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NIGERIA, Federal Republic of Nigeria. State in West Africa. The capital is the city of Abuja (about 500 thousand people - 2003). Territory- 923.77 thousand sq. km. Administrative-territorial division- 36 states and the federal capital district. Population– 128.77 million people (2005, estimate). Official language- English. Religion- Islam, Christianity and traditional African beliefs. Currency unit- naira. National holiday- Independence Day (1960), October 1. Nigeria is a member of ca. 60 international organizations, incl. UN since 1960, Organization of African Unity (OAU) since 1963, and since 2002 its successor African Union (AU), Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) since 1975, Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) since 1971 , the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and the Commonwealth (an association of countries that were part of the British Empire).

Geographic location and boundaries. Continental State. It borders in the west with Benin, in the north - with Niger, in the northeast - with Chad, in the east and southeast - with Cameroon, in the south it is washed by the waters of the Gulf of Guinea of ​​the Atlantic Ocean. The length of the coastline is 853 km.

Nature.

Terrain and water resources.

Nigeria is located on a low plateau approx. 600 m above sea level The territory of the country is divided into large blocks by the valleys of the Niger and Benue rivers and separated from the ocean by a narrow belt of coastal marshes. The width of this belt usually does not exceed 16 km, with the exception of the Niger Delta, where it reaches 97 km. A complex network of lagoons and channels located behind the barrier of sandy beaches form a system of protected shallow waterways through which small craft can pass from the border with Benin in the west to the border with Cameroon in the east without access to the ocean. Further inland, the Nsukka-Okigwi ledge is clearly distinguished, rising above the valley of the Cross River, the Jos and Biu plateaus, as well as the Adamawa mountains. The mostly flat surface of the plateau, composed of crystalline rocks in the north and west of the country and sandstones in the east, is in many places dotted with island mountains (inselbergs), i.e. rocky remnant hills with steep slopes. In the northeast, the surface gradually decreases towards Lake Chad, the level of which is 245 m above sea level.

The main rivers of Nigeria are the Niger, from which the name of the country came, and its largest tributary, the Benue. The main tributaries of Niger and Benue - Sokoto, Kaduna and Gongola, as well as rivers flowing into Lake Chad, begin on the Jos Plateau, which is the hydrographic center of Nigeria. Navigation on these and other rivers such as the Imo and the Cross is limited due to rapids and waterfalls, as well as strong seasonal fluctuations in water levels. In Niger, the movement of ships is supported all year round to the city of Onitha (where a bridge was built over the river), and from June to March - to Lokoja. During the wet season, ships run to Jebba. Steamboats go along Benue to Yola, but navigation is carried out only for four months - from July to October.

Climate.

The climate is influenced by two air masses - equatorial sea air, associated with moisture-carrying winds, and tropical continental air, associated with the dry and dusty Harmattan wind that blows from the Sahara Desert. There are two seasons - wet (March - September), which in the south of the country is separated by a short dry interval in August, and dry (October - February). There is more rainfall in the south than in the north. The average annual precipitation on the coast is 1800-3800 mm, and on the northern edge of the country - less than 25 mm. Sweltering heat and severe thunderstorms herald the beginning and end of the wet season, but between May and August, when most of the precipitation falls, severe short-term thunderstorms give way to more prolonged rains. Average temperatures are high and about the same in the north and south of the country. In the south, humidity is also high with constant heat, although temperatures rarely exceed 32 ° C, while in the north seasonal differences are noticeable, and daily temperature fluctuations are significant during the dry season. In the northeast, temperatures in the shade can reach 38°C. There are also frosts.

Soils and minerals.

Almost all soils in Nigeria are acidic. In a number of areas in the east of the country, intensive leaching of soils formed on sandstones led to the formation of the so-called. "acid sands", which are easy to process, but are quickly depleted. The soils of the far north were formed from desert sands and are easily destroyed. They differ sharply from the fertile soils that have developed on heavy loams in the floodplains of many rivers, in the cocoa belt and in the Niger Delta. In some densely populated areas, intensive farming and grazing have caused soil erosion.

Vast areas of Nigeria are composed of sedimentary rocks enriched in iron. There are many deposits of iron ore, but they are not being developed. The largest deposits are located at Mount Patti near Lokoji and in Sokoto. In the 1980s–1990s, the country produced oil and natural gas in the Niger Delta and offshore, tin and columbite (niobium ore) in the Jos Plateau near Enugu, and limestone (for cement production) in Nkalagu, Abeokuta, Sokoto, Oukpilla and Calabar.

Other minerals - asbestos, bauxite, tungsten, graphite, precious stones (sapphires, topazes), gold, coal, kaolin (clay), columbite, manganese, tin, natural gas, lead, mica, uranium, phosphates, zinc, etc. .

Flora and fauna.

Mangrove and freshwater wetland forests predominate along the coast, but then give way to a strip of dense rainforest, in which the main tree species are kaya (redwood), high chlorophora and hard resin triplochiton. The oil palm is found growing wild in the tropical rainforest, and in densely populated areas the shrubbery of this palm has replaced the forest. In the more northern regions, the forest thins out and is replaced by tall grasses. This is the Guinean savanna, in which trees such as baobab, false locust and tamarind grow. More open savannahs occur north of the line marking the northern limit of root crop cultivation, while desert landscapes predominate in the far northeast. Acacia (source of gum arabic) and mimosa are common there.

The area of ​​state forest reserves is 21 thousand square meters. km (out of a total tropical forest area of ​​133.7 thousand sq. km).

In the autumn of 2005, the government issued a decree on the conservation of endangered plant species (there are approximately 400 of them).

The accommodation of the animals depends on the vegetation. Crocodiles, monkeys and snakes live in the southern swamps and forests, while antelopes (several species), camels, hyenas, and sometimes giraffes and lions are found in the north. Other animals found in tropical forests and wet savannahs are elephants, gazelles, gorillas, and leopards. The rivers are home to numerous species of fish, crocodiles and hippos. The diversity of birds is striking, especially along the edges of forests. African bustards, vultures, kites, hawks, snipes, quails, pigeons, ostriches and parakeets live here.

Population.

Nigeria is the largest country in terms of population African continent. It belongs to the top 10 most populated countries in the world. High population density is typical for the southeastern states. The average population density is 130.9 people. per 1 sq. km (2002). Its average annual growth is 2.37%. Birth rate - 40.65 per 1000 people, mortality - 17.18 per 1000 people. Infant mortality - 98.8 per 1000 newborns. 42.3% of the population are children under 14 years of age. Residents who have reached the age of 65 - 3.1%. The median age of the population is 18.63 years. Fertility rate (average number of children born per woman) - 5.5. Life expectancy - 46.74 years (men - 46.21, women - 47.29). The purchasing power of the population is 1 thousand US dollars. (All figures are in estimates for 2005).

Nigeria is a multi-ethnic state. There are more than 250 nationalities and ethnic groups. The largest of them are Hausa-Fulani (29%), Yoruba (21%), Igbo (Ibo - 18%), Ijo (10%), Ibibio (3.5%), Tiv (2.5%), Bini and others. Hausa-Fulani, Yoruba and Igbo make up approx. 70% of the population. The Hausa are the heirs of the ancient northern Nigerian civilizations (the early feudal states of Zaria, Kano, Katsina, etc.). Their language is the most widely spoken in West Africa. The Yoruba were among the first in Nigeria to develop ties with the West, which greatly influenced their culture and value system. The Yoruba make up the majority in the country's middle class as well as among educated Nigerians. Intensive processes of ethnic consolidation and integration continue. There are approx. 400 local languages ​​and dialects, the most common languages ​​are Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo. In the context of the ethnic diversity of the country's population, English continues to be the official language.

In con. In the 1990s, ethnic and confessional contradictions intensified in the country. In 1999, there were clashes between representatives of the Itsekiri, Urhobo and Ijau ethnic groups, as a result of which approx. 200 people.

The most urbanized are the southwestern states of the country. Urban population is approx. 38% (2004). Large cities - Lagos (13 million people - 2002), Abeokuta, Zaria, Ibadan, Ivo, Ilesha, Ilorin, Kano, Ogbomosho, Onich, Oshogbo, etc.

There are migrant workers from Niger in Nigeria. Nigerian refugees and labor migrants work in Gabon, Cameroon (about 4 million people) and Côte d'Ivoire. about 750 thousand Nigerians Since the early 2000s, Nigeria (along with the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Senegal) has been one of the first places in Africa in terms of the number of emigrants and refugees to Europe.

Religions.

OK. 50% of the country's population are Muslims, 40% are Christians (the majority are Protestants), approx. 10% of Nigerians adhere to traditional African beliefs (animalism, fetishism, the cult of ancestors, the forces of nature, etc.) - 2002.

The penetration of Islam began in the 12th century. AD during the existence of the centralized state of Kanem-Bornu (the territory of modern Northern Nigeria). Islam of both Sunni and Shiite directions is widespread. Islam is practiced by the vast majority of modern Yoruba and Hausa-Fulani. Christianity began to spread in the beginning. 19th century Christians live predominantly in the southern states. Most of the Ibibios, Igbos, Ijos and Tivs are Christian adherents. The positions of the Catholic Church are strongest among the population of the eastern part of the country. The confessional situation in the country is characterized by competition between Islam and Christianity. The activities of both Muslim and Christian organizations sometimes go beyond purely religious interests and take on political overtones. Thus, in October 2005 in Kano, the Islamic Movement of Nigeria organized a manifestation of Shiite Muslims in support of the call of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to "wipe Israel off the face of the earth." There are a number of Christian-African churches that arose on the basis of schismatic movements, which opposed, in particular, the domination of foreign missionaries in the church hierarchy.

In the system of traditional African Yoruba beliefs, several cults stand out, incl. associated with the god of thunder Shango and Ogun, the god of iron and war. Ogun belongs to the most powerful and revered deities of the Yoruba pantheon. The cult of the militant Ogun in modern Nigeria has transformed into the cult of the patron god of soldiers, blacksmiths, hunters, as well as the guardian of marriage and healthy offspring. In Ile-Ife (Ondo state) in honor of Ogun, festivities are held annually, in which not only adherents of traditional beliefs, but also Muslims and Christians from other states of Nigeria, as well as foreign guests take part.

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

State device.

Federal presidential republic. The constitution adopted on May 29, 1999 is in force. The head of state and commander-in-chief of the armed forces is the president, who is elected by direct universal suffrage (by secret ballot) for a 4-year term. The winner is the presidential candidate who receives at least 1/4 of the popular vote in elections in at least 2/3 of the states and the capital district of Abuja. The President may be elected to this post no more than twice. The vice-president is appointed by the president from among the members of the political party from which he himself ran. Legislative power is exercised by a bicameral parliament (National Assembly), which consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate. The 360 ​​members of the House of Representatives are elected by general direct and secret suffrage. The Senate, consisting of 109 senators (3 senators from each of the 36 states and 1 senator from the capital district), is elected by popular vote. The House of Representatives is presided over by its Chairman, and the Senate by its Speaker. The term of office of both chambers of the National Assembly is 4 years.

The President is Olusegun Obasanjo. Elected April 19, 2003. Previously served as president in 1976, and was also elected head of state in 1999.

Vice President - Abubakar Atiku (Atiku Abubakar).

State flag.

A rectangular panel consisting of three vertical stripes of the same size - two green and one (between them) white stripes.

administrative device.

Since 1996, the country has been divided into 36 states and the federal capital district of Abuja (established in 1979, in December 1991 the capital of the state was transferred to Abuja from Lagos). States - Abia, Adamawa, Aqua Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Delta, Jigawa, Gombe, Zamfara, Imo, Yobe, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kwara, Kebbi, Kogi, Cross River, Lagos, Nasarawa , Niger, Ogun, Oyo, Ondo, Osun, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Ebony, Edo, Ekiti and Enugu. The states are headed by governors, who are elected for a 4-year term, provided that they receive at least 25% of the votes in elections in at least 2/3 of local government districts. By law, the governor of the states has immunity from the national judiciary.

Judicial system.

There is a Supreme Court, a Federal Court of Appeals, a Federal Court of First Instance, and state courts of first instance. In some states (mainly in the north of the country) there are sharia or ordinary courts of appeal, respectively, hearing cases related to Islamic law or customary law (chiefs' courts).

Armed Forces and Defense.

The Nigerian National Armed Forces are among the largest in Africa and the largest in Sub-Saharan Africa. In 2002 they numbered 78.5 thousand people. (ground forces - 62 thousand people, air force - 9.5 thousand people, naval forces - 7 thousand people). Service in the army is carried out on a voluntary basis, men are called up from the age of 18. Nigerian military units form the backbone of ECOMOG, a peacekeeping contingent to resolve conflicts in West Africa, created within the framework of ECOWAS. Nigeria has become one of the African countries, which, according to the decision of the US Department of Defense, adopted in July 2005, will be assisted in the training of military personnel. Defense spending in 2004 was $544.6 million (0.8% of GDP).

Foreign policy.

Aimed at strengthening the authority of the country in the international community after its isolation due to the long period of the existence of a military dictatorship. At the core foreign policy established a policy of non-alignment. The main direction of the foreign policy of O. Obasanjo's government is the strengthening of friendly partnership relations with African states. President Obasanjo was one of the four sponsors of the NEPAD (New Partnership for Africa's Development) program. Nigeria is an active member of the Commission of the States of the Niger River. Good-neighbourly relations are developing with neighboring countries especially with Benin and Niger. (In the summer of 2005, Nigeria sent 1,000 tons of grain to Niger, where famine began due to a long drought and locust invasion). Cooperation is developing with the Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, with which it has a joint oil production zone. However, in 1994-1997 there were military clashes with Cameroon over disputes over ownership of the oil-rich Bakassi Peninsula.

Established cooperation with China. With his technical assistance, a thermal power plant was built in Egbin. In the beginning. In the 2000s, agreements on cooperation in the field of oil production were signed between the countries. In January 2006 "China National Offshore Oil Corporation" and Nigerian Oil Company " South Atlantic» signed an agreement on the joint exploitation of Nigeria's offshore oil resources in the Niger Delta region.

