TOEFL Test Centers in Nigeria

EDU February 16, 2019

Nigeria Overview

Nigeria is a state in West Africa. The capital is called Abuja and is inland. The largest city in Nigeria, however, is the fourteen million metropolis Lagos on the coast. Nigeria is predominantly occupied by plateaus and hill countries, which culminate in the Josplateau in the northern region. On the border with Cameroon, mountains rise up to 2,419 m. The hot and humid coastal lowlands are partly swampy. Precipitation decreases rapidly towards the north. The wet savannahs in the south merge with the dry savannahs into the thorn savannahs of the Sahel zone.

Nigeria is by far the most populous country in Africa. Of the approximately 400 different peoples, the Yoruba, Ibo, Fulbe and Haussa are the largest. Ethnic and religious conflicts are a burden on the multi-ethnic state, which is divided into an Islamic north and a Christian south.

In pre-colonial times, there were several powerful kingdoms in the region. Great Britain conquered the country in the late 19th century. In 1960 Nigeria gained independence from British colonial power. The President of Nigeria is head of state and head of government at the same time and has great powers.

In the 1960s, rich oil reserves were developed. As a result, Nigeria experienced rapid economic growth, from which the political upper class in particular benefited, while the majority of the population continued to live in poverty. The conflicts between the individual, very different peoples, the widespread poverty and the Islamist terrorist organization Boko Haram present the country with major domestic political challenges. In terms of foreign policy, Nigeria is an important player in West Africa and a member of many international organizations.

Country facts

• Official name: Federal Republic of Nigeria
• License plate: NGR
• ISO-3166: NG, NGA (566)
• Internet domain:.ng
• Currency: 1 Naira (N) = 100 Kobo
• Area: 923 770 km²
• Population (2018): 195.9 million
• Capital: Abuja
• Official language (s): English
• Form of government: Presidential Federal Republic in the Commonwealth
• Administrative division: 36 states and capital territory
• Head of State: President Muhammadu Buhari (since May 29, 2015)
• Religion (s) (2013): 52% Muslims, 47% Christians, 9% followers of traditional African religions
• Time zone: Central European Time
• National holiday: October 1st

Location and infrastructure

• Location (geographical): West Africa
• Position (coordinates): between 4 ° and 14 ° north latitude and 2 ° 40 ‘and 14 ° 40’ east longitude
• Climate: Tropical rainforest climate in the south, savanna climate in the north
• Highest mountain: Chappal Waddi (2419 m)
• Road network (2009): 28,980 km (paved), 164 220 km (unpaved)
• Railway network (2014): 3798 km

Population

• Annual population growth (2018): 2.54%
• Birth rate (2018): 35.2 per 1,000 residents.
• Death rate (2018): 9.6 per 1000 residents.
• Average age (2018): 18.3 years
• Average life expectancy (2018): 59.3 years (women 61.1; men 57.5)
• Age structure (2018): 42.4% younger than 15 years, 3.3% older than 65 years
• Literacy rate (15-year-olds and older) (2015): 60%
• Mobile phone contracts (pre-paid and post-paid) (2017): 75.9 per 100 inh.
• Internet users (2016): 25.7 per 100 residents.

Economy

• GDP per capita (2017): US $ 1,995
• Total GDP (2017): $ 376.4 billion
• GNI per capita (2018): US $ 1,960
• Military expenditure (2016): 0.4% of GDP
• Unemployment rate (15 years and older) (2017): 7.0%

Climate

Nigeria has a tropical climate with a rainy season that lasts from March to November on the coast (with maximum rainfall in June and September), in the central part from April to October and in the north from May to October. The amounts of precipitation decrease sharply from south to north (630–690 mm annually), with the eastern coast receiving particularly high precipitation (around 3,000 mm annually; in the west around 1,800 mm). Due to the proximity to the equator, the temperatures show only slight fluctuations over the course of the year; they are on the coast between 26 ° C (August, coldest month) and 29 ° C (March, warmest month), in the north between 24 ° C (January) and 33 ° C (April); the lowest temperatures occur in the highlands of Bauchi (between 21 and 26 ° C). The relative humidity is high (in the coastal area 90–99% in the morning, 60–80% at noon).