2009 Nigeria

Nigeria
center|Flag
center|Location
Capital: Abuja
Official Language: (If any, please indicate defacto or dejure)
Government: Federal Democracy
Head of State: (leave this blank for players)
Formation: Independence (From U.K.): October 1, 1960 Republic Declared: October 1, 1963
Population: 148,000,000 (2007 U.N. Estimate)
Currency: Naira (NGN)
¨Human Rights Record¨ Poor Wikipedia Article on Nigerian Human Rights
¨Territorial Disputes¨ Ongoing: Maritime Boundary dispute with Equatorial Guinea in the Gulf of Guinea Resolved, awaiting ratification: Boarder Dispute with Cameroon, Chad, Niger over the boundaries of Lake Chad, Before ICJ: dispute with Cameroon over land and maritime boundaries around the Bakasi Peninsula
¨Ongoing Conflicts¨ External: None Internal: Niger Delta conflict, various sectarian violence between ethnic groups, Muslim and Christian Extremists in the north and south repectively, and Federal Officials.
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=Diplomatic Relations=
Nation currently enjoys diplomatic relations with (List)
Nation is a member of (List)
Nation is a signatory to the following treaties (list)
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=Summary=
Nigeria, officially named the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising thirty-six states and one Federal Capital Territory. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in the north. Its coast lies on the Gulf of Guinea, part of the Atlantic Ocean, in the south. The capital city is Abuja.
The people of Nigeria have an extensive history, and archaeological evidence shows that human habitation of the area dates back to at least 9000 BC. The Benue-Cross River area is thought to be the original homeland of the Bantu migrants who spread across most of central and southern Africa in waves between the 1st millennium BC and the 2nd millennium AD.
Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa and the eighth most populous country in the world with a population of over 140 million. It is a regional power and it is also listed among the "Next Eleven" economies. The economy of Nigeria is one of the fastest growing in the world with the International Monetary Fund projecting a growth of 9% in 2008 and 8.3% in 2009.
=Brief History=
The area that is currently Nigeria has been settled by various people's throughout recorded history, and was divided among several local kingdoms, influenced by the Arabs in the North and British and Portuguese in the South, until it was consolidated under the British Royal Niger Company in 1885. By 1900 the companies territory was taken over by the British Government, and in 1901 Nigeria was declared a British protectorate, which was divided into the Northern, Southern, and Lagos colonies, with the Southern colony receiving the greatest investment in education and human resources, creating an upper class that dominates Nigerian politics and society to this day.
Following WWII, Nigerian demands for self-governance grew louder, resulting in several new constitutions that increasing moved toward Federalism and Home Rule, culminating in Nigerian Independence in 1960. 
Initially, the government was democratically elected and dominated by a coalition of conservative religious parties. This government, which was raked by corruption, was overthrown by military coup in 1966, setting of a series of coups and counter-coups in a succession of military governments until the return to democratic government in 1999. However, the three elections since then (1999,2003,2007) have been widely condemned by the international community as closed and unfair. 
=Diplomatic Messages=
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=Resources=
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Category:2009 Round Nation