Nigeria (along with South Africa) is Britain's main foreign policy partner on the African continent. Relations between the countries deteriorated after General S. Abacha came to power (1993), who annulled the results of the presidential elections. The active actions of official London led to the suspension in 1995 of Nigeria's membership in the Commonwealth, as well as the introduction of EU trade sanctions against it. Relations with the UK and the EU were normalized in 1999 after the return of Nigeria to civilian rule (Prince Charles and Deputy Foreign Secretary T. Lloyd were present at the inauguration ceremony of President Obasanjo). In the same year, the country's membership in the Commonwealth was restored. In 2000, the United Kingdom allocated £12 million to support democratic reforms in Nigeria. In February 2002 T. Blair visited Nigeria.

Nigeria is an active member of the UN. Supporting the process of reforming this organization, the country is in favor of granting Africa two permanent member seats in the renewed UN Security Council (while claiming one of them, competing with Egypt, South Africa, Angola, Kenya, Libya and Senegal).

Diplomatic relations between the USSR and Nigeria were established on November 25, 1960. Soviet Union provided Nigeria with military and material assistance during the civil war of 1967-1970. The result of bilateral cooperation in the field of trade and economic relations was the construction of two systems of oil pipelines with a total length of more than 900 km, the construction of a metallurgical plant in the city of Ajaokuta. In 1971–1980, Soviet doctors worked in the country.

In December 1991, Nigeria recognized the Russian Federation as the legal successor of the USSR. Established a system of regular exchanges of messages on highest level. In March 2001 President Obasanjo paid an official visit to Moscow. In 1999, a bilateral agreement on cooperation in the fight against illicit trafficking in psychotropic substances and narcotic drugs was signed. In May 1998, the Nigerian-Russian Chamber of Commerce was established, which included approx. 160 companies and businessmen. There are 4 companies with Russian participation in the country (2004). In February 2001, a Russian-Nigerian commission was established to study ways to develop joint military-technical cooperation. On September 19–23, 2005, an exhibition of Nigerian goods was held in Moscow as part of the development of bilateral trade cooperation.

Bilateral cooperation has developed and continues to develop especially actively in the field of training national personnel for Nigeria, as well as in the field of science and culture. Since 1975, a bilateral Russian-Nigerian agreement on the equivalence of diplomas and scientific degrees has been in force. During the years of cooperation in the USSR / RF higher education received 10,000 Nigerians. In 2001-2003, the Program of Bilateral Cultural and Scientific Cooperation was successfully implemented. There is an ITAR-TASS representative office in Lagos. Line exchanges are made Russian Academy sciences; In November 2005, a delegation of scientists from the Institute for African Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences visited Nigeria.

In the spring of 2004, an incident arose related to the case of 12 Russian sailors from the crew of the African Pride tanker, sailing under the Panamanian flag, but owned by the Greek company Azora Service. The tanker was detained 31 miles off the Nigerian coast on suspicion of smuggling oil. After lengthy litigation and approvals at the highest level, Russian sailors in con. 2005 were released and returned to their homeland.

political organizations.

A multi-party system has developed in the country (about 30 political parties are registered - 2003). The most influential of them:

– « People's Democratic Party», NDP(People's Democratic Party, PDP), chairman - Ogbe Audu (Audu Ogbeh), national secretary - Okwesilieze Nwodo. The ruling party of President Obasanjo, created August 26, 1998;

– « All Nigerian People's the consignment», GNP(All Nigeria People's Party, ANPP), leader - Garba Ali Yusuf (Yusuf Garbah Ali). Party founded on October 19, 1998;

– « Union for Democracy», SD(Alliance for Democracy, AD), chaired by Ahmed Abdulkadir. Creation Party. October 19, 1998.

trade union associations. Nigerian Labor Congress, NLC. It is the single central trade union organization of the country. Founded in 1978, it unites 29 branch trade unions. Chairman: Oshiomhole Adams.

ECONOMY

Nigeria belongs to the group of the poorest countries in the world. The basis of the economy is the oil industry (85% of foreign exchange earnings - 2005). Considerable scales of "shadow" business are noted. OK. 60% of the population is below the poverty line. GDP per capita in 2005 was $390 (according to the World Bank (WB)).

Labor resources.

In 2005, the economically active population of the country amounted to 57.21 million people (in 2001 - about 46.45 million people).

Agriculture.

The share of the agricultural sector in GDP is 26.8% (2005). 31.29% of the land is cultivated (2001). From mid. Since the 1980s, there has been a decline in agricultural production, the agricultural sector does not provide the country's population with food in full. Droughts, migration to the city and a reorientation of part of the population to imported food products as a result of increased oil revenues contributed to the stagnation of the sector. The main export crops are cocoa beans, peanuts, soybeans, rubber plants, oil palm, sugarcane and cotton. Nigeria is one of the main producers of peanuts, cocoa beans and soybeans on the African continent. The constant demand for Nigerian cocoa (the country ranks 4th in the world in its production) is due to its high palatability. Most farms are focused on growing cocoa beans; the fall in world prices for cocoa usually leads to a sharp decrease in income and impoverishment of the population in rural areas. Pineapples, bananas, legumes, potatoes, cassava, corn, mangoes, papaya, millet, rice, sorghum, tobacco, tomatoes, citrus fruits and yams are also grown. Animal husbandry (breeding of camels, goats, cattle, horses, sheep, donkeys and pigs), due to the spread of tsetse in most of the country, develops mainly in the northern states. Poultry farming is also developing. In forestry, wood is harvested (including valuable tropical varieties) and sawn timber is produced. Fishing is carried out in the waters of the Gulf of Guinea, rivers and the island of Chad. The average annual catch of fish and seafood is approx. 250 thousand tons

Industry.

Its share in GDP is 48.8% (2005). The mining sector is developed. The basis is the oil industry. Nigeria ranks 8th in oil production in the world (2.5 million barrels per day) and 1st in Africa. In March 2005, Nigeria's oil reserves amounted to 35 million barrels. In January 2006, Special Adviser to the President of Nigeria for the Oil Industry, Edmond Daukuru, became Chairman of OPEC. Oil exploration and production is carried out by Nigerian and foreign oil companies. According to experts, Nigerian oil is different high quality which determines the demand for it in the world market. As one of the leading oil-producing countries in the world, Nigeria is nevertheless experiencing a shortage of fuel. In the middle In 2005, the level of daily consumption of petroleum products in the country amounted to 14 million liters of oil. 50% of the required fuel has to be imported, since the total capacity of the country's refineries is only approx. 7 million liters of oil per day. Commercial production of natural gas is underway (Nigeria ranks 10th in the world in terms of its reserves). Coal, bauxite, iron ore, gold, tin, gypsum and columbite. In 2005, in the state of Oyo (southwest of the country), the development of deposits of semi-precious stones (aquamarines, etc.) began.

Manufacturing industries - metallurgy, oil refining (4 plants), production of liquefied gas (in January 2006, the 5th plant was put into operation), car assembly (cars, trucks, tractors, television and radio equipment), food flavoring (production of palm oil, sugar, flour, beer, canned food, etc.) tobacco, textile and chemical industry as well as construction.

International trade.

In terms of foreign trade turnover, Nigeria occupies one of the leading places on the African continent. Foreign trade is one of the main sources of foreign exchange earnings in the country's economy. The volume of exports is twice the volume of imports: in 2005, exports (in US dollars) amounted to 52.16 billion, imports - 25.95 billion. The basis of export (95%) is oil; In 2005, Nigeria ranked 6th in the world in terms of its export volume. Natural gas, cocoa and rubber are also exported. The main export partners are the USA (47.4%), Brazil (10.7%) and Spain (7.1%) - 2004. The main import goods are oil products, machinery, chemical products, vehicles, manufactured goods, foodstuffs and livestock. The main import partners are China (9.4%), the USA (8.4%), the UK (7.8%), the Netherlands (5.9%), France (5.4%), Germany (4.8%). %) and Italy (4%) - 2004. Official data on foreign trade turnover are not complete, because there is a problem of smuggling trade operations with neighboring states.

Energy.

The energy system of the country is underdeveloped, the demand for electricity is noticeably ahead of the supply. Electricity provided approx. 40% of the population, the rest use wood and oil products as fuel. Electricity is generated at thermal power plants (in Egbin (Lagos state), Ogbia (Kogi state), Sapele (Delta state), etc.) operating on oil, natural gas or coal, as well as hydroelectric power plants (the largest is Kainji on the Niger River ). In 2000, 64% of electricity was generated at TPPs. The Energy Research Center (Zaria) is working on the possible use of atomic energy in the country. Electricity production in 2003 amounted to 15.59 billion kilowatt-hours, export - 40 million kilowatt-hours. Periodic malfunctions in the power system are noted, which leads to power outages or failures in its supply to consumers. For this reason, almost every business and many residential buildings have their own generators.

Transport.

In terms of the level of transport provision and the density of the road network, Nigeria in Tropical Africa occupies one of the leading places. Air and sea communication connects it with many countries of the world. The main mode of transport is road, which provides approx. 95% of freight and passenger traffic. The first roads were laid in the beginning. 20th century mainly on the site of traditional trade routes. The total length of roads is 193.2 thousand km (59.9 thousand km of roads have a hard surface, 1194 km of them are expressways) - 2001. There is practically no system for ensuring road safety in the country, and there is also a very simplified procedure for obtaining driving licenses (in 1998–2004, 4.32 million were issued). As a result, approx. 30 thousand traffic accidents, in which 8 to 10 thousand people die. In the summer of 2005, in Kano (the north of the country), where the Muslim population predominates, separate transportation of male and female passengers was introduced on public transport (for Christians, some vehicles of a mixed type were retained). The first railroad - Lagos - Abeokuta - was built in 1895-1898. The total length of railways (mainly narrow gauge) is 3557 km (2004). The average maximum rail speed is 65 km/h. OK. 50% of the fleet of locomotives have exceeded their optimal operating life and need to be replaced. In con. In the 1990s, China provided financial assistance for the reconstruction of railways.

The country has a well-developed maritime transport system, which includes a complex of ports in the Niger Delta (Warri, Coco and Sapele), ports in Calabar, Lagos (Tin Can and Apapa), Onne and Port Harcourt. In Bonny and Burutu there are specialized seaports for offloading oil. The merchant fleet has 303 ships, incl. 29 oil tankers and 4 chemical tankers (2002). The length of river waterways (navigation has been established along the rivers Benue, Cross, Niger, as well as along the island of Chad and along the coast of the Gulf of Guinea) is 8.6 thousand km (2004). Waterways carry out mainly cargo transportation. Air transport is developing rapidly. There are 70 airports and runways (36 of them are paved) - 2005. International airports are located in the cities of Lagos (named after Murtala Mohammed), Abuja, Calabar, Kano and Port Harcourt. There is one dedicated port for helicopters. The system of pipelines, established in 1958, is well developed: an oil pipeline (3638 km), a gas pipeline (1896 km), as well as a pipeline for pumping gas condensate (105 km) and refined petroleum products (3626 km) are in operation - 2004.

Finance and credit.

The currency is the Nigerian Naira (NGN), which is divided into 100 kobos. In October 2005, a new 1,000 naira banknote was issued. In December 2005, the national currency rate was: 1 USD = 132.59 NGN. More than 90 commercial, industrial and commercial banks operate in Nigeria.

Tourism.

Foreign tourists are attracted by the beauty of natural landscapes, monuments of history and architecture, rich collections of museums and original culture local peoples. The best time to visit Nigeria is December-March. Yellow fever vaccination required. In addition to guests from African countries (mainly from Niger, Benin, Ghana and Cameroon), the country is visited by the French, Germans, Italians, and others. In 2001, 1.75 million foreign tourists visited Nigeria.

Attractions - National Museum (Lagos, founded in 1957), the Old City, the Emir's Palace, the Kurmi Market and the Gidan Makama Museum in Kano, national park Yankari (east of the city of Jos), considered one of the best reserves in West Africa, government buildings in the city of Abuja, etc. In 2005, a dense untouched forest called “Ogun”, located on the outskirts of the city of Ogun, was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Oshogbo (south of the country). The Yoruba people consider this forest sacred, because. it contains sculptures and artworks dedicated to the god Ogun and other deities.

SOCIETY AND CULTURE

Education.

The first missionary schools opened in southern regions countries in the 1830s. In the middle In the 1950s, the adult illiteracy rate was 90%.

Since 1992, a 6-year primary education has been compulsory, which children receive at the age of six. Training in primary school is free. Secondary education (6 years) begins at the age of 12, takes place in two stages of 3 years each (the so-called three-year secondary and three-year higher secondary education). There are private schools, their work is regulated by government agencies. There are 56 teachers' colleges and 26 polytechnics. According to figures released by the Nigerian Ministry of Finance in September 2005, approx. 8 million children of school age.

The higher education system includes 33 universities, education (at English language) lasts 4 years. Many of the universities have the status of federal universities. The oldest is the University of Ibadan (Ibadan in the state of Oyo), founded as a university college in 1948, received university status in 1962. The largest universities:

– State University Lagos State (Apapa - a suburb of Lagos, created in 1983). 553 teachers worked at 6 faculties and 36.7 thousand students studied;

– University of Lagos (Lagos, founded in 1961). At 8 faculties - 900 teachers and 35.1 thousand students;

- University named after Ahmadu Bello (Zaria, Kaduna state, established in 1962). At 12 faculties - 2064 teachers and 29.8 thousand students;

– Nigerian University (Nsukka, Enugu state, founded in 1960). At 14 faculties - 1 thousand teachers and 23.8 thousand students;

- University of Benin (Benin City, Edo State, established in 1970). At 10 faculties - 848 teachers and 22.9 thousand students;

- University of Ibadan. At 12 faculties - 1077 teachers and 20.4 thousand students;

– Ambrosi Alli University (Ekpoma, Edo State, founded in 1981). At 10 faculties - 454 teachers and 16 thousand students;

- University in Ilorin (state of Kwara, founded in 1975). There are 572 teachers and 15 thousand students at 8 faculties. (Data for 2002).

The listed universities have large libraries. The collections of the National Library of Nigeria (Lagos, founded in 1964) contain 158,000 volumes. Nigerians also receive higher education abroad, mainly in the UK and the USA. The Russian Federation annually allocates 50 scholarships for undergraduate and graduate students from Nigeria; in 2004, 289 Nigerians were studying at Russian universities. The education system in Nigeria is financed mainly from the state budget. In 2001, 7.5% of the budget funds were allocated for the needs of education. Since 1977, the Nigerian Academy of Sciences has been operating, numbering about a hundred full members. There are more than 20 research institutes and research centers (including those at universities) that conduct research in the field of agronomy, veterinary medicine, geology, medicine, energy, etc. In 2003, 68% of the population were literate (75.7% of men and 60.6 % women).

