Background: Following nearly 16 years of military rule a new constitution was adopted in 1999 and a peaceful transition to civilian government completed. The new president faces the daunting task of rebuilding a petroleum-based economy whose revenues have been squandered through corruption and mismanagement and institutionalizing democracy. In addition the OBASANJO administration must defuse longstanding ethnic and religious tensions if it is to build a sound foundation for economic growth and political stability.

Geographic coordinates: 10 00 N, 8 00 E

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 923,770 km²
Land: 910,770 km²
Water: 13,000 km²
Comparative: slightly more than twice the size of California

Land boundaries
Total: 4,047 km
Border countries: (4) Benin 773 km; , Cameroon 1,690 km; , Chad 87 km; , Niger 1,497 km

Coastline: 853 km

Maritime claims
Continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 30 nm

Climate: varies; equatorial in south, tropical in center, arid in north

Terrain: southern lowlands merge into central hills and plateaus; mountains in southeast, plains in north

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Extremes highest point: Chappal Waddi 2,419 m

Natural resources: petroleum, tin, columbite, iron ore, coal, limestone, lead, zinc, natural gas

Land use
Arable land: 33%
Permanent crops: 3%
Permanent pastures: 44%
Forests and woodland: 12%
Other: 8% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 9,570 km² (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: periodic droughts

Population: 113,828,587 (July 1999 est.)
Growth rate: 2.92% (1999 est.)
Below poverty line: 34.1% (1992-93 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Nigerian(s)
Adjective: Nigerian

Ethnic groups: Hausa, Fulani, Yoruba, Ibo, Ijaw, Kanuri, Ibibio, Tiv

Languages: English (official), Hausa, Yoruba, Ibo, Fulani

Religions: Muslim 50%, Christian 40%, indigenous beliefs 10%

Age structure
0-14 years: 45% (male 25,613,974; female 25,397,166)
15-64 years: 52% (male 30,272,539; female 29,197,611)
65 years and over: 3% (male 1,678,732; female 1,668,565) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.92% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 41.84 births/1000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 12.98 deaths/1000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: 0.31 migrant(s)/1000 population (1999 est.)

Environment
Current issues: soil degradation; rapid deforestation; desertification; recent droughts in north severely affecting marginal agricultural activities
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.01 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 69.46 deaths/1000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 53.3 years
Male: 52.55 years
Female: 54.06 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.02 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 57.1%
Male: 67.3%
Female: 47.3% (1995 est.)

Country name
Conventional long form: Federal Republic of Nigeria
Conventional short form: Nigeria

Government type: republic transitioning from military to civilian rule

Capital: Abuja
Note: on 12 December 1991 the capital was officially moved from Lagos to Abuja; many government offices remain in Lagos pending completion of facilities in Abuja

Administrative divisions: 30 states and 1 territory*; Abia, Abuja Federal Capital Territory*, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Enugu, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe
Note: the government has announced the creation of six additional states named Bayelsa, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Gombe, Nassarawa, and Zamfara as part of the process of transition to a civilian government

Independence: 1 October 1960 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 1 October (1960)

Constitution: 1979 constitution still partially in force

Legal system: based on English common law, Islamic law, and tribal law

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: Chairman of the Provisional Ruling Council and Commander in Chief of Armed Forces Gen. Abdulsalami ABUBAKAR (since 9 June 1998) will remain chief of state and head of government until 29 May 1999 when President-elect Olusegun OBASANJO will be inaugurated
Head of government: Chairman of the Provisional Ruling Council and Commander in Chief of Armed Forces Gen. Abdulsalami ABUBAKAR (since 9 June 1998) will remain chief of state and head of government until 29 May 1999 when President-elect Olusegun OBASANJO will be inaugurated
Cabinet: Federal Executive Council
Elections: the president is elected by popular vote for no more than two four-year terms; election last held 27 February 1999 (next election to be held NA 2003)
Election results: Olusegun OBASANJO (PDP) won the election with NA% of the vote, Olu FALAE (APP-AD) NA%

Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly consists of Senate (109 seats, three from each state and one from the Federal Capital Territory; members elected by popular vote to serve seven-year terms) and House of Representatives (360 seats, members elected by popular vote to serve seven-year terms)
Elections: Senate_last held 20-24 February 1999 (next to be held NA 2006); House of Representatives_last held 20-24 February 1999 (next to be held NA 2006)
Election results: Senate_percent of vote by party_NA; seats by party_PDP 61, APP 24, AD 20, other 4; House of Representives_percent of vote by party_NA; seats by party_PDP 206, APP 74, AD 68, others 12
Note: the National Assembly was suspended by the military government following the military takeover on 17 November 1993; the new civilian government which was elected on 20 February 1999 is expected to be inaugurated on 29 May 1999

Judicial branch: Supreme Court, judges appointed by the Provisional Ruling Council; Federal Court of Appeal, judges are appointed by the federal government on the advice of the Advisory Judicial Committee

