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Over three times the size of the UK, Nigeria occupies 15% of West Africa but has 56% of its people. It sits on the Gulf of Guinea sandwiched to the north by Niger, the east by Cameroon and the west by Benin. Most of Nigeria is flat and unexciting apart from the mountains that run along the Cameroon border, and the lush tropical rainforest in the interior which opens out onto the central grasslands of the Jos plateau. To the east is the soggy, mosquito-infested swamplands of the Bight of Benin which hold Nigeria's most precious commodity, oil.
Nigeria has extraordinary biological diversity but is facing environmental disaster. Rapid deforestation is an unfortunate consequence of its ever increasing population and in West Africa only Côte d'Ivoire cuts down trees at a faster rate. However, there are still a number of reserves and national parks where you can hang out with nature and get into bird watching. Both the Yankari National Park and the Gashaka Game Reserve are home to over 600 species of birds. Okomo Sanctuary and Cross River National Park have less of the feathery animals and more of the furry four-footed kind - chimps, hippos, elephants and baboons - and if you're lucky you may get a glimpse of a gorilla (once thought to have packed up and left the area), at Cross River National Park.
Like everything else about Nigeria the climate is varied and differs substantially from region to region. The north is hot and dry with one long rainy season from April to September, while in the south it is hot and wet with the rainy season lasting from March to November. Temperatures are slightly lower in the tropical regions of the south but it's the humidity that's a real killer. Relief from the humidity only comes in December and January during the Harmattan season when cool dry winds blow off the desert.
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| QUICK INFO |
Full Name:
Federal Republic of Nigeria
Area:
924,000 sq km (360,360 sq mi)
Population:
125 million
Capital:
Abuja
People:
250 different ethnic groups, including: Hausa-Fulani, Yoruba, Ibo, Kanuri, Ibibio, Tiv, Ijaw
Language:
English and French. The main African languages are Hausa, Yoruba, Ibo, Edo, Efik
Religion:
Muslim (50%), Christian: mostly Roman Catholic (40%), animist (10%)
Government:
Parliamentary democracy
President:
Olusegun Obasanjo
GDP:
US$143.5 billion
GDP per head:
US$1380
Annual Growth:
1.6%
Inflation:
14%
Major Industries:
Crude oil, natural gas, coal, palm oil, peanuts, cotton
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