Presentation: Nigeria. Geography and Location (Essay Sample)

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Introduction to Nigeria
Geography and Location
Nigeria, officially known as the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is an African country located in West Africa. With a total area of 923,768 km2 (356,669 sq mi) - roughly twice the size of the U.S. state of California, it is the 32nd largest country in the world (CIA 2014). The name “Nigeria” is derived from the Niger River that runs through the country. The modern state of Nigeria was established in 1914 following the unification of Northern Nigerian Protectorate with the Southern Nigerian Protectorate by the British. It is neighbored by four countries; Niger in the north, Chad and Cameroon to the east, and the Republic of Benin in the west. The southern part runs parallel to the Gulf of Guinea along the Atlantic Ocean.
Government and Administration
According to the 2013 estimates, Nigeria’s national population stands at 174.5 million people, making it the 7th most populous country in the world (CIA 2014). Abuja, with a population of 2.1 million people, is the capital city. Nigeria is a federal constitutional republic with 36 states, in which an elected president serves as the head of state and elected governors run the states. Administratively, it has two levels of government- federal and state/local governments, with functions similar to those of the U.S. federal and state governments. The current President is Goodluck Jonathan, and the Vice-President is Namadi Sambo.
Demographics
Nigeria is home to over 500 ethnic groups, and the largest five are the Yoruba (21%), Hausa (18%), Igbo (18%), Fula (12%), and Ijaw (10%). The country is divided into two equal regions in terms of religious following. The northern half is occupied by Muslims and the southern half by Christians. Political rivalry between Christians and Muslims has been at the center of the several coups that the country has experienced since it gained independence from Britain in 1960.
Major Events
Military Coups
Since independence, Nigeria has been governed by a series of military dictatorships. The first one took place in 1966, when senior military officers from the southern Igbo tribe murdered the then Prime Minister Abubakar Balewa, and the premier of the Northern Region, Ahmadu Bello, all Muslim northerners. Military officers from the Northern Region led a countercoup a few months later, and installed one of their own as the head of state (CIA 2014). These events are the genesis of ethnic violence and tension between the Muslim north and Christian south. In fact, this rivalry is currently being played out in the presidential general election held this last weekend; Goodluck Jonathan, the incumbent and Christina southerner, is struggling for reelection against Muhammadu Buhari, a Muslim northerner. Political observers, as reported in The Guardian on 28 March (Mark and Smith 2015), have warned that there will be ethnic violence whichever way the election goes, underscoring the decades-old political rivalry between Muslin north and the Christian south.
The Nigerian Civil War (May 1967-January 1970)
In 1967, the Southeastern Region, under Lt Col. Emeku Ojukwu, declared its own independence, adopting the name the Republic of Biafra. The Nigerian military reacted by attacking Biafra, sparking off a 30-month civil war that claimed the lives of more than one million people.
The Economy
With a GDP of $1.058 trillion, Nigeria has overtaken South Africa as the largest African economy, and the 20th largest in the world. According to the World Bank, the country has attained lower-middle class status. However, its per capita income ($3, 000) ranks 121st in the world, suggesting that majority of the population is in the lower-class income bracket.
Nigeria’s economy is primarily dependent on its oil exports. It is the 12th largest oil producer in the world, and the 8th largest exporter (CIA 2014). Oil accounts for nearly 40% of GDP, and up to 80% of government revenues. However, the activities of juntas and militants in the Niger Delta, the major oil producing region, have prevented the country from achieving 100% oil production capacity.
Nigeria is the U.S.’s largest sub-Saharan Africa trading partner, accounting for 11% of U.S. oil imports. Overall, it is the 14th largest exporter to the U.S., and the 50th largest importer of U.S. goods. The U.S. is also Nigeria’s biggest foreign investor.
Begging in 2002, Nigeria has experienced a series of sectarian violence and terrorist attacks, the most serious one being the kidnapping of 276 school girls in April 2014 by t...