Get to know Nigeria! Get the facts about its land, products and culture.

Official name: Federal Republic of Nigeria

Size: 38,356,669 square miles (slightly larger than twice the size of California)

Population: 137,253,133 as of 2004

A farmer tends to a field of corn in central Nigeria.

Population Under Age 14: 43.4%

Capital: Abuja

Official Language: English. Many Nigerians also speak pidgin, a mixture of English and native languages.

Currency: Naira

Religion: 50% Muslim, 40% Christian: mostly Roman Catholic, 10% animist

Literacy: 68% age 15 and over can read and write

Climate: Mostly tropical. It's hotter and drier in the north.

Agricultural Products: Beans, cashews, cocoa, melon, palm oil, peanuts, rice

Major Industries: Textiles, wood products, soap and oil. Nigeria is the world's 10th-largest oil producer.

Did you know?:

• There are more than 100 newspapers and magazines published in Nigeria. The government owns many of these publications.
• Drums are the most important instrument in Nigerian music. Most are handmade from wood or large fruits called gourds.
• Nigeria is home to a variety of animals, including elephants, lions and leopards.

Source: CIA World Factbook (July, 2004)