Healthcare.

Architecture.

Folk dwellings in different parts of Nigeria differ in architectural form and building materials used. In the north of the country, they have a rectangular shape, the walls are adobe, the roof is flat. In the southern, southwestern and southeastern states, located in the rainforest zone, rectangular huts are erected, the windows are closed with carved shutters. The walls are clay or wicker, palm leaves or straw are used as roofing material for a gable roof. The Yoruba and the Igbo place their residential and outbuildings around the perimeter of a rectangular courtyard, which is surrounded by galleries of carved wooden poles. In the central states, people's dwellings tend to be round in shape. The walls are also built of clay, and the thatched roof of the conical shape is decorated with relief ornaments of a geometric nature and ceramic plates.

A special layer of modern architecture is the construction of mosques. Houses in cities are built of brick, reinforced concrete structures and glass. The business districts of cities are built up with high-rise buildings. Construction work is often carried out without meeting standards, as well as using poor quality materials. As a result, buildings collapse.

Fine Arts and Crafts.

The origin of fine arts in the territory of modern Nigeria dates back to the 1st millennium BC. (terracotta sculpture of the Nok culture). Among the world's masterpieces belongs the sculpture of the Yoruba people. It is an important part of the art of West Africa. During the archaeological excavations begun in 1938 on the territory ancient state Ife, a number of terracotta heads and figurines were found. The oldest finds are over 800 years old. Also world-famous are bronzes of the Ife culture (statues of rulers striking in their naturalism, multi-figure compositions, ritual vessels, etc.) and bronzes of Benin (portraits of members royal family, relief plates with images of people and animals, etc.). Various wooden masks of the Igbo people are original.

Professional fine arts has been developing since the middle. 1950s Sculptors I. Aye, O. Idah, F. O. Idehen, Felix Idubor, D. Nwoko, E. O. Emokpe and Ben Enwonwu, as well as artists J. Akolo, Y.Grillo, Rufus Ogundele, O.O.Ozadebe, W.Egonu, A.Ekong, Ben Enwonwu. founder national school painting consider A. Onabola. The work of artists Kolade Oshinovo and Rufus Ogundele has received international recognition. Contemporary Nigerian artists (Abiodun Olaku, K.K. Karunvi) and sculptors (Alli Olayinka, Olabisi Onawale Fakiye, Patrick Agose) exhibited their works abroad, incl. in USA. Many of them took part in an exhibition of contemporary Nigerian artists, sculptors and photographers, held in 1995 in Geneva, as well as in the Africa 95 African Art Festival, held in the same year in the UK.

Almost all universities in Nigeria have established art faculties that train national cadres of artists, graphic artists, sculptors and designers. There are numerous exhibition centers and art galleries. Only in Lagos there are more than 70 of them, incl. Aaragon Gallery, Art and Objects Gallery, Didi Museum, etc. In Lagos, the National Theater operates the National Gallery of Modern Art. The cultural centers of Great Britain, Germany, Russia (in 1995-1998 the center helped to organize about 30 solo and collective exhibitions), the USA and France, operating in Nigeria, take part in organizing exhibitions.

The National Museum of Benin (Benin City, founded in 1973), as well as national museums located in the cities of Lagos, Kano (1959), Ife (1971), Kaduna (1975), Jos have rich collections of African traditional and modern art. (1982), etc. The objects of ancient art of Nigeria are presented in expositions and private collections of many museums of the world, incl. Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography (Kunstkamera) in St. Petersburg.

Crafts and arts and crafts are well developed - woodcarving (manufacturing of various household items, decorated with ornaments, as well as sculptural images of people and animals; wooden sculpture of Yoruba masters stands out), pottery (products of masters from the city of Ilorin are especially popular), jewelry craft (manufacturing of gold and silver jewelry with chasing), weaving and batik (especially developed among the Yoruba), embroidery (multi-color), weaving baskets and mats from reeds and straw, making ornamented dishes from colored glass, vessels from dried gourds ("calabashes") , as well as leather products (belts, bags, saddles, shoes and pillows). Traditions of bronze casting and ivory carving have been preserved. Many products are decorated with beads and beads. Wooden fans with scorched ornaments or covered with leather, decorated with appliqué, are popular with tourists.

Literature.

Based on the rich traditions of oral art (myths, songs, proverbs and fairy tales) of local peoples. Modern literature develops in English and the languages ​​of the Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo, etc. In the 1940s, literary records of folklore appeared. One of the first literary works- story by Amos Tutuola Palm wine lover and his deceased cupbearer in the city of the dead(in the literature there is also an abbreviated name of the story - Drunkard), published in London in 1952. Novel by Cyprian Ekvensi city ​​people(1954) is considered one of the first major national works in prose.

The Nigerian writer, poet, prose writer, playwright and master of political debate Wole Shoyinka is one of the most prominent representatives of modern African literature. He is the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature (1986), the first African laureate. His book Interpreters, published in 1990, also aroused interest among Nigerian and foreign readers.

The novelist Chinua Achebe has been fruitfully working for over 40 years. His first novel And destruction came... (1958) - became a classic and brought him worldwide fame. Achebe's novels have been translated into over 30 languages ​​and he has been nominated several times for Nobel Prize. In June 2007, Chinua Achebe won the Booker International Literary Prize.

Ben Okri, who won the British Booker Literary Prize in 1991, received worldwide recognition. A novel published in 2004 purple hibiscus young writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (born in 1977), which addresses the problems of modern Nigerian society and Christianity. Works are popular contemporary writer and playwright Tolu Ajayi.

Poetry has been developing since the 1940s. The founders of national poetry - Christopher Okigbo, V. Shoyinka (poetry collections Ogun Abibiman (1976), Land of Mandela and other poems(1988)) and J.P. Clark. Other poets are B.N.Azikiwe, Gabriel Okara.

Music.

The national musical culture is diverse, formed as a result of the interaction of the traditions of numerous peoples. Professional musical art It took shape during the existence of the medieval states of Hausa, Yoruba, etc. In the palace orchestras of the Yoruba rulers, there were up to 200 musicians. There was a special "language of drums" (these instruments were considered symbols of supreme power), in which the musicians addressed the people on behalf of the rulers. The presence of some musical instruments testifies to the influence of Arab culture. Distribution in the 19th century Christianity contributed to the death of cult music, which was one of the main types of local musical culture. European church music has had a significant impact on the vocal traditions and musical instrumentation of Nigeria. In turn, the music brought by the Yoruba slaves to the New World influenced the culture of Brazil and some Caribbean countries.

In the musical instrumentation of Nigeria, a variety of drums occupy a central place, among them 2-membrane cylindrical drums in the form hourglass and 1-membrane (during the game they are worn around the neck). Algaita (a type of trumpet), tambourines, lutes, ngedegwu (xylophone), oja (flute), saxophones, oboe flutes, zithers, etc. are also common.

There is its own composing school; famous composers - S. Akpabot, A. Bankole, T. Oyelana, F. Sovande, A. Yuba. In Nigeria, musical culture is inextricably linked with the theater. Composer A.Fiberezima - the author of the first Nigerian opera Orukoro. In Ibadan, Lagos and other universities of the country, folk musical traditions are being studied. The National Ensemble of Nigeria in 1960-1980 successfully performed with tours in many states of Africa, Europe and America. A national arts festival has been held since 1970. In 1977, the 2nd World Festival of Negro Art was held in Lagos (it is called FESMAN, it has been held on the initiative of Senegal since 1966).

From mid. In the 1980s, the work of some Nigerian musicians, most notably King Sani Ade, performing juju music, began to influence world popular music. The art of Nigerian musicians and theater groups was widely represented (1/4 of the exhibits and participants) at the African Art Festival "Africa-95", held in the UK in 1995.

In 2001, Nigerian musician Femi Kuti was awarded the international music award "Kora" (the name of the West African plucked string musical instrument), which is awarded to performers from Africa and representatives of the African diaspora in Europe, the United States and the Caribbean.

Some well-known Western artists have Nigerian roots. Among them is the British singer Sade (real name Helen Folsade Adu - Helen Folsade Adu), whose father is a Nigerian from the Yoruba people. In 2004, among the stars of world pop music, she took part in a big concert in support of the African refugees of Sudan and Chad, which took place in London at the famous Royal Albert Hall. Nigerian by origin, the famous contemporary singer from the UK Tunde Bayeu is the ex-vocalist of the famous British duet called the Lighthouse Family. In 2005 he released his first solo album named after him. Performs songs in the style of soul.

Nigerian composer Tunde Yegede is taking part in a continental project to create the first African opera called "Opera Sahel" (he writes music in collaboration with composers from Senegal, Guinea-Bissau and the Comoros). Completion of work on the music for the opera is scheduled for June 2006.

Theater.

Modern national theatrical art is formed on the basis of rich traditional creativity. Elements of the theater were present in numerous ceremonies and rituals that were performed on various holidays. Modern theater began to take shape in the middle. 19th century - theater groups were created at Christian missions and schools. In the middle In the 1940s, traveling music and theater groups were created in Lagos, led by Hubert Ogunde and Kola Ogunmola. In the beginning. In the 1960s, the Duro Ladipo National Theater was created in Oshogbo (named after its creator, an actor, director and playwright).

The development of the amateur drama theater is associated with the University of Ibadan, where the Dramatic Society was created under the leadership of director J. Axworthy, invited from the UK. The University of Ibadan was the first university in Africa to introduce (in 1962) a course in theater arts. The name of the writer Vole Shoyinka is closely connected with the theatre. Upon his return to the country (while living in London, he was an actor and director of the London Royal Court Theatre), he created the theater groups Masks-1960 and Orizun-Repeteri, and also directed the drama school at the University of Ibadan. Author and director of plays Lion and pearl, swamp dwellers, forest dance, Giants Game and others. Some of Shoyinka's plays entered the repertoire of English theaters. Since the 1990s, plays by contemporary playwright Tolu Ajayi have been popular.

Cinema.

Several documentaries were made in the 1940s. In the 1960s, documentary films and adaptations of theatrical plays for television developed primarily. First feature film Two people and a goat filmed by director G. Jones in 1966. Nigerian directors - O. Balogun (one of the largest in the country), F. Speed, E. Ugbom, A. Khalil and others. educational institution similar type in tropical Africa. Cinematographers of the country participated in the international film festival in Tashkent.

Press, radio broadcasting, television and the Internet.

The first Nigerian newspapers began to be published in Lagos in the 1830s. Published in English:

- the official government bulletin "Gazette" (Gazette);

- daily government newspaper "New Nigerian" (New Nigerian - "New Nigerian"), daily newspapers "Guardian" (The Guardian - "Guardian"), "Daily Sketch" (Daily Sketch - "Daily Essay"), "Daily Times" (Daily Times - Daily Time), Evening Times (Evening Times - Evening Time), Nigerian Tribune (Nigerian Tribune - Nigerian Tribune), Nigerian Observer (Nigerian Observer - Nigerian Observer) ), "National Concord" (National Concord - "National Consent") and "Punch" (The Punch);

– weekly economic newspaper “Business Times” (Business Times – “Business Time”);

- Sunday government newspaper "Sunday New Nigerian" (Sunday supplement to the newspaper "New Nigerian"), Sunday newspapers "Sunday Observer" (Sunday Observer - "Sunday Observer"), "Sunday Punch» (Sunday Punch) , "Sunday Sketch" (Sunday Sketch - "Sunday Essay") and "Sunday Times" (Sunday Times - "Sunday Time");

- The weekly newspaper Irohin Yoruba (Yoruba News) is published in the Yoruba language.

Many universities in the country publish their own journals. Nigeria has approx. 40 publishers. Since 1965, the Nigerian Publishers Association has been operating in Ibadan.

The government news agency "Nigerian News Agency", NAN (New Agency of Nigeria, NAN) has been operating since 1978, located in Abuja. The government broadcasting service, the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), was established in 1978 and is located in Abuja. Television works from the beginning. 1960s The government's Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) has been operating in Lagos since 1976. There are 32 television stations. Radio programs are broadcast in English and 12 local languages. Nigeria was among 12 African states (along with Angola, Burkina Faso, Gambia, DRC, Cape Verde, Mauritania, Namibia, Sao Tome and Principe, Swaziland, Togo and Chad) participating in the project of connecting the African continent to the Internet, partially financed by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). In 2003, there were 750,000 Internet users in Nigeria.

STORY

Nigeria since ancient times.

Many of the modern peoples of Nigeria migrated to its territory from the north 4 thousand years ago. Around 2000 B.C. the majority of the autochthonous population adopted some farming and animal domestication skills from the newcomers. The transition to settled agriculture led to the creation of permanent settlements that served as a defense against external enemies. It was in such villages that the creators of the 2000 BC settlement lived. Nok culture. Numerous evidences found in the North allow us to conclude that the people of the Nok culture were familiar with the technology of smelting and processing tin and iron. These skills allowed them not only to revolutionize agricultural production, but also to start making weapons with which to conquer territories and create larger political entities.

State formations of the savanna zone.

The first large centralized state in the territory of Northern Nigeria was Kanem-Bornu, the emergence of which dates back to the end of the 8th century. AD Initially, it was located outside modern Nigeria to the north of the lake. Chad, but then quickly expanded its borders south into Bornu territory. By the 13th century Kanem-Bornu was known in Egypt, Tunisia and Fezzan. The basis of the welfare of the state was its intermediary role in the trans-Saharan trade in salt, beads, fabrics, swords, horses and European goods from North Africa who were exchanged for ivory and slaves. To the west, the states of Katsina and Kano, rivals of Kanem-Born in the trans-Saharan trade, were the most significant of the seven Hausa states that emerged at different times in the early 2nd millennium AD. Other Hausa states are Daura, Gobir, Rano, Biram and Zaria, the latter being a major supplier of slaves. Despite the legend of origin from the same ancestor and the similarity of cultural traditions, the Hausa states developed autonomously and sometimes even fought with each other. Kano and most of the east of the Hausan lands were tributaries of Kanem-Bornu.

