Nigeria is located in West Africa, bordering Cameroon to the East, Chad and Niger to the North, Benin to the West and the Atlantic Ocean to the South. The climate varies from tropical in coastal and central areas to arid in the North.

The population is estimated at 146 million, making Nigeria the most populous African nation.

Geology

Nigeria is situated on the Neoproterozoic Pan-African mobile belt to the west of the West African Craton. The country is also underlain by large sedimentary basins which host both on- and off-shore oil fields.

The Pan African belt is comprised of three broad lithological groups, poly-metamorphic migmatite-gneiss, supracrustal shist belts and syntectonic to late tectonic granitic rocks. Two major fault systems, with a dextral displacement, are observed in the Precambrian basement; both have a NE-SW trend and show displacement in the order of tens of kilometers.

Gold mineralization is typically hosted within supracrustal schist belts situated in the north-west and south-west of Nigeria and associated with the two main regional structures. Alluvial and eluvial placer deposits are common.

The country is also host to significant petroleum reserves located in on- and off-shore sedimentary basins. The main oil producing region is the Niger Delta which produces approximately 2 million barrels a day.

History

In the 1901 large areas of West Africa, including what is now Nigeria, became British protectorate, however the regions which form present day Nigeria were not formally united until 1914. Nigeria gained independence from British rule on the 1st of October 1960.

In the post colonial era Nigeria struggled through numerous military coups. However, since 1999 the country has entered its longest period of civilian rule with general elections being held in 2003 and 2007.

Economy

Nigeria is the second most prosperous country in sub-Saharan African after South Africa, thanks largely to it wealth of natural resources. It is the world's eighth largest exporter of oil and has well developed financial, legal, communications and transport sectors. The restoration of democracy and subsequent economic reforms have successfully put Nigeria back on more secure economic footing, and as of April 2006, Nigeria became the first African country to fully pay off its debt (estimated $30 billion).