History Of Nigeria

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Brittany Keaton 12/8/2009 HIS 252 Dr. Huff Nigeria: Traveling Through Time… Past to Present There are fifty-three countries that make-up the continent of Africa. Each country possesses a unique history that distinguishes itself from another. Nigeria is one of those African country with a rich and fascinating history that dates back to 12,000 B.C. with the inhabitance of the Stone Age people (Falola, 17). Nigeria’s official name is the Federal Republic of Nigeria with it’s capital being Abuja, located in the heart of Nigeria. Previously Lagos had been the capital and it is still a major city in of the country. Nigeria is a Federal Republic comprised of roughly 149,229,090 people (CIA - The World Factbook), making it the African country with the largest population. Nigeria’s area is 923,768 sq. km (CIA - The World Factbook) (slightly more than twice the size of California). One of the defining characteristics of Nigeria is the natural division of the country that takes place because of the Niger River and Benue River. This division creates the three regions of Nigeria: North, East, and West. The impact of that division will be seen throughout the history of the country. The climate of Nigeria varies depending on which region is being discussed. The climate is equatorial in the south, tropical in the center and arid in the north. Nigeria, along with most African countries, is a country full of valuable natural resources. Some of those resources include natural gas, petroleum, tin, iron ore, coal limestone, lead, zinc, and arable land (CIA - The World Factbook). The official languages of Nigeria is English, however, there are other languages that can be readily heard throughout the country, including Hausa, Yoruba, Ibo, Fulani, and more than 200 other languages. Religiously, Nigeria is 50% Island, 40% Christian and 10% indigenous beliefs (World
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