Both in Kanem-Bornu and in the states of the Hausa, there was a well-functioning system of state administration, the population regularly paid taxes, there was a standing army, the striking force of which was cavalry. By the 15th century in the states of this region, Islam was strengthened, brought here through the desert by Muslim merchants. Starting from the 12th century. all the Mai, the rulers of Bornu, were Muslims. The influence of Islam in the Hausa states affected the system of government and justice, and also contributed to the creation of a Muslim elite.

In the first two decades of the 16th c. great empire Songhai, who sought to establish control over all the Hausa states, turned Kano and Katsina into her tributaries. In 1516-1517, the vassal of the Songhais of Kant, the ruler of Kebbi, after an attack on the state of Air, proclaimed himself a sovereign ruler and subjugated all the lands of the Hausa. This caused a conflict between Kanta and the ruler of Bornu, and he twice defeated Bornu's army. After Kant's death in 1526, the alliance of the Hausa states collapsed, and the threat to Bornu's western borders disappeared.

Around 1483, after two centuries of internal strife, the capital of Kanema-Bornu was moved to Ngazargama in what is now Nigeria. In the 16th century Kanem-Bornu strengthened its positions, and after the collapse of the Songhai empire, as a result of the invasion of Moroccan troops in 1591, it became the most powerful state in Western Sudan. The apogee of the development of this state fell on the reign of Mai Idris Aluma (d. 1617), known as an Islamic reformer and a skilled military leader.

The disunity of the Hausa states persisted throughout the 16th and 17th centuries. During this period, their main rivals were the states of Nupe, Borgu and Quorofa located to the south.

State formations of the forest zone.

In the southern part of modern Nigeria, two great empires flourished, Oyo and Benin. The state apparatus of these empires was as developed and well-established as that of the states of the North, but the forests made it difficult to contact with outside world, and horses could not be used because of the tse-tse fly.

The founders of the dynasties that ruled in Oyo and Benin came from Ife, which became world famous thanks to the bronze and terracotta items found on its territory. Benin already existed as a state formation when its rulers invited Prince Ife Oranyan to the kingdom, who became the founder of the dynasty of kings of Benin. Faced with difficulties in governing Benin, Oranyan handed over power to his son, born in a marriage with a Benin, and he himself settled in Oyo.

By the 17th century the rulers of Oyo managed to establish control over most of the Yoruba and Dahomey. The power of Alafin, the ruler of Oyo, was directly dependent on the combat capability of a large regular army. The states subordinate to Oyo were ruled by local rulers, who were controlled by the permanent representative of the alafin. In the 18th century Oyo faced the problem of maintaining its power over the vassal states, most notably Dahomey. The situation was complicated by an internal struggle for power, which was fought between Alafin and his council, led by the Bashorun.

Oyo sought to expand its influence in a westerly direction, and the kings of Benin were interested in areas south and east of the river. Niger. At the end of the 15th century, when the Portuguese explorer d "Aveiro (1486) visited here, Benin was at the zenith of its power. The state had a complexly organized administrative apparatus, numerous regular army and the highly developed art of bronze casting. The Portuguese began trading with Benin by buying pepper, but soon switched to trading in slaves. For a long time, slaves were bought and sold in Benin and the rest of the coast.

Slave trade.

Benin had everything necessary for the slave trade. His army conquered neighboring nations, and the captives were sold to European slave traders. There was no East Coast before the slave trade began. centralized states. The small communities of Ijo fishermen who hunted in the channels of the Niger Delta supplied salt and dried fish to the ibi and ibibio of the hinterland in exchange for vegetables and tools. However, during the period of the slave trade, some of the fishing settlements turned into small city-states. The prosperity of the state of Bonny, New Calabar and Okrika was based on the exchange of imported European goods - fabrics, metal products, tools, cheap salt, which was used in ships as ballast, and dried fish from Norway - for slaves and vegetables from the hinterland. Farther to the east, in the upper reaches of the Cross River, the Efik, for the convenience of trade with Europeans, created a union of cities known as Old Calabar.

The main supplier of slaves was the Aro, one of the groups of the Ibo people. Using their control over the feared oracle of Aro-Chukwu, the Aro could move freely throughout the territory inhabited by the Ibo, while the other Ibo did not feel safe outside their home village or alliance of villages. By bringing trade under their control and gaining access to European goods, the aro strengthened their position as priest-merchants. Slaves came not only from the near hinterland, but also from the areas downstream of the Niger and Benue. The Africans disposed of the slaves until the moment they were brought to the coast, where they were sold to European slave traders.

Nigeria in the 19th century

Two events in the first decade of the 19th century, one internal and the other external, changed the situation in Nigeria. In 1807 Great Britain banned the slave trade. In 1804, Osman dan Fodio started a jihad, a holy war, in the Hausani lands. Dan Fodio, unlike the Fulbe nomads, lived in the city, was an orthodox theologian, and over time began to criticize the incorrect, in his opinion, application of the norms of Islam. After the ruler Gobir began to persecute Osman dan Fodio and his followers in 1804 for their reformist ideas, the latter declared jihad against the Hausan rulers. Osman dan Fodio relied on oppressed Hausa peasants and Fulbe nomads. When he died, his supporters conquered almost all of the Hausa lands, and the traditional ruling dynasties of the Hausan states were overthrown. His son Bello became the first Caliph of the Sokoto Caliphate, which continued to expand southward. Using internal strife in the Oyo empire, Sokoto captured part of its territory. The main obstacle to the territorial expansion of Sokoto was the state of Bornu, ruled by the reformer al-Kanemi, who after 1811 successfully repelled all the Fulani invasions. The reformation of Islam became a determining factor in the strengthening of the Fulbe empire, and in the 19th century, during the period of Fulbe domination in Northern Nigeria, there came a flourishing of Muslim culture unprecedented in the history of Western Sudan.

The prohibition of the slave trade by Great Britain, hitherto the largest buyer of slaves on the West African coast, and the use of British ships in the fight against slave traders did not at all lead to a cessation of the export of slaves. If the states of the Niger Delta and the population of their hinterland switched to the palm oil trade, then the result of the Fulbe conquests and internal clashes in the Yoruba lands was the appearance of a significant number of slaves. One of the main markets for these slaves was Lagos, and Great Britain captured this island in 1861. By 1884, the British National African Company established an almost complete monopoly on the palm oil trade in the Niger Valley, and British missionaries, educators of the future Nigerian elite, settled in Southern Nigeria. British consuls intervened in civil strife in the Niger Delta region, British troops were periodically sent to the Yoruba lands to stop internal clashes. At the Berlin Conference of 1884–1885, Great Britain demanded recognition of its right to the territory of modern Nigeria. In many respects, this became possible thanks to the energetic actions of the head of the National African Company, George Goldie, who managed to conclude a number of agreements beneficial for Great Britain with local rulers. Somewhat later, heading the privileged Royal Niger Company (KNK), Goldie received a royal charter to manage new territories.

In 1885-1904 Great Britain established control over most of Nigeria. A significant part of the Yoruba lands, weakened by internecine wars, were annexed to the Lagos colony. Areas outside the KNK administration in the southeast were taken over by the authorities of the Niger Coast Protectorate. Often such captures were carried out with the help of military force, an example is the occupation of Benin in 1896.

The Sokoto caliphate also fell into the control of the Royal Niger Company, but Goldie managed to capture only Nupe and Ilorin. The KNK was then embroiled in territorial disputes with France. Since its monopoly position and policy aroused sharp dissatisfaction with European and African merchants, in 1900 the British government deprived the KNK of its royal charter. The task of capturing Northern Nigeria was entrusted to Frederick Lugard. Superiority in arms allowed him to conquer the vast Fulani empire with relative ease. In 1903, the capital of the caliphate, Sokoto, capitulated, the caliph fled to the east. By 1906, Great Britain controlled the entire territory of modern Nigeria.

Nigeria under British rule.

In northern Nigeria, Lugard introduced a system of indirect control, i.e. used the local ruling nobility in the colonial administration, the so-called. "native authorities". Their duty was to collect taxes, while part of collected funds went to finance the "native authorities" themselves. In 1914, the protectorates of Northern Nigeria and Southern Nigeria were merged into one administrative unit in order to create a unified railway system and redistribute funds in favor of the North.

The unification of the two protectorates did not bring Southern and Northern Nigeria closer, since two independent administrations continued to operate there, the work of which was coordinated by the governor of Nigeria, who led several all-Nigerian departments. During the First World War, the system of indirect control was extended to Western Nigeria. On the territory of Eastern Nigeria, it was introduced in 1929, after the unrest in Aba, when the British realized the fallacy of governing through appointed leaders who were not connected with the system of traditional power.

With the exception of the Legislative Council of Southern Nigeria, created in 1922, to which four representatives of the local population were elected, there were no elected bodies of power in Nigeria. This situation continued until 1946, when the first of the three constitutions that preceded the independence of Nigeria was introduced. By this time, significant progress had been made in the development of the colony's economy. Export-import trade flourished, which was almost entirely controlled by European trading companies and Lebanese traders. Railways connected Lagos and Port Harcourt with the North, a network of roads ran between East and West and between North and South, significant volumes of peanuts were transported by water along the Niger and Benue. Palm oil, peanuts, tin, cotton, cocoa beans and timber were exported to Europe. There was a process of formation of the Nigerian liberation movement, which was largely facilitated by the opportunities that opened up for Nigerians to go abroad and see the world with their own eyes, as well as anti-colonial sentiments that intensified during the Second World War. Nigerian politicians demanded more than just speeding up economic development countries, but also giving them greater opportunities to participate in governance. Both of these demands were accepted by the UK.

In 1947, the metropolis allocated appropriations for the implementation of a ten-year plan for the economic development of Nigeria, and in 1946 the Nigerian constitution came into force. The constitution was criticized by anti-colonial Nigerian politicians, who rightly saw in the creation of separate Legislative Councils for the North, West and East the intention to preserve the fragmentation of Nigeria. The procedure for selecting members of regional legislative councils, where the majority was guaranteed to representatives of the "native authorities", was also criticized.

The new constitution of 1951 retained the principle of regional legislative councils, but provided for the election of their members. The British policy of regionalization contributed to the emergence of regional-ethnic political parties. Headed by Nnamdi Azikiwe, the National Council of Nigeria and Cameroon (NCNC) acted from an all-Nigerian position, but relied mainly on those of Eastern Nigeria. Among the Yoruba, the main people of Western Nigeria, the Action Group (AG) was popular. In the North, the Northern People's Congress (SNK) was out of competition. After the abolition in 1952 of the constitution that did not last a year, representatives of all three major political parties in Nigeria drafted the constitution of 1954, which strengthened the position of the regions. After some amendments, it was this constitution that became the main document, according to which Nigeria became an independent state on October 1, 1960, and in 1963 it was proclaimed a republic.

Nigeria after independence. The first government of independent Nigeria was based on a coalition of the NCPC and CNC parties, Abubakar Tafawa Baleva, a representative of the CNC, became the prime minister. After Nigeria was declared a republic in 1963, Azikiwe assumed the presidency. The opposition was represented by the Action Group led by Obafemi Awolowo. The regional governments were headed: in the North - by the leader of the SNK Ahmadu Bello, in the West - by S. Akintola from the Action Group and in the East - by the representative of the NSNK M. Okpara. In 1963, a fourth region, the Midwest, was formed on the territory of the eastern part of Western Nigeria. In the elections held in 1964 in this region, the NCPC won.

In the early 1960s, the political alliances formed during the struggle for independence fell apart amid growing instability. This first happened in 1962 in the Western Region, when, after the split of the Action Group, one of its factions, headed by S. Akintola, created the Nigerian National Democratic Party (NNDP), which, having entered into an alliance with the NCPC, came to power in the region in January 1963 . By 1964, there was a split in this coalition regarding the assessment of the results of the 1963 population census, which demographers and the leadership of the NCSC considered falsified. They believed that the population of the North was deliberately overestimated by 10 million people, which guaranteed the representatives of this region a majority in the country's parliament. Somewhat later, a final split occurred, and on the eve of the December 1964 elections, a new alignment of forces arose: the SNK formed a coalition with the newly created PNDP in opposition to the alliance between the NSNK and the Action Group. The victory in the elections, accompanied by numerous violations, was won by the SNK-PNDP bloc, which led to a constitutional crisis and an aggravation of the struggle for power. In January 1965, a new federal government was formed, which included representatives of the Council of People's Commissars, the NNDP, and the National People's Commissariat of People's Commissars, while Baleva retained the post of prime minister. A new political crisis erupted in October 1965 when, as a result of fraudulent elections in the Western Region, the PNDP returned to power, which provoked a wave of unrest in that part of the country.

In January 1966, a group of army officers, predominantly Ibo, staged a military coup. The federal government handed over the reins of government to the commander of the Nigerian army, Major General J. Agiyi-Ironsi, also for. In May, the military government issued decrees banning political parties and making Nigeria a unitary state. The four existing regions were divided into provinces. These measures confirmed the fears of the northerners regarding the threat of the hegemony of the ibo, and a wave of pogroms swept through the North. At the end of July, army units, consisting mainly of northerners, carried out a new military coup, during which Aguiyi-Ironsi and a number of other officers were killed. On August 1, Lieutenant Colonel (later General) Yakubu Gowon became head of state and government. In September, the government issued a decree returning the country to a federal system, and a constitutional conference was held in Lagos at the suggestion of Gowon to work out a formula acceptable to all for maintaining unity. But persecution resumed in the North, thousands of people were killed, which led to a mass exodus to the East. In this situation, the representatives of Eastern Nigeria left the conference. In Aburi, Ghana, Gowon met with the head of the regional government of Eastern Nigeria, Lieutenant Colonel Odumegwu Ojukwu. Gowon agreed to implement a radical decentralization of the federal system, but the corresponding agreement never entered into force. On May 27, 1967, on behalf of the regional government, Ojukwu announced the creation of an independent Republic of Biafra in Eastern Nigeria, after which Gowon declared a state of emergency in the country and divided the territory of Nigeria into 12 states, three of which were in the East. Three days later, Biafra seceded from Nigeria. In July, with artillery and air support, federal troops launched an offensive against Biafra. The federal troops quickly established control over areas inhabited not by the for, but by the for themselves put up a desperate resistance, despite massive starvation due to the blockade of ports. January 15, 1970 Biafra surrendered.

done with internecine war, Gowon set about resolving inter-ethnic conflicts and restoring the destruction caused by the war. However, Gowon failed to fulfill his promises - to return the country to civilian rule by 1976 and put an end to corruption. In July 1975, as a result of a bloodless military coup, he was removed from power. Brigadier General Murtala Muhammad became the new president of Nigeria and the commander of its army.

