British influence and control over what would become Nigeria grew through the 19th century. A series of constitutions after World War II granted Nigeria greater autonomy; independence came in 1960.

Following nearly 16 years of military rule, a new constitution was adopted in 1999, and a peaceful transition to civilian government was completed.

The government faces the daunting task of reforming a petroleum-based economy, whose revenues have been squandered through corruption and mismanagement, and institutionalizing democracy.

In addition, the defusing longstanding ethnic and religious tensions are a priority if Nigeria is to build a sound foundation for economic growth and political stability.

Although the April 2003 elections were marred by some irregularities, Nigeria is currently experiencing its longest period of civilian rule since independence.

General elections in April 2007 were considered significantly flawed by Nigerian and international observers but they marked the first civilian-to-civilian transfer of power in the country's history.

President Umaru Musa Yar'adua took office on May 29, 2007.

Source: CIA World Fact Book

Population: 135,031,164 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2007 est.)

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Age structure: 0-14 years: 42.2% (male 28,726,380/female 28,301,729) 15-64 years: 54.7% (male 37,543,678/female 36,277,038) 65 years and over: 3.1% (male 1,987,521/female 2,194,818) (2007 est.)

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Median age: total: 18.7 years male: 18.8 years female: 18.6 years (2007 est.)

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Population growth rate: 2.379% (2007 est.)

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Birth rate: 40.2 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Death rate: 16.68 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Net migration rate: 0.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.015 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.035 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.906 male(s)/female total population: 1.022 male(s)/female (2007 est.)

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Infant mortality rate: total: 95.52 deaths/1,000 live births male: 102.44 deaths/1,000 live births female: 88.38 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)

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Life expectancy at birth: total population: 47.44 years male: 46.83 years female: 48.07 years (2007 est.)

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Total fertility rate: 5.45 children born/woman (2007 est.)

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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 5.4% (2003 est.)

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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 3.6 million (2003 est.)

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HIV/AIDS - deaths: 310,000 (2003 est.)

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Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne disease: malaria respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis aerosolized dust or soil contact disease: one of the most highly endemic areas for Lassa fever note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified among birds in this country or surrounding region; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2007)

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Nationality: noun: Nigerian(s) adjective: Nigerian

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Ethnic groups: Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, is composed of more than 250 ethnic groups; the following are the most populous and politically influential: Hausa and Fulani 29%, Yoruba 21%, Igbo (Ibo) 18%, Ijaw 10%, Kanuri 4%, Ibibio 3.5%, Tiv 2.5%

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

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

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Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 68% male: 75.7% female: 60.6% (2003 est.)

Oil-rich Nigeria, long hobbled by political instability, corruption, inadequate infrastructure, and poor macroeconomic management, is undertaking some reforms under a new reform-minded administration. Nigeria's former military rulers failed to diversify the economy away from its overdependence on the capital-intensive oil sector, which provides 20% of GDP, 95% of foreign exchange earnings, and about 65% of budgetary revenues. The largely subsistence agricultural sector has failed to keep up with rapid population growth - Nigeria is Africa's most populous country - and the country, once a large net exporter of food, now must import food. Following the signing of an IMF stand-by agreement in August 2000, Nigeria received a debt-restructuring deal from the Paris Club and a $1 billion credit from the IMF, both contingent on economic reforms. Nigeria pulled out of its IMF program in April 2002, after failing to meet spending and exchange rate targets, making it ineligible for additional debt forgiveness from the Paris Club. In the last year the government has begun showing the political will to implement the market-oriented reforms urged by the IMF, such as to modernize the banking system, to curb inflation by blocking excessive wage demands, and to resolve regional disputes over the distribution of earnings from the oil industry. In 2003, the government began deregulating fuel prices, announced the privatization of the country's four oil refineries, and instituted the National Economic Empowerment Development Strategy, a domestically designed and run program modeled on the IMF's Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility for fiscal and monetary management. In November 2005, Abuja won Paris Club approval for a debt - relief deal that eliminated $18 billion of debt in exchange for $12 billion in payments - a total package worth $30 billion of Nigeria's total $37 billion external debt. The deal requires Nigeria to be subject to stringent IMF reviews. GDP rose strongly in 2006, based largely on increased oil exports and high global crude prices.

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GDP (purchasing power parity): $191.4 billion (2006 est.)

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GDP (official exchange rate): $83.36 billion (2006 est.)

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GDP - real growth rate: 5.3% (2006 est.)

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GDP - per capita (PPP): $1,500 (2006 est.)

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GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 17.3% industry: 53.2% services: 29.5% (2006 est.)

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Labor force: 48.99 million (2006 est.)

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Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 70% industry: 10% services: 20% (1999 est.)

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Unemployment rate: 5.8% (2006 est.)

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Population below poverty line: 60% (2000 est.)

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Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.6% highest 10%: 40.8% (1996-97)

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Distribution of family income - Gini index: 50.6 (1996-97)

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Inflation rate (consumer prices): 10.5% (2006 est.)

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Investment (gross fixed): 26.4% of GDP (2006 est.)

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Budget: revenues: $17.86 billion expenditures: $19.05 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.)

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Public debt: 10.4% of GDP (2006 est.)

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

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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, small commercial ship construction and repair

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Industrial production growth rate: -1.6% (2006 est.)

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Electricity - production: 19.06 billion kWh (2004)

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Electricity - consumption: 17.71 billion kWh (2004)

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Electricity - exports: 20 million kWh (2004)

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Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2004)

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Oil - production: 2.451 million bbl/day (2005 est.)

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Oil - consumption: 290,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

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Oil - exports: NA bbl/day

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Oil - imports: NA bbl/day

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Oil - proved reserves: 36.25 billion bbl (2006 est.)

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Natural gas - production: 21.8 billion cu m (2004 est.)

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Natural gas - consumption: 9.21 billion cu m (2004 est.)

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Natural gas - exports: 12.59 billion cu m (2004 est.)

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Natural gas - imports: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

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Natural gas - proved reserves: 4.984 trillion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)

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Current account balance: $12.59 billion (2006 est.)

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Exports: $59.01 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

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Exports - commodities: petroleum and petroleum products 95%, cocoa, rubber

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Exports - partners: US 49.8%, Spain 8.1%, Brazil 6.3%, France 4.3% (2006)

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Imports: $25.1 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

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Imports - commodities: machinery, chemicals, transport equipment, manufactured goods, food and live animals

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Imports - partners: China 10.6%, US 8.3%, Netherlands 6%, UK 5.7%, France 5.5%, Germany 4.5%, Brazil 4.4% (2006)

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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $42.97 billion (2006 est.)

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Debt - external: $6.278 billion (2006 est.)

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Economic aid - recipient: $250 million (1998)

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Currency (code): naira (NGN)

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Exchange rates: nairas per US dollar - 127.38 (2006), 132.59 (2005), 132.89 (2004), 129.22 (2003), 120.58 (2002)

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Fiscal year: calendar year