Nigeria History, Geography, Economy and Important Events

Looking at the article of the ancient history of Nigeria, it is found that the civilization of Nigeria began in about 9000 BC. As shown in the archaeological records. The earliest cities in Nigeria were Kano and Katsina, northern cities that began in about 1000 AD. Around 1400 AD, the Yoruba Empire of Oyo was established in the southwest. In 1885 AD, the British claimed a sphere of influence over Nigeria and in 1886, the Royal Niger Company was established. In 1900, the area was controlled by the British government. During the 1960s, the state of Nigeria's government was not in good shape as it had many government upheavals. Because the Prime Minister of this country was assassinated at that time and due to this the civil war started. But after the civil war, Nigeria focused on economic development and in 1977, after several years of government instability, the country drafted a new constitution.

Nigeria is located in the Gulf of Guinea in West Africa with a total area of ​​923,768 km2, making it the 32nd largest country in the world. Which has diverse topography. The US state of California is approximately twice the size of the state and is located between Benin and Cameroon. The area of ​​Nigeria is low in the south of the region, but due to the hills and plateaus in the central part of the country, this place is high. The southeast has mountains while the north is mainly plains. The climate of Nigeria is also varied but due to locations near the equator, the center and south are tropical.

Nigeria has had problems of political corruption and lack of infrastructure, but recently its economy has started growing fastest in the world. And, oil alone provides 95% of foreign exchange earnings. Other industries in Nigeria include coal, tin, columbite, rubber products, wood, and hides, textiles, cement and other construction materials, food products, footwear, chemicals, fertilizers, printing, ceramics and steel. Nigeria's agricultural products are cocoa, groundnut, cotton, palm oil, maize, rice, sorghum, millet, cassava, yam, rubber, cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, wood and fish. In 2019, the economy of this country continues to grow, with the economy forecasting a 2.3% increase in real GDP and the IMF forecasting a 2.3% growth in 2020.

There are 521 languages ​​spoken in Nigeria, nine of them are now extinct. Due to the influence of British colonialism that ended in 1960, the official language of Nigeria, English, was chosen to facilitate the country's cultural and linguistic unity. Many French speakers from surrounding countries have influenced English spoken in the border areas of Nigeria and some Nigerian citizens have become quite fluent in France to work in the surrounding countries. French spoken in Nigeria can be mixed with some native languages ​​but is mostly spoken like French spoken in Benin.

Benin [LM] , Cameroon [LM] , Chad [L] , Equatorial Guinea [M] , Niger [L] , Sao Tome and Principe [M] ,
Definition of international border: L = Land Border | M = Maritime Border