Muhammad's government was in power c. 200 days, but managed to do a lot. The controversial results of the 1973 census were annulled, a broad campaign was carried out to cleanse the state apparatus and the army of corrupt officials, the number of states was increased, and a decision was made to create a new federal capital territory. In February 1976, Muhammad was assassinated in a failed military coup. Lt. Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo, who replaced Muhammad as head of state, reaffirmed the continuity of the political course and the intention of his government to ensure the transition to civilian rule in a timely manner. In 1979 a new constitution came into force, providing for the direct election of the president and head of the executive branch. Northern Muslim Shehu Shagari won the elections in August.

Shagari's attempts to increase food production by increasing investment in Agriculture brought some success. But other plans for economic development could not be realized, because due to the global decline in production in 1981, government revenues from the sale of oil began to decrease. Some projects had to be completely abandoned, some were frozen or implemented on a smaller scale, such as the construction of a new federal capital in Abuja. In order to create jobs for Nigerians, two million West Africans (half of them from Ghana) were expelled from the country in early 1983.

Years of military rule.

In mid-1983, elections were held, accompanied by numerous violations, and Shagari again became president. On the night of December 31, 1983, a coup took place in Nigeria - the fourth in the history of the country. Some articles of the constitution were suspended, and political parties were dissolved. Major General Muhammad Bukhari became the head of the federal military government. Buhari was overthrown in another military coup in August 1985, and the state was headed by Major General Ibrahim Babangida. Appealing to the national feelings of Nigerians, the Babangida government refused to continue negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a $2.5 billion loan to Nigeria.

In his eight years of rule, Babangida made some progress in consolidating central authority, created nine new states, and dealt harshly with political opponents. The continued fall in world oil prices contributed to the destabilization of the situation in the country. Participants in the attempted military coups in 1985 and 1990 were executed, and the five-year timetable for a return to civilian rule, the "Third Republic", was repeatedly extended. Some Muslim groups advocated the creation of an Islamic state in the country, which did not meet with a sharp rebuff from the military government, the majority of which were northerners. In October 1989, two political parties were created by government decree (the military believed that two parties were enough for the country), which was supposed to somehow reduce the intensity of contradictions between the three main ethnic regions. In every election between 1990 and 1992, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) defeated the slightly more conservative National Republican Convention.

The protracted transition period to civilian rule ended with the June 12, 1993 presidential election. Voter turnout was low, but voting went smoothly. The final official results of the election were never released, but Moshud Abiola, a wealthy Yoruba entrepreneur, is believed to have won. His victory is notable for several reasons. First, for the first time since the late 1970s, a non-Northern leader has taken over, and for the first time in Nigerian history, a civilian from the southern states has led the government. Nevertheless, Abiola enjoyed strong support from the population of all regions of Nigeria, including the North, the homeland of his rival Bashir Tofa.

However, despite the historical significance of these elections, further events took an unexpected turn: on June 23, the military leadership of Nigeria announced the annulment of their results. Throughout the summer, the country, especially its southwestern part, the birthplace of Abiola, was paralyzed by numerous strikes and strikes. The political crisis eventually forced Babangida to hand over power to the Provisional National Government on August 26, 1993. The head of government, Ernst Schonekan, was unable to withstand the political crisis and, as a result of a military coup carried out on November 17, 1993 by Defense Minister Sani Abacha, was removed from power.

Abacha's reign (1993–1998) proved to be the darkest period in the history of independent Nigeria. Initially, Abacha enjoyed significant support from many prominent political figures, due in part to his lack of a clear political agenda. However, over the course of a year, the civilian ministers in the Abacha government were gradually removed from important matters, and it became clear that a harsh personal dictatorship reigned in the country. The most striking manifestation of the political evolution of the new head of Nigeria was the imprisonment of M. Abiola. Abiola actively advocated the recognition of the results of the presidential elections, and on June 12, 1994, on the first anniversary of the elections, he proclaimed himself the legitimate president of Nigeria and was arrested. In support of Abiola, in the summer of 1994 workers in the gas and oil industries launched a strike that paralyzed the entire country for nine weeks, but was put down by force.

The Sani Abacha years were marked by numerous human rights violations in Nigeria. Constant repression against the opposition, including arrests and torture, and several high-profile incidents led to the international isolation of the country. In March 1995, former head of state Olusegun Obasanjo was arrested on controversial charges of plotting a coup. On November 10, 1995, after a show trial before a military tribunal, Ken-Saro Wiwa, a writer and activist for the rights of the Ogoni, an ethnic group of the Ibibio people, was executed. In June 1996, Abiola's wife Kudirat was shot dead in Lagos, and although the crime was never solved, many in Nigeria believe it was organized by the military. At that time, many famous Nigerians, in particular the writer Wole Shoyinka, were expelled from the country.

Due to corruption and government mistakes, the Nigerian economy has not been able to recover from stagnation. Abache managed to maintain macroeconomic stability - to control inflation and the exchange rate of the national currency - but there was no real economic growth, since the funds allocated for the development of the economy were embezzled by the military. The primordial extent of corruption under the Abacha regime became known after the government of Abdusalam Abubakar took a series of tough measures to return at least part of the stolen money to the state treasury.

The Abacha period was marked by a series of foreign policy setbacks. Due to numerous human rights violations, the United States imposed economic sanctions against Nigeria, its membership in the Commonwealth of Nations was suspended. Particularly unpleasant for the Nigerian authorities was the criticism of the abuses of the military regime, which was made by South African President Nelson Mandela at a meeting of the heads of states of the Commonwealth. Already strained Nigerian-American relations deteriorated further when, in September 1997, the military dispersed participants in a reception in honor of the departing US ambassador to Nigeria, Walter Carrington, which in itself was a flagrant violation of diplomatic protocol. In West Africa, Nigeria has made some progress and strengthened its position as a regional leader. The Inter-African Armed Forces, the backbone of which are Nigerians (ECOMOG), made a considerable contribution to stabilizing the situation for the 1997 elections in Liberia. Even more successful was the Nigerian military intervention in Sierra Leone. In June 1997, Nigeria took military action against the military junta of Sierra Leone, which seized power on May 25, 1997. In February 1998, with the help of Nigerian troops, the former legally elected civilian government was restored.

Officially, the main political goal of the Abacha regime, like that of its predecessor, Ibrahim Babangida, was to secure a gradual transition to democracy. During the transitional period, it was planned to hold a conference on a new constitution, elections to local authorities, and registration of political parties. However, as October 1, 1998, the date of the transfer of power to a civilian government, approached, it became increasingly clear that the whole transitional affair was just a cover for Abacha's intention to consolidate his own power. Independent political parties were outlawed, pro-regime organizations received monetary subsidies from the regime, and Abacha's potential rivals for the presidency were harassed and arrested. The final testament to the true intentions of the ruling regime was the nomination in early 1998 of Sani Abacha as a candidate for the presidency by all five official political parties. This caused a flurry of criticism from a number of public organizations, in particular the zee group created by Alex Ekwueme, which includes prominent politicians, as well as university professors and former leaders of the country, including Mohammed Buhari, Ibrahim Babangida and Ernst Schonekan.

Abachi's successor, General Abdusalam Abubakar, disassociated himself from the abuses of the former regime. Political prisoners were released, and the new authorities began to review the program for the transition to democratic rule. However, two main problems remained unresolved: the annulled results of the June 12 elections and the imprisonment of Moshud Abiola. On July 7, a few days before his intended release, Abiola died of a heart attack. Although the autopsy conducted by international experts did not reveal signs of violent death, many attributed the death of Abiola to the poor conditions in which he was kept in custody for four years.

The political tension that arose after the death of Abiola subsided after July 20, when General Abubakar announced a new program for the transition to civilian rule, according to which power in Nigeria was to be transferred to a civilian government elected on May 29, 1999. With the liberalization of the domestic political situation, prominent Nigerian dissidents began to return from exile to their homeland. In particular, Wole Shoyinka visited Nigeria in October.

The US and UK governments welcomed the new democracy transition agenda and began discussing the possibility of lifting the sanctions. Abubakar was invited to speak at the UN and also visited South Africa.

On February 28, 1999, presidential elections were held in Nigeria. The victory was won by the candidate from the People's Democratic Party, the former head of state, retired General Olusegun Obosanjo, who collected over 60% of the vote.

Period of independent development.

In 1996, the government lifted restrictions on the activities of foreign investors in the country. First of all, the creation of companies with 100% foreign capital was allowed, as well as the export of financial resources by them outside the country. The policy of the new president was aimed at fighting corruption, attracting foreign investment and strengthening the country's foreign policy positions. In 1999, at the request of the Nigerian government, the fortune of former dictator Sani Abacha and his clan was blocked in Swiss banks. (According to the authorities, the clan of the former dictator, who died in 1998, embezzled $2.2 billion). In 1999, a commission to combat economic and financial crimes (KBEFP) was created. In the 1990s, on the initiative of O. Obasanjo, the Forum of African Leaders (a Nigerian political science research center) was created, the main task of which was to study the national characteristics of political leadership in African countries. In 2000, Obasanjo joined the development of The Millennium Partnership for the African Recovery Program (MAP), put forward by South African President T. Mbeki and Algerian President A. Bouteflika. In October 2001 in Abuja, at the first meeting of the Committee for the implementation of the program (by that time the so-called "Omega Plan" (Omega Plan) of the President of Senegal A. Wada was integrated into it), the document was amended, and it was approved called the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD).

Nigeria in the 21st century

The parliamentary elections on April 12, 2003 were won by Obasanjo's party, the People's Democratic Party (PDP), which received 213 seats in the House of Representatives and 73 seats in the Senate. The All Nigerian People's Party (GNP) won 95 and 28 parliamentary seats, respectively. In the presidential elections held on April 19, 2003, Obasanjo won (61.94% of the vote), his main rival from several candidates - Muhammad Buhari (representative of the GNP) - received 32.2% of the vote.

The increase in retail gasoline prices in 2004 led to massive strikes, due to which the country's economy was practically paralyzed. In the same year, the government adopted new law on industrial relations, which tightened the conditions for strikes - a strike now requires the approval of a majority of the members of this union.

According to the classification international organization Transparency International, Nigeria is considered one of the most corrupt countries in the world. The central place of his activity as President of the country, Obasanjo assigns the fight against corruption in the state apparatus. In his opinion, the fight against corruption is necessary, first of all, to reduce the country's external debt. 2002–2003, after being convicted of bribery, the head of the Senate, several ministers and state governors were dismissed. According to some Nigerian publications, the late President's wife Stella (died in October 2005) and his businessman son Gbenga are involved in various corruption cases. Searches for possible presidential abuses conducted in Nigeria by 3 highly paid accountants from Israel, invited by parliament, did not find any confirmation of the allegations. In November 2004, Obasanjo announced the income (the first of the country's state leaders) from his business. An agricultural farm located in the south of the country brings in 30 million naira ($250,000) a month. In April 2005, the president formally called on anyone who has evidence that exposes him or his family members to be corrupt to make them public.

In March 2005, a special committee was created, whose activities should stimulate efforts to correct the negative image of Nigeria that has been created abroad. The committee included 16 prominent bankers, industrialists and officials. In addition to corruption, the prestige of the country is seriously damaged by the well-established system of financial fraud on an international scale by Nigerian criminals, the essence of which is mailing by ordinary and e-mail a large number of tempting offers of "profitable cooperation" provided that payment for intermediary services is transferred to the account of one of the Nigerian banks. In October 2005, within the framework of the commission for combating economic and financial crimes, a special unit was created to investigate such crimes. In the autumn of 2005, thanks to the efforts of this commission, the swindlers brought to justice for the first time returned the funds stolen from her account to the victim (a citizen of China).

In 2004–2005, in the Niger Delta, the main oil region of the country, illegal actions by a number of ethnic groups (primarily representatives of the Ogoni and Ijo ethnic groups) became more frequent, creating obstacles for the activities of foreign investors. In September 2005, the government approved a draft anti-terrorism law.

In July 2005, Obasanjo, during a meeting with the president of the World Bank (WB), confirmed his intention and readiness to step down as president after his term ended in 2007. However, Obasanjo's supporters were actively campaigning for a constitutional amendment that would allow him to run for the third time as president. In January 2006, the Senate voted against such an amendment. In the beginning. 2006 resumed performances of a number of ethnic groups in the Niger Delta. As a result of the actions of the rebels, advocating the withdrawal of foreign companies from the areas of oil production, it has decreased by 10%.

The government is carrying out reforms in the field of agriculture in order to increase its profitability. The situation in the industry was exacerbated by the drought that hit several states in July 2005. Nigeria's main financial donors are the UK, the US and France. The amount of external debt in 2004 amounted to 34 billion US dollars. In 2005, the Paris Club of creditor countries wrote off 60% of Nigeria's debt. GDP is 132.1 billion US dollars, its growth is 5.2%. Inflation rate - 15.6%, investment - 23.1% of GDP, unemployment growth - 2.9% (data for 2005, estimate). In February 2005, the Federal Court of Nigeria ruled that the money of the Abacha clan should be returned. On November 9, 2005, Switzerland returned another tranche of $180 million to Nigeria (previously, $200 million and $290 million were returned out of a total of $700 million found in Swiss banks).