International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, C (suspended), CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MONUA, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMIBH, UNMOP, UNMOT, UNPREDEP, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Wakili Hassan ADAMU
In the us chancery: 1333 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20,036
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 986-8,400
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 775-1385
In the us consulates general: New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador William H. TWADDELL
From the us embassy: 2 Eleke Crescent, Lagos
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 554, Lagos
From the us telephone: [234] (1) 261-0097
From the us FAX: [234] (1) 261-0257

Flag description: three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and green

Economy overview: The oil-rich Nigerian economy continues to be hobbled by political instability, corruption, and poor macroeconomic management. Nigeria's unpopular military rulers have failed to make significant progress in diversifying the economy away from overdependence on the capital intensive oil sector which provides 30% of GDP, 95% of foreign exchange earnings, and about 80% of budgetary revenues. The government's resistance to initiating greater transparency and accountability in managing the country's multibillion dollar oil earnings continues to limit economic growth and prevent an agreement with the IMF and bilateral creditors on a staff-monitored program and debt relief. The largely subsistence agricultural sector has failed to keep up with rapid population growth, and Nigeria, once a large net exporter of food, now must import food. Growth in 1999 may become negative because of continued low oil prices and persistent inefficiencies in the system.

Real gdp growth rate: 1.6% (1998 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity: $960 (1998 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 33%
Industry: 42%
Services: 25% (1997 est.)

Agriculture products: cocoa, peanuts, palm oil, corn, rice, sorghum, millet, cassava (tapioca), yams, rubber; cattle, sheep, goats, pigs; timber; fish

Industries: crude oil, coal, tin, columbite, palm oil, peanuts, cotton, rubber, wood, hides and skins, textiles, cement and other construction materials, food products, footwear, chemicals, fertilizer, printing, ceramics, steel

Industrial production growth rate: 4.1% (1996)

Labor force: 42.844 million
By occupation agriculture: 54%
By occupation industry commerce and services: 19%
By occupation government: 15%

Unemployment rate: 28% (1992 est.)

Population below poverty line: 34.1% (1992-93 est.)

Budget
Revenues: $13.9 billion (1998 est.)
Expenditures: $13.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $N/A billion (1998 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Exports: $9.7 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Commodities: petroleum and petroleum products 95%, cocoa, rubber
Partners: US 35%, Spain 11%, Italy 6%, France 6% (1997 est.)

Imports: $9.8 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Commodities: machinery, chemicals, transportation equipment, manufactured goods, food and animals
Partners: US 14%, UK 11%, Germany 10%, France 8%, Netherlands 5% (1997 est.)

Debt external: $32 billion (1998 est.)

Exchange rates: nairas (N) per US$1_21.886 (December 1998), 21.886 (1998), 21.886 (1997), 21.895 (1995), 21.996 (1994)

Electricity
Production: 13.78 billion kWh (1996)
Production by source fossil fuel: 60.94%
Production by source hydro: 39.06%
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Production by source other: 0% (1996)
Consumption: 13.74 billion kWh (1996)
Exports: 50 million kWh (1996)
Imports: 0 kWh (1996)

Telephones: 405,100 (1995 est.)

Telephone system: average system limited by poor maintenance; major expansion in progress
Domestic: intercity traffic is carried by coaxial cable, microwave radio relay, cellular network, and a domestic communications satellite system with 20 earth stations
International: satellite earth stations_3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean); 1 coaxial submarine cable

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $236 million (1999)
Percent of gdp: 0.7% (1999)

Airports: 72 (1998 est.)
With paved runways total: 36
With paved runways over 3047 m: 6
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 10
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 10
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 8
With paved runways under 914 m: 2 (1998 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 36
With unpaved runways over 3047 m: 1
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 16
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 18 (1998 est.)

Heliports: 1 (1998 est.)

Pipelines: crude oil 2,042 km; petroleum products 3,000 km; natural gas 500 km

Railways
Total: 3,557 km
Narrow gauge: 3,505 km 1.067-m gauge
Standard gauge: 52 km 1.435-m gauge (1995)
Note: years of neglect of both the rolling stock and the right-of-way have seriously reduced the capacity and utility of the system; a project to restore Nigeria's railways is now underway

Waterways: 8,575 km consisting of the Niger and Benue rivers and smaller rivers and creeks

Merchant marine
Total: 38 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 371,499 GRT/631,425 DWT
Ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 13, chemical tanker 3, oil tanker 20, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1 (1998 est.)

Disputes international: delimitation of international boundaries in the vicinity of Lake Chad, the lack of which led to border incidents in the past, is completed and awaits ratification by Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria; dispute with Cameroon over land and maritime boundaries around the Bakasi Peninsula is currently before the International Court of Justice; maritime boundary dispute with Equatorial Guinea because of disputed jurisdiction over oil-rich areas in the Gulf of Guinea

Illicit drugs: facilitates movement of heroin en route from Southeast and Southwest Asia to Western Europe and North America; increasingly a transit route for cocaine from South America intended for European, East Asian, and North American markets