahrenheit and the subtropical regions in the north have temperatures between 60 degrees Fahrenheit and 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Its two main seasons are the rainy season and dry season. Rainy season usually lasts from about May until September in the north and about March to November in the south. Dry season usually lasts the remainder of the year. In the south, there is also a period around December until January called the Harmattan season, which it gets cold and dry.

The currency in Nigeria is called the "Naira". There are two different exchange rates in Nigeria: the official rate and autonomous foreign exchange market. The official rate is valid for certain government transactions. The autonomous foreign exchange market is the currency used by most businesses. One United States dollar is equivalent to 128.00 Nigerian Nairas and one Nigerian Naira can be converted into .78 United States dollars. Nigeria's GDP (purchasing power parity) is equal to $174.1 billion; GDP (official exchange rate) is equal to $77.3 billion, GDP per capita is $1,400, and their unemployment rate is 2.9%.

Nigeria's resources include barite, coal, crude petroleum oil, fluorite, gold, iron, kyanite, lead, limestone, natural gas, phosphate, salt, tantalite, tin, uranium, zinc, columbite, and manganese. Nigeria is one of the largest producers of oil and petroleum, and the two are Nigeria's main source of the economy, accounting for well over 90% of the exports. Countries that Nigeria imports from are Britain, which is the largest, USA, Germany, France, The Netherlands, and Brazil. Some of the main imports are machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food and live animals, animal and vegetable oils and fats, mineral fuel lubricants, crude materials, beverages, tobacco, chemicals, and textiles. Countries that Nigeria exports to are the USA, Germany, France, Italy, Brazil, Spain, and India. Some of the main exports are petroleum and oil, cocoa beans, rubber, palm kernels, cotton, yam, hides and skins.

Nigeria is a Democratic Republic modeled after the United States, with executive power exercised by the president. The president's power is checked by a Senate and a House of Representatives, which are combined in a body called the National Assembly. The current president of Nigeria is Olusegun Obasanjo who was elected in 1999 following the restoration of democracy after several years of military. The two major parties in Nigeria are the People's Democratic Party of Nigeria and The All Nigeria People's Party. The four distinct systems of law in Nigeria are English Law, Common Law, Constitutional Law, and Sharia Law. Like the United States, there is a judicial branch with a Supreme Court, which is regarded as the highest court of the land.

Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa. One estimate puts the population at 128,771,988, while other estimates have the population to be between 130-150