Nigeria
Fact File
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)
