Nigeria, officially Federal Republic of Nigeria, is acountry inAfrica. It is the most populated country in bothWest Africa and all of Africa, with over 232,679,478 people.[9] Its capital isAbuja while its economic center and most populated city isLagos. Nigeria is the fourth biggest economy in Africa.[10][11]
From the 1500s to the 1800s, many people from the land now called Nigeria (and other parts of West Africa) were taken away and turned intoslaves byEuropeans, and they were sent to work in theAmericas. These slaves were bought and sold in the Americas by Europeans who lived there. Today, many people related to those slaves still live in America, though they are no longer slaves. They are calledAfrican Americans.
From 1901 to 1960, theUnited Kingdom ruled Nigeria. However, by 1960 the people wanted independence, and Britain finally let them have it. For some time after this, Nigeria was adictatorship, where the leaders stayed in control even if the majority of people disliked them. At this time, theNigerian Civil War was byseparatist ChristianIgbo people in the Southeast against the Nigerian government. They did not want to be a part of Nigeria, which was ruled by The Muslim north and mixed west. The war ended with a reunification of Nigeria.
In the early 21st century, there have been severalarmed conflicts. These include the armed rebellion by theIslamist groupBoko Haram. The Boko Haraminsurgency happens mostly in thenortheastern part of the country. The group wantsSharia law for the country.[12] Another is the Nigerian bandit conflict, in whichgangs carry out attacks, mostly in thenorthwest. There is also a separatist insurgency in thesoutheast where the armed group,IPOB, is seeking the restoration of the short-lived secessionistBiafra country that was defeated by federal forces in 1970.[13][14]
There is also a conflict with a neighboring country; TheBakassi conflict involvesCameroon and Nigeria.
Nigeria has a total area of 923,768 km2 (356,669 sq mi).[15] It is the world's 32nd-largest country. It shares a border withBenin (773 km),Niger (1497 km),Chad (87 km) andCameroon (1690 km). It has a coastline of at least 853 km.[16]
The highest point in Nigeria isChappal Waddi at 2,419 m (7,936 ft). The main rivers are theNiger and theBenue River. They come together and empty into theNiger Delta, one of the world's largestriver deltas. It is the location of a large area of Central Africanmangroves.
In Nigeria, there are almost equal numbers of Muslims and Christians. Most of the Christians live in the south, and most of the Muslims live in the north. Contrary to some beliefs, the Nigerian civil war was not only attributed to religious intolerance. The war which took place between 6 July 1967 – 15 January 1970, was a political conflict caused by the attempted secession of the southeastern provinces of Nigeria as the self-proclaimed Republic of Biafra. The conflict was the result of economic, ethnic, cultural and religious tensions among the various peoples of Nigeria. There are over 250 religions in Nigeria
Nigeria produces a large amount of oil, and some fighting has been going on because many people want a share of the oil profits. This fighting has been happening in the area called theNiger Delta, where theNiger River flows into the Atlantic Ocean.
The largest city in Nigeria isLagos. Nigeria has both grasslands and rainforests, and can get very hot, because it is close to theEquator. Petroleum and agriculture make up the Nigerian economy.
Nigerian cuisine, like West African cuisine in general, is known for its richness and variety. Many different spices, herbs and flavourings are used along withpalm oil orgroundnut oil. These make deeply flavoured sauces and soups often made very hot withchili peppers. Nigerian feasts are colourful and lavish. Good smelling market and roadside snacks cooked on barbecues or fried in oil are plentiful and varied.[17]
Nigeria is also involved in other sports such as basketball,cricket, sprints and track and field.[18] Boxing is also an important sport in Nigeria;Dick Tiger andSamuel Peter are both former World Champions.
↑Akinbode, Ayomide (2 April 2019)."Why Nigeria changed from Right-Hand Drive to Left-Hand Drive in 1972".www.thehistoryville.com. Archived fromthe original on 9 July 2021. Retrieved9 July 2021.The terms 'right- and left-hand drive' refer to the position of the driver in the vehicle and are the reverse of the terms 'right- and left-hand traffic'.
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