On October 12, 2005, a conference of the African Union (AU) was held in Abuja, dedicated to the problem of forming a single government of the continent. Obasanjo, who was the president of the AU (his mandate was valid until January 2006, since January 24 of the same year, President of the Congo Sassou Nguesso became the new head of the AU), led the work of the committee of African heads of state, created to develop the structure, program and schedule for the creation of a single government of the AU.
In July 2005, Obasanjo, during a meeting with the president of the World Bank (WB), confirmed his intention and readiness to step down as president after his term ended in 2007. However, Obasanjo's supporters were actively campaigning for a constitutional amendment that would allow him to run for the third time as president. In January 2006, the Senate voted against such an amendment. The general election held on 21 April 2007 was won by 55-year-old Umaru Yar'Adua, a former governor of the northern Muslim state of Katsina. He was officially sworn in as head of state on 29 May 2007. another in the 46-year history of independent Nigeria, overshadowed by numerous coups. Yar'Adua's election campaign used slogans similar to Obasanjo's program, in addition, Obasanjo is the leader of the People's Democratic Party, of which the new president was the representative. Umaru Yar "Adua died on May 5, 2010, after a long illness. Before his death, Nigeria fell into a situation of political crisis, as it was not clear how seriously ill Yar "Adua was and who should take the place of the head of state during his departure for treatment abroad. It wasn't until February 2010 that the Nigerian Senate decided to appoint Vice President Goodluck Jonathan as interim head of state until the situation was cleared up. Jonathan's opponents have criticized his appointment, calling it a coup. Nigerians protested against the situation, demanding either the return of President Yar "Adua, or the holding of democratic elections. In late February, Yar" Adua returned to Nigeria, but conflicting reports were received about his state of health. And about. President Goodluck Jonathan in March 2010 disbanded the cabinet of the elected head of state, and then appointed new ministers from his team. On May 6, 2010, following the death of Yar'Adua, Goodluck Jonathan was inaugurated as the new president.
In the elections held on April 16, 2011, incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan won enough votes to win in the first round of elections (to win in the first round, the candidate must win a majority of votes and at least a quarter of the votes in 24 of the 36 states of Nigeria ).

On March 28-29, 2015, presidential elections were held in Nigeria. A total of 14 candidates were registered, but the main contenders were incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan and Congress of All Progressive Forces (CUP) candidate Muhammadu Buhari. He won 53.95% of the vote. Major General Mohammed Bukhari already led the country in 1984-1985. He himself came as a result of a military coup, and was subsequently also overthrown. Goodluck Jonathan became the first president of a country who left not as a result of a military coup or his own death, but as a result of an election.

Lyubov Prokopenko

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Tropical Africa: from authoritarianism to political pluralism? M., Publishing company "Eastern Literature" RAS, 1996
Bolshov I.G. Nigeria. Crisis in the economy (transition to civil rule and problems of economic recovery of the country). M., Publishing house "XXI century - Consent", 2000
Geveling L.V. Kleptocracy. M., ed. "Humanist" Academy of Humanitarian Studies. 2001
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Geographic location of Nigeria.

NIGERIA, Federal Republic of Nigeria, a state in West Africa. From the south, Nigeria is washed by the waters of the Gulf of Guinea. Nigeria borders on Niger, Benin, Kamerno, Republic of Chad. Included in the Commonwealth. The area of ​​Nigeria is 923.8 thousand km2. The largest country in Africa in terms of population (133.88 million people, 2003). The capital of Nigeria is Abuja. The main city and the actual capital is Lagos, other large cities are Kano, Ibadan, Kaduna, Port Hartcourt.

State structure of Nigeria.

Nigeria is a federal republic headed by a president. The legislature is the bicameral National Assembly. During the years of independence, there have been several military coups, several constitutions have changed, the last one was adopted in 1999.

Administrative-territorial division of Nigeria.

According to the administrative-territorial division, Nigeria consists of 30 states and 1 federal territory of Abuja.

population of Nigeria.

Nigeria - largest country Africa by population (133.88 million people, 2003). Ethnic composition: over 250 nationalities and groups, the most numerous: Fulani and Hausa 29%, Yoruba 21%, for 18%, Ijo 10%, Ibibio 3.5%, Tiv 2.5%, Bini, etc. About 50% of believers are Muslims , 40% - Christians (mostly Protestants), 10% - adhere to traditional beliefs. Official language Nigerian - English. The actual resettlement of peoples and tribes does not coincide with the division of the country into states, which has repeatedly led to armed conflicts. There is also division between Christians and Muslims. In states where Muslims are in power, the judiciary is based on Sharia law. The population density of Nigeria is 144.9 people/km2. Urban population 39%.

Climate, relief and natural resources of Nigeria.

From the south, Nigeria is washed by the Gulf of Guinea, in the northeast it goes to the shores of Lake Chad. The Niger River with the Benue tributary divides the country into two parts: to the south of their valleys, most of the territory is occupied by the Maritime Plain, and low plateaus extend to the north. The coastal plain is formed by sediments of rivers and stretches for hundreds of kilometers from west to east. To the north, the area gradually rises and passes into stepped plateaus (Yoruba, Udi, Jos, etc.) with heights in the central part up to 2042 m (Vogel Peak on the Shebshi Plateau) and numerous remnant rocks. In the northwest, the plateaus merge into the Sokoto Plain (basin of the river of the same name), and in the northeast into the Bornu Plain.

The climate of Nigeria in almost the entire territory of Nigeria is equatorial, monsoonal. The rainiest and coolest month is August. The greatest amount of precipitation (up to 4000 mm per year) falls in the Niger Delta, in the extreme northeast - only 500 mm. The driest period is winter, when the harmattan wind blows from the northeast, bringing the heat of the day and sharp diurnal temperature changes.

Nigeria is characterized by both savannas and tropical forests. Once tropical rainforests occupied most of its territory, but now they are distributed only in the Maritime Plain and in river valleys. Deciduous dry tropical forests are widespread in the north of the forest zone. Almost half of the country's territory is occupied by tall-grass (wet Guinean) savannah, alternating with areas of park savannahs (with sparse trees - kaya, isoberlinia, mitragina). To the north of the zone of tall grass savannah, the dry Sudanese savannah stretches with characteristic umbrella acacias, baobabs and thorny bushes. In the extreme north-east of the country, the so-called Sahelian savanna with sparse vegetation stretches. And only off the shores of Lake Chad is an abundance of lush greenery, thickets of reeds and papyrus.

The wildlife of Nigeria is just as diverse, preserved in national parks and reserves (in particular, in the Yankari Reserve, on the Bauchi Plateau). Elephants, giraffes, rhinos, leopards, hyenas, numerous antelopes (including the forest pygmy antelope dikdik) are widespread, large herds of buffalo are found, in some places the scaly anteater, chimpanzee and gorilla, monkeys, baboons, pottos have been preserved. The world of birds is rich in forests, savannahs, especially along river banks.

Economy and Industry of Nigeria.

The economy of Nigeria is based on the oil industry and agriculture. Despite being the 13th largest oil producer in the world, its GNP per capita is $310 (1999).

Tin, limestone and natural gas are also mined in significant quantities in Nigeria. Tungsten, tantalum, thorium, zircon, uranium, polymetallic ores, gold, etc. are also mined. Agriculture accounts for up to two-fifths of GDP and employs up to 50% of the economically active population. Cocoa, rubber and palm kernels are the only export crops. For domestic consumption, cassava, yams and sweet potatoes, sorghum and millet, corn, and rice are grown. Other crops are peanuts, oil palm, cotton. An important role in crop production is played by the cultivation of legumes, sugarcane, vegetables and fruits.

Animal husbandry in Nigeria is extensive. OK. 90% of livestock is concentrated in the northern part of the country (where there is no tsetse fly). The traditional dressing of leather is preserved, the leather made from goats is especially valued - “red morocco”. Domestic production is not enough to feed a rapidly growing population and Nigeria is an importer of food, especially grain.

Approximately an eighth of Nigeria is covered by forests and the country has the necessary potential for the development of the forest industry, but predatory deforestation has hampered the development of this industry and has been the cause of catastrophic droughts since the 1960s.

Despite the growth in production, the manufacturing industry remains largely small-scale. With the help of the USSR, a metallurgical plant was built in Ajaokuta. The assembly lines of the Volkswagen, Peugeot, and Fiat factories are functioning.

History of Nigeria.

On the territory of modern Nigeria in ancient times there were cultures of the Iron Age. In the Middle Ages, the Hausa states of Kanem-Bornu, Benin and others were formed on the territory of Nigeria. They were destroyed by the Fulani nomads who formed their own emirate. In the 15th century The Portuguese landed on the coast of the Gulf of Guinea and began the slave trade. The coast became known as the Slave Coast. In the 17th century The British replaced the Portuguese.

In the second half of the 19th - early 20th centuries. The colonial conquest of Nigeria by Great Britain was completed (since 1914 it was called the “Nigeria Colony and Protectorate”). October 1, 1960 Nigeria received the status of an independent state. October 1, 1963 - federal republic. Since 1966, a period of military coups began. In May 1967, Eastern Nigeria announced its separation from the rest of the country and the proclamation of the independent state of Biafra. In the ensuing three-year civil war The separatists were defeated and capitulated. In 1976-1985, several military regimes changed, and corruption grew. In 1993, the military regime of General S. Abacha was introduced in the country, political parties were dissolved, censorship was introduced, and an attempt was made to carry out reforms under the control of the IMF.

In 1998, after the death of General Abacha, power passed to General O. Obasanjo (previously led the country (1976-1979)). Obasanjo started new stage reforms, conducted an investigation of corruption (in particular, he announced that General Abacha and his entourage had hidden $1 billion in secret accounts). The determining factor is the presence of transnational corporations in Nigeria (Royal Dutch-Shell controls all oil production) and the corruption of officials (in this indicator, Nigeria is in first place in the world). The federal government of Nigeria has little influence in states with a predominantly Muslim population.

Nigeria- a state in West Africa, bordering in the north with Niger, in the east - with Chad and Cameroon, in the west - with Benin. In the south it is washed by the Gulf of Guinea.

The country's name comes from the Niger River, which means "flowing water" in Tuareg.

Capital

Square

Population

110532 thousand people

Administrative division

Nigeria is a federation of 30 states and the metropolitan area of ​​Abuja.

Form of government

Republic.

head of state

President elected for a term of 5 years.

supreme legislative body

Bicameral Parliament (House of Representatives and Senate).

Supreme executive body

Government.

Big cities

Lagos, Ibadan.

Official language

English.

Religion

50% - Muslims, 40% - Christians, 10% - pagans.

Ethnic composition

21% Hausa, 20% Yoruba, 17% Ibo, 9% Fulani. In addition, about 250 ethnic groups live in Nigeria.

Currency

Naira = 100 kobo.

Climate

There are two distinct climatic zones on the territory of Nigeria. Along the coast, the climate is hot and very humid throughout the year. In the north of the country, the temperature varies significantly depending on the time of year, the humidity becomes less. Average annual temperatures exceed + 25 °С. In the Niger Delta, precipitation is up to 4000 mm per year, in the far north - no more than 500 mm.

Flora

In the southern zone, dense tropical forests grow, dominated by mahogany and oil palms. In the savannah area, forests are replaced by dense grass cover with baobabs and tamarinds. Semi-desert vegetation prevails in the far north.

Fauna

In swampy areas and tropical forests in the south of the country lives a large number of snakes and crocodiles. In the north you can meet antelopes, camels and hyenas.

Rivers and lakes

The largest river is the Niger and its tributaries the Benue, Kaduna and Sokoto. Lake Chad is partially located in Nigeria.

Attractions

In Lagos - the National Museum of Nigeria, which houses the richest collection of art objects from almost all periods of the country's development, museums in Benin City, Ibadane, Ilorin, Jos and Kaduna are also of interest.

Useful information for tourists

Ocean beaches, located on the coast of the Gulf of Guinea, are magnificent, but very dirty and practically not equipped. It can be said that there are no seaside resorts, although beaches of sand of different shades stretch for many hundreds of kilometers. A unique natural monument of Nigeria is the Jos Plateau, which is remnant rocks rising from the greenery of the jungle with flat tops and almost sheer slopes, eaten away by erosion.
It is forbidden to export weapons, drugs, food in large quantities, exotic plants, animals and birds. Antiques and art, items made of gold and precious metals are subject to mandatory customs control. For the export of animal skins, ivory and crocodile skin products, an appropriate permit is required. When importing pets, you must have a veterinary certificate with a mark of vaccination against rabies and permission from the country's veterinary service.

The climate of almost the entire territory of Nigeria is equatorial, monsoonal. Average annual temperatures exceed 25 °C everywhere. In the north, the hottest months are March-June, in the south - April, when the temperature reaches 30-32 ° C, and the rainiest and coolest month is August. Most rainfall (up to 4000 mm per year) falls in the Niger Delta, in the central part of the country - 1000–1400 mm, and in the extreme northeast - only 500 mm. The driest period is winter, when the harmattan wind blows from the northeast, bringing the heat of the day and sharp daily temperature changes. (during the day the air warms up to 40 ° C or more, and at night the temperature drops to 10 ° C).

Nature

The Niger River with the Benue tributary divides the country into two parts: to the south of their valleys, most of the territory is occupied by the Maritime Plain, and low plateaus extend to the north. The coastal plain is formed by sediments of rivers and stretches for hundreds of kilometers from west to east.

To the north, the terrain gradually rises and turns into a stepped plateau. (Yoruba, Udi, Jos, etc.) with heights in the central part up to 2042 m (Peak Vogel on the Shebshi Plateau) and numerous remnant rocks that rise in bizarre columns above the hilly surface of the plateau. In the northwest, the plateau merges into the Sokoto Plain. (basin of the river of the same name), and in the northeast - into the plain of Bornu.

Nigeria is a country of forests and savannas. Once tropical rainforests occupied most of its territory, but cutting down and burning for crops have reduced their area. Now tropical forests with trees up to 45 m high woven with vines are common only on the Primorsky Plain and in river valleys. In the north of the forest zone, where there is less rainfall (up to 1600 mm), deciduous dry tropical forests are common. Almost half of the country's territory is occupied by tall grass (wet guinea) savanna interspersed with patches of park savanna (with sparse trees - kaya, isoberlinia, mitragina).

In the rainy season, tall grasses can cover not only a person, but also a large animal. During the dry period, the savannah looks lifeless and burnt out. To the north of the zone of tall grass savannah, the dry Sudanese savannah stretches with characteristic umbrella acacias, baobabs and thorny bushes. In the extreme north-east of the country, where rains are a rarity, the so-called Sahelian savanna with sparse vegetation spreads. And only off the shores of Lake Chad the picture changes dramatically: here is the kingdom of lush greenery, thickets of reeds and papyrus.

