1 Table of Contents MAP OF NIGERIA............................................................................................................................ 5 CHAPTER 1 PROFILE................................................................................................................ 6 INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................................... 6 FACTS AND FIGURES ...................................................................................................................... 6 CHAPTER 2 GEOGRAPHY ..................................................................................................... 12 INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................................. 12 AREA ............................................................................................................................................. 12 TOPOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................................... 12 GEOGRAPHIC DIVISIONS ............................................................................................................. 13 THE COAST .................................................................................................................................... 13 THE FOREST BELT ......................................................................................................................... 13 THE SAVANNAH............................................................................................................................. 13 THE SAHEL .................................................................................................................................... 13 CLIMATE....................................................................................................................................... 14 BODIES OF WATER....................................................................................................................... 14 NIGER RIVER ................................................................................................................................. 14 BENUE RIVER ................................................................................................................................15 NIGER DELTA ................................................................................................................................15 MAJOR CITIES.............................................................................................................................. 16 ABUJA............................................................................................................................................ 16 LAGOS............................................................................................................................................ 16 IBADAN .......................................................................................................................................... 16 KANO ............................................................................................................................................. 17 PORT HARCOURT........................................................................................................................... 17 WILDLIFE...................................................................................................................................... 17 ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS ..................................................................................................... 18 CHAPTER 3 HISTORY ............................................................................................................. 20 INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................................. 20 PREHISTORY AND EARLY CIVILIZATIONS.................................................................................. 20 THE DEVELOPMENT OF CITY-STATES AND KINGDOMS............................................................ 20 THE HAUSA-FULANI...................................................................................................................... 21 THE YORUBA AND BENIN.............................................................................................................. 22 THE IGBO ....................................................................................................................................... 22 EUROPEAN POWERS AND THE TRANSATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE............................................... 22 COLONIZATION ............................................................................................................................ 24 UNIFICATION ................................................................................................................................25 INDEPENDENCE............................................................................................................................. 26 CIVIL WAR ................................................................................................................................... 27 LATE 20TH CENTURY................................................................................................................... 28 A DEMOCRATIC NIGERIA ............................................................................................................ 29 2 RECENT EVENTS .......................................................................................................................... 30 TIME LINE OF NIGERIAN HISTORY............................................................................................. 32 CHAPTER 4 ECONOMY .......................................................................................................... 34 INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................................. 34 STANDARD OF LIVING.................................................................................................................. 34 AGRICULTURE.............................................................................................................................. 35 FOREIGN INVESTMENT ................................................................................................................ 36 TRADE AND ECONOMIC INTEGRATION....................................................................................... 36 BANKING....................................................................................................................................... 38 BUSINESS CULTURE ..................................................................................................................... 39 TOURISM....................................................................................................................................... 40 CHAPTER 5 SOCIETY ............................................................................................................. 41 INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................................. 41 ETHNIC GROUPS........................................................................................................................... 41 YORUBA......................................................................................................................................... 41 HAUSA ........................................................................................................................................... 42 IGBO............................................................................................................................................... 42 IJAW............................................................................................................................................... 42 LANGUAGES.................................................................................................................................. 43 RELIGION...................................................................................................................................... 43 GENDER ISSUES ............................................................................................................................ 45 TRADITIONAL CELEBRATIONS.................................................................................................... 46 EGUNGUN ...................................................................................................................................... 46 NEW YAM FESTIVAL ..................................................................................................................... 46 CUISINE......................................................................................................................................... 47 FULANI........................................................................................................................................... 47 HAUSA ........................................................................................................................................... 47 DRESS CODES ............................................................................................................................... 48 TRADITIONAL DRESS....................................................................................................................