The fauna of Nigeria is just as diverse, especially well preserved in national parks and reserves. (in particular, in the Yankari Reserve, on the Bauchi Plateau). Elephants, giraffes, rhinos, leopards, hyenas, numerous antelopes are widespread. (including the dikdik forest pygmy antelope weighing no more than 3 kg), there are large herds of buffaloes, in some places the scaly anteater, chimpanzee and even gorilla are preserved, not to mention monkeys, baboons, lemurs. The world of birds is bright and rich in forests, savannahs, especially along river banks.

Population

Among the 190 million population of Nigeria, there are more than 200 different ethnic groups who speak different languages. The most numerous are the peoples for (or Igbo), yorubo, hausa, edo, ibibio, tiv. The traditional culture of the country, the clothes and life of its inhabitants are just as diverse, which, along with exotic nature, is the main attraction of Nigeria. Colored mats, calabash, homespun clothes, wood and bronze items are readily purchased by tourists.

Big cities

In Nigeria, a lot is relatively major cities, although many of them look like huge villages. The capital of the country - Lagos, with more than a million inhabitants, was founded by Europeans four hundred years ago. Now it is a modern city, a major port and an industrial center. There is a university, ethnographic and archaeological museums well-appointed hotels. Ibadan (about 1.3 million inhabitants) - main city Yoruba people, excellent weavers and carvers in metal and wood. Ibadan arose in the 18th century, in the old part of the city the fortress walls were preserved. Benin City preserves ancient traditions: numerous religious holidays are especially picturesque here. Ife is a well-known center of African art, bronze and terracotta items are especially interesting, old examples of which are kept in the local museum. In the north of the country, the city of Kano, which has existed for more than a thousand years, is interesting with a grandiose mosque, an ancient palace of the emir (the inhabitants of Kano practice Islam) and a well-known bazaar throughout Africa. Other major cities are Port Harcourt, Aba, Enugu, Onich, Calabar, Zaria, Kaduna, Katsina, Ilorine, Maiduguri, Jos. Some of them were built relatively recently, others have a long history.

Economy

Nigeria belongs to the group of the poorest countries in the world. The basis of the economy is the oil industry (85% of foreign exchange earnings - 2005). Considerable scales of "shadow" business are noted. About 60% of the population is below the poverty line. GDP per capita in 2005 was $390 (according to the World Bank (WB).

Story

Many of the modern peoples of Nigeria migrated to its territory from the north 4 thousand years ago. Around 2000 B.C. the majority of the autochthonous population adopted some farming and animal domestication skills from the newcomers. The transition to settled agriculture led to the creation of permanent settlements that served as a defense against external enemies. It was in such villages that the creators of the 2000 BC settlement lived. Nok culture. Numerous evidences found in the North allow us to conclude that the people of the Nok culture were familiar with the technology of smelting and processing tin and iron. These skills allowed them not only to revolutionize agricultural production, but also to start making weapons with which to conquer territories and create larger political entities.

The first large centralized state in the territory of Northern Nigeria was Kanem-Bornu, the emergence of which dates back to the end of the 8th century. AD Initially, it was located outside modern Nigeria to the north of the lake. Chad, but then quickly expanded its borders south into Bornu territory. By the 13th century Kanem-Bornu was known in Egypt, Tunisia and Fezzan. The basis of the welfare of the state was its intermediary role in the trans-Saharan trade in salt, beads, fabrics, swords, horses and European goods from North Africa, which were exchanged for ivory and slaves. To the west, the states of Katsina and Kano, rivals of Kanem-Born in the trans-Saharan trade, were the most significant of the seven Hausa states that emerged at different times in the early 2nd millennium AD. Other Hausa states are Daura, Gobir, Rano, Biram and Zaria, the latter being a major supplier of slaves. Despite the legend of origin from the same ancestor and the similarity of cultural traditions, the Hausa states developed autonomously and sometimes even fought with each other. Kano and most of the east of the Hausan lands were tributaries of Kanem-Bornu.

Both in Kanem-Bornu and in the states of the Hausa, there was a well-functioning system of state administration, the population regularly paid taxes, there was a standing army, the striking force of which was cavalry. By the 15th century in the states of this region, Islam was strengthened, brought here through the desert by Muslim merchants. Starting from the 12th century. all the Mai, the rulers of Bornu, were Muslims. The influence of Islam in the Hausa states affected the system of government and justice, and also contributed to the creation of a Muslim elite.

In the first two decades of the 16th c. the great Songhai empire, which sought to establish control over all the Hausa states, turned Kano and Katsina into its tributaries. In 1516-1517, the vassal of the Songhais of Kant, the ruler of Kebbi, after an attack on the state of Air, proclaimed himself a sovereign ruler and subjugated all the lands of the Hausa. This caused a conflict between Kanta and the ruler of Bornu, and he twice defeated Bornu's army. After Kant's death in 1526, the alliance of the Hausa states collapsed, and the threat to Bornu's western borders disappeared.

Around 1483, after two centuries of internal strife, the capital of Kanema-Bornu was moved to Ngazargama in what is now Nigeria. In the 16th century Kanem-Bornu strengthened its positions, and after the collapse of the Songhai empire, as a result of the invasion of Moroccan troops in 1591, it became the most powerful state in Western Sudan. The apogee of the development of this state fell on the reign of Mai Idris Aluma (d. 1617), known as a reformer of Islam and a skilled military leader.

The disunity of the Hausa states persisted throughout the 16th and 17th centuries. During this period, their main rivals were the states of Nupe, Borgu and Quorofa located to the south.

In the southern part of modern Nigeria, two great empires flourished, Oyo and Benin. The state apparatus of these empires was as developed and well-established as that of the states of the North, but the forests made it difficult to contact the outside world, and horses could not be used because of the tse-tse fly.

The founders of the dynasties that ruled in Oyo and Benin came from Ife, which became world famous thanks to the bronze and terracotta items found on its territory. Benin already existed as a state formation when its rulers invited Prince Ife Oranyan to the kingdom, who became the founder of the dynasty of kings of Benin. Faced with difficulties in governing Benin, Oranyan handed over power to his son, born in a marriage with a Benin, and he himself settled in Oyo.

By the 17th century the rulers of Oyo managed to establish control over most of the Yoruba and Dahomey. The power of Alafin, the ruler of Oyo, was directly dependent on the combat capability of a large regular army. The states subordinate to Oyo were ruled by local rulers, who were controlled by the permanent representative of the alafin. In the 18th century Oyo faced the problem of maintaining its power over the vassal states, most notably Dahomey. The situation was complicated by an internal struggle for power, which was fought between Alafin and his council, led by the Bashorun.

Oyo sought to expand its influence in a westerly direction, and the kings of Benin were interested in areas south and east of the river. Niger. At the end of the 15th century, when the Portuguese explorer d "Aveiro visited here (1486) , Benin was at the zenith of its power. The state had a complexly organized administrative apparatus, a large regular army and a highly developed art of bronze casting. The Portuguese began trading with Benin by buying pepper, but soon switched to trading in slaves. For a long time, slaves were bought and sold in Benin and the rest of the coast.

Benin had everything necessary for the slave trade. His army conquered neighboring nations, and the captives were sold to European slave traders. Before the beginning of the slave trade, there were no centralized states in the eastern part of the coast. The small communities of Ijo fishermen who hunted in the channels of the Niger Delta supplied salt and dried fish to the ibi and ibibio of the hinterland in exchange for vegetables and tools. However, during the period of the slave trade, some of the fishing settlements turned into small city-states. The prosperity of the state of Bonny, New Calabar and Okrika was based on the exchange of imported European goods - fabrics, metal products, tools, cheap salt, which was used in ships as ballast, and dried fish from Norway - for slaves and vegetables from the hinterland. Farther to the east, in the upper reaches of the Cross River, the Efik, for the convenience of trade with Europeans, created a union of cities known as Old Calabar.

The main supplier of slaves was the Aro, one of the groups of the Ibo people. Using their control over the feared oracle of Aro-Chukwu, the Aro could move freely throughout the territory inhabited by the Ibo, while the other Ibo did not feel safe outside their home village or alliance of villages. By bringing trade under their control and gaining access to European goods, the aro strengthened their position as priest-merchants. Slaves came not only from the near hinterland, but also from the areas downstream of the Niger and Benue. The Africans disposed of the slaves until the moment they were brought to the coast, where they were sold to European slave traders.

Two events in the first decade of the 19th century, one internal and the other external, changed the situation in Nigeria. In 1807 Great Britain banned the slave trade. In 1804, Osman dan Fodio started a jihad, a holy war, in the Hausani lands. Dan Fodio, unlike the Fulbe nomads, lived in the city, was an orthodox theologian, and over time began to criticize the incorrect, in his opinion, application of the norms of Islam. After the ruler Gobir began to persecute Osman dan Fodio and his followers in 1804 for their reformist ideas, the latter declared jihad against the Hausan rulers. Osman dan Fodio relied on oppressed Hausa peasants and Fulbe nomads. When he died, his supporters conquered almost all of the Hausa lands, and the traditional ruling dynasties of the Hausan states were overthrown. His son Bello became the first Caliph of the Sokoto Caliphate, which continued to expand southward. Using internal strife in the Oyo empire, Sokoto captured part of its territory. The main obstacle to the territorial expansion of Sokoto was the state of Bornu, ruled by the reformer al-Kanemi, who after 1811 successfully repelled all the Fulani invasions. The reformation of Islam became a determining factor in the strengthening of the Fulbe empire, and in the 19th century, during the period of Fulbe domination in Northern Nigeria, there came a flourishing of Muslim culture unprecedented in the history of Western Sudan.

The prohibition of the slave trade by Great Britain, hitherto the largest buyer of slaves on the West African coast, and the use of British ships in the fight against slave traders did not at all lead to a cessation of the export of slaves. If the states of the Niger Delta and the population of their hinterland switched to the palm oil trade, then the result of the Fulbe conquests and internal clashes in the Yoruba lands was the appearance of a significant number of slaves. One of the main markets for these slaves was Lagos, and Great Britain captured this island in 1861. By 1884, the British National African Company established an almost complete monopoly on the palm oil trade in the Niger Valley, and British missionaries, educators of the future Nigerian elite, settled in Southern Nigeria. British consuls intervened in civil strife in the Niger Delta region, British troops were periodically sent to the Yoruba lands to stop internal clashes. At the Berlin Conference of 1884–1885, Great Britain demanded recognition of its right to the territory of modern Nigeria. In many respects, this became possible thanks to the energetic actions of the head of the National African Company, George Goldie, who managed to conclude a number of agreements beneficial for Great Britain with local rulers. Somewhat later, heading the privileged Royal Niger Company (KNK), Goldie received a royal charter to govern the new territories.

In 1885-1904, Great Britain established control over most of Nigeria, and by 1906, it already controlled the entire territory of modern Nigeria .. A significant part of the Yoruba lands, weakened by internecine wars, were annexed to the Lagos colony. Areas outside the KNK administration in the southeast were taken over by the authorities of the Niger Coast Protectorate. Often such seizures were carried out with the help of military force, an example is the occupation of Benin in 1896.

In northern Nigeria, Lugard introduced a system of indirect control, i.e. used the local ruling nobility in the colonial administration, the so-called. "native authorities". Their duty was to collect taxes, while part of the funds raised went to finance the "native authorities" themselves. In 1914, the protectorates of Northern Nigeria and Southern Nigeria were merged into one administrative unit in order to create a unified railway system and redistribute funds in favor of the North.

The unification of the two protectorates did not bring Southern and Northern Nigeria closer, since two independent administrations continued to operate there, the work of which was coordinated by the governor of Nigeria, who led several all-Nigerian departments. During the First World War, the system of indirect control was extended to Western Nigeria. On the territory of Eastern Nigeria, it was introduced in 1929, after the unrest in Aba, when the British realized the fallacy of governing through appointed leaders who were not connected with the system of traditional power.

With the exception of the Legislative Council of Southern Nigeria, created in 1922, to which four representatives of the local population were elected, there were no elected bodies of power in Nigeria. This situation continued until 1946, when the first of the three constitutions that preceded the independence of Nigeria was introduced. By this time, significant progress had been made in the development of the colony's economy. Export-import trade flourished, which was almost entirely controlled by European trading companies and Lebanese traders. Railways connected Lagos and Port Harcourt with the North, a network of roads ran between East and West and between North and South, significant volumes of peanuts were transported by water along the Niger and Benue. Palm oil, peanuts, tin, cotton, cocoa beans and timber were exported to Europe. There was a process of formation of the Nigerian liberation movement, which was largely facilitated by the opportunities that opened up for Nigerians to go abroad and see the world with their own eyes, as well as anti-colonial sentiments that intensified during the Second World War. Nigerian politicians demanded not only to accelerate the country's economic development, but also to provide them with greater opportunities to participate in governance. Both of these demands were accepted by the UK.

In 1947, the metropolis allocated appropriations for the implementation of a ten-year plan for the economic development of Nigeria, and in 1946 the Nigerian constitution came into force. The constitution was criticized by anti-colonial Nigerian politicians, who rightly saw in the creation of separate Legislative Councils for the North, West and East the intention to preserve the fragmentation of Nigeria. The procedure for selecting members of regional legislative councils, where the majority was guaranteed to representatives of the "native authorities", was also criticized.

The new constitution of 1951 retained the principle of regional legislative councils, but provided for the election of their members. The British policy of regionalization contributed to the emergence of regional-ethnic political parties. After the abolition in 1952 of the constitution that did not last a year, representatives of all three major political parties in Nigeria drafted the constitution of 1954, which strengthened the position of the regions. After some amendments, it was this constitution that became the main document, according to which Nigeria became an independent state on October 1, 1960, and in 1963 it was proclaimed a republic.

The first government of independent Nigeria was based on a coalition of the NCPC and CNC parties, Abubakar Tafawa Baleva, a representative of the CNC, became the prime minister. After Nigeria was declared a republic in 1963, Azikiwe assumed the presidency. The opposition was represented by the Action Group led by Obafemi Awolowo. The regional governments were headed: in the North - by the leader of the SNK Ahmadu Bello, in the West - by S. Akintola from the Action Group and in the East - by the representative of the NSNK M. Okpara. In 1963, a fourth region, the Midwest, was formed on the territory of the eastern part of Western Nigeria. In the elections held in 1964 in this region, the NCPC won.

In the early 1960s, the political alliances formed during the struggle for independence fell apart amid growing instability. In January 1965, a new federal government was formed, which included representatives of the Council of People's Commissars, the NNDP, and the National People's Commissariat of People's Commissars, while Baleva retained the post of prime minister. A new political crisis erupted in October 1965 when, as a result of fraudulent elections in the Western Region, the PNDP returned to power, which provoked a wave of unrest in that part of the country.

In January 1966, a group of army officers, predominantly Ibo, staged a military coup. The federal government handed over the reins of government to the commander of the Nigerian army, Major General J. Agiyi-Ironsi, also for. In May, the military government issued decrees banning political parties and making Nigeria a unitary state. The four existing regions were divided into provinces. These measures confirmed the fears of the northerners regarding the threat of the hegemony of the ibo, and a wave of pogroms swept through the North. At the end of July, army units, consisting mainly of northerners, carried out a new military coup, during which Aguiyi-Ironsi and a number of other officers were killed. On August 1, lieutenant colonel became the head of state and government (later general) Yakubu Gowon. In September, the government issued a decree returning the country to a federal system, and a constitutional conference was held in Lagos at the suggestion of Gowon to work out a formula acceptable to all for maintaining unity. But persecution resumed in the North, thousands of people were killed, which led to a mass exodus to the East. In this situation, the representatives of Eastern Nigeria left the conference. In Aburi, Ghana, Gowon met with the head of the regional government of Eastern Nigeria, Lieutenant Colonel Odumegwu Ojukwu. Gowon agreed to implement a radical decentralization of the federal system, but the corresponding agreement never entered into force. On May 27, 1967, on behalf of the regional government, Ojukwu announced the creation of an independent Republic of Biafra in Eastern Nigeria, after which Gowon declared a state of emergency in the country and divided the territory of Nigeria into 12 states, three of which were in the East. Three days later, Biafra seceded from Nigeria. In July, with artillery and air support, federal troops launched an offensive against Biafra. The federal troops quickly established control over areas inhabited not by the for, but by the for themselves put up a desperate resistance, despite massive starvation due to the blockade of ports. January 15, 1970 Biafra surrendered.

Having ended the internecine war, Gowon set about resolving interethnic conflicts and restoring the destruction caused by the war. However, Gowon failed to fulfill his promises - to return the country to civilian rule by 1976 and put an end to corruption. In July 1975, as a result of a bloodless military coup, he was removed from power. Brigadier General Murtala Muhammad became the new president of Nigeria and the commander of its army.

Muhammad's government was in power c. 200 days, but managed to do a lot. The controversial results of the 1973 census were annulled, a broad campaign was carried out to cleanse the state apparatus and the army of corrupt officials, the number of states was increased, and a decision was made to create a new federal capital territory. In February 1976, Muhammad was assassinated in a failed military coup. Lt. Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo, who replaced Muhammad as head of state, reaffirmed the continuity of the political course and the intention of his government to ensure the transition to civilian rule in a timely manner. In 1979 a new constitution came into force, providing for the direct election of the president and head of the executive branch. Northern Muslim Shehu Shagari won the elections in August.

Shagari's attempts to increase food production by increasing investment in agriculture have had some success. But other plans for economic development could not be realized, because due to the global decline in production in 1981, government revenues from the sale of oil began to decrease. Some projects had to be completely abandoned, some were frozen or implemented on a smaller scale, such as the construction of a new federal capital in Abuja. In order to create jobs for Nigerians, two million West Africans were expelled from the country in early 1983. (half of them are from Ghana).

In mid-1983, elections were held, accompanied by numerous violations, and Shagari again became president. On the night of December 31, 1983, a coup took place in Nigeria - the fourth in the history of the country. Some articles of the constitution were suspended, and political parties were dissolved. Major General Muhammad Bukhari became the head of the federal military government. Buhari was overthrown in another military coup in August 1985, and the state was headed by Major General Ibrahim Babangida. Appealing to the national feelings of the Nigerians, the Babangida government refused to continue negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on the provision of Nigeria a loan in the amount of 2.5 billion dollars.

In his eight years of rule, Babangida made some progress in consolidating central authority, created nine new states, and dealt harshly with political opponents. The continued fall in world oil prices contributed to the destabilization of the situation in the country. Participants in the attempted military coups in 1985 and 1990 were executed, and the five-year timetable for a return to civilian rule, the "Third Republic", was repeatedly extended. Some Muslim groups advocated the creation of an Islamic state in the country, which did not meet with a sharp rebuff from the military government, the majority of which were northerners. In October 1989, two political parties were created by government decree (the military believed that two parties were enough for the country), which was supposed to somehow reduce the intensity of contradictions between the three main ethnic regions. In all elections between 1990–1992, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) won victories over the slightly more conservative National Republican Convention.

The protracted transition period to civilian rule ended with the June 12, 1993 presidential election. Voter turnout was low, but voting went smoothly. The final official results of the election were never released, but Moshud Abiola, a wealthy Yoruba entrepreneur, is believed to have won. His victory is notable for several reasons. First, for the first time since the late 1970s, a non-Northern leader has taken over, and for the first time in Nigerian history, a civilian from the southern states has led the government. Nevertheless, Abiola enjoyed strong support from the population of all regions of Nigeria, including the North, the homeland of his rival Bashir Tofa.

However, despite the historical significance of these elections, further events took an unexpected turn: on June 23, the military leadership of Nigeria announced the annulment of their results. Throughout the summer, the country, especially its southwestern part, the birthplace of Abiola, was paralyzed by numerous strikes and strikes. The political crisis eventually forced Babangida to hand over power to the Provisional National Government on August 26, 1993. The head of government, Ernst Schonekan, was unable to withstand the political crisis and, as a result of a military coup carried out on November 17, 1993 by Defense Minister Sani Abacha, was removed from power.

Rule of Abacha (1993–1998) turned out to be the darkest period in the history of independent Nigeria. Initially, Abacha enjoyed significant support from many prominent political figures, due in part to his lack of a clear political agenda. However, over the course of a year, the civilian ministers in the Abacha government were gradually removed from important matters, and it became clear that a harsh personal dictatorship reigned in the country. The most striking manifestation of the political evolution of the new head of Nigeria was the imprisonment of M. Abiola. Abiola actively advocated the recognition of the results of the presidential elections, and on June 12, 1994, on the first anniversary of the elections, he proclaimed himself the legitimate president of Nigeria and was arrested. In support of Abiola, in the summer of 1994 workers in the gas and oil industries launched a strike that paralyzed the entire country for nine weeks, but was put down by force.

Abachi's successor, General Abdusalam Abubakar, disassociated himself from the abuses of the former regime. Political prisoners were released, and the new authorities began to review the program for the transition to democratic rule. However, two main problems remained unresolved: the annulled results of the June 12 elections and the imprisonment of Moshud Abiola. On July 7, a few days before his intended release, Abiola died of a heart attack. Although the autopsy conducted by international experts did not reveal signs of violent death, many attributed the death of Abiola to the poor conditions in which he was kept in custody for four years. The political tension that arose after the death of Abiola subsided after July 20, when General Abubakar announced a new program for the transition to civilian rule, according to which power in Nigeria was to be transferred to a civilian government elected on May 29, 1999. With the liberalization of the domestic political situation, prominent Nigerian dissidents began to return from exile to their homeland. In particular, Wole Shoyinka visited Nigeria in October. The US and UK governments welcomed the new democracy transition agenda and began discussing the possibility of lifting the sanctions. Abubakar was invited to speak at the UN and also visited South Africa.

On February 28, 1999, presidential elections were held in Nigeria. The victory was won by the candidate from the People's Democratic Party, the former head of state, retired General Olusegun Obosanjo, who collected over 60% of the vote.

Nigeria is located in West Africa. This is the most populated state on the continent and one of its most powerful economies. In this article we will talk O state structure Nigeria, population, language features, major cities and attractions of the country.

Nigeria on the map of Africa: geographical features

The area of ​​the country is 924 thousand square kilometers (10th place on the continent in terms of size). The state is located on the coast of the Gulf of Guinea (region - West Africa). Nigeria shares borders with four other countries: Niger, Benin, Cameroon and Chad. It is curious that with last country the border is exclusively water - it passes through the lake of the same name.

853 kilometers - this is the total length of the coastline of the state of Nigeria. You can also see on the map that the coast of the country is densely indented with deep bays, lagoons and numerous channels. According to them, by the way, ships can pass from the border with Benin and up to the border with Cameroon without leaving the oceans. The largest ports in Nigeria are Lagos, Port Harcourt, Bonnie.

The two largest rivers of the country (Niger and its left tributary Benue) divide Nigeria into two parts: southern (flat) and northern (slightly elevated, plateau). The highest point - Mount Chappal Waddi (2419 meters) - is located near the border with Cameroon.

The capital of Nigeria and the largest cities

In Nigeria today there are two hundred cities. Ten of them can be considered millionaires.

Lagos is the largest city not only in Nigeria, but in all of Africa. According to various estimates, from 10 to 21 million people live in it. Until 1991, it was the capital of Nigeria. About 50% of the entire industrial potential of the country is still concentrated here.

About 100 kilometers north of Lagos is another Big City- Ibadan. It is home to at least 2.5 million people, most of whom are representatives of the Yoruba people. In northern Nigeria, the largest locality is Kano.

The capital of Nigeria, the city of Abuja, is only the eighth in terms of population in the state. By the end of the 20th century, Lagos was heavily overpopulated. Therefore, the country's authorities decided to move the capital inland. The choice fell on the small town of Abuja, located within the picturesque Jos Plateau. Specialist architects from Japan were invited to design the new capital. Today, Abuja houses the residence of the country's president, government offices, a university and several research institutes.

Features of the state structure

De jure, the Federal Republic of Nigeria is a democratic multi-party state, although de facto all power in the country belongs to one People's Democratic Party (PDP). The Nigerian Parliament consists of two houses. The total number of deputies is 469 people. Parliament is re-elected every four years.

The President of Nigeria is considered the head of state and leads He is elected for four years by direct and secret popular vote.

The Federal Republic of Nigeria gained its independence in 1960. Prior to that, it was one of the British colonies. The modern country is divided into 36 states and one metropolitan area.

Coat of arms, flag and national currency

"Unity and faith, peace and progress" - this is the slogan that contains the official coat of arms of Nigeria, approved in 1979. It looks like a black shield with a white forked cross in the center. By the configuration of this cross, the direction (drawing) of the two main rivers of Nigeria on the map is guessed - Niger and Benue. Silver horses support the shield on both sides, and a red eagle proudly sits above it - a symbol of strength and greatness. The coat of arms of Nigeria is located on a green meadow, which is dotted with the national flower of this country - Costus spectabilis.

It was approved even earlier - in October 1960. The cloth consists of three vertical stripes - white in the center (symbolizing peace) and two green on the sides (symbolizing the natural wealth of Nigeria). This version was developed by a student at the University of Ibadan, Michael Akinkunmi. In his original design, the white stripe also had the sun, but the commission decided to remove this element.

The national currency of Nigeria is the Nigerian Naira, which includes coins and banknotes of different denominations. On the money of this African country, you can see various traditional images: women with jugs on their heads, local folk drummers, fishermen and buffaloes, as well as some natural attractions. The Nigerian coin is called the kobo.

Population, religions and languages

About 180 million people live in Nigeria today. Demographers predict that by the middle of this century, the state may enter the top five world-leading countries in terms of population (now Nigeria ranks only seventh in this indicator). On average, one Nigerian woman gives birth to 4-5 children in her life.

The Federal Republic of Nigeria has not very rosy demographics. Thus, the country ranks third in the world in terms of HIV infection, 10th in terms of life expectancy, Nigeria is 220th in the world.

The country has a very difficult religious composition of the population: 40% are Christians, 50% are Muslims. On this basis, clashes, murders and terrorist attacks often occur in the state. One of the main sources of religious terror in Nigeria is the radical organization Boko Haram, which advocates the introduction of Sharia throughout the country.

More than 500 languages ​​are spoken in Nigeria. The most common of them are Efik, Yoruba, Edo, Igba, Hausa. They are mainly used for private communication, some are even studied in schools (in certain regions of the country). The official language of Nigeria is English.

Economy and standard of living in Nigeria

Nigeria's modern economy can be summed up in one word: oil. The largest deposits in all of Africa have been explored here. National economy, incomes and the financial system of the republic are closely connected with the production of this natural wealth. The state budget Nigeria is 80% filled by the sale of oil and petroleum products.

Despite the presence of rich deposits of "black gold", Nigerians live in extreme poverty. More than 80% of the country's population subsist on two dollars a day. At the same time, the problem of shortage of water and electricity is very acute in the state.

Tourism is an important component of the national economy. There is something to see in Nigeria: virgin rainforests, savannahs, waterfalls and a huge number of historical and cultural monuments. However, the development of tourism infrastructure remains at a very low level.

Industry and foreign trade

About 70% of the working population of Nigeria is employed in the industrial sector. Here they are engaged in the extraction of oil, coal and tin, produce cotton, rubber products, textiles, palm oil and cement. Developed food, chemical industry, as well as the production of shoes.

Oil was discovered in Nigeria at the beginning of the 20th century. Today, a number of transnational corporations, as well as the National Oil Company of the country, are engaged in its production. Only a third of the "black gold" extracted from the depths is exported to the United States and Western Europe.

Of course, the lion's share of Nigeria's exports is oil and oil products (almost 95%). Cocoa and rubber are also exported abroad. Nigeria's main trading partners are the USA, Brazil, India, China, the Netherlands, and Spain.

Tourism in Nigeria: features, nuances, dangers

What makes Nigeria attractive for tourists? First of all - its beautiful nature. In this country, you can admire the waterfalls, go to the real jungle or go on a savannah safari. Prices for excursions are usually very low. Local residents do not advise tourists to visit the Niger Delta, as well as the northern regions of the country, where the radical organization Boko Haram is very active.

In general, there are several factors that greatly hinder the development of tourism in the republic. This:

• significant poverty of the population;
• high crime rate;
• frequent religious conflicts and terrorist attacks;
• bad roads.

Nevertheless, tourists come to Nigeria and leave about 10 billion dollars here every year.

The Embassy of Nigeria is located in Moscow, on Malaya Nikitskaya street, 13.

The main tourist attractions of the country

In the Republic of Nigeria, there are two sites that are under the protection of UNESCO: this is the cultural ball of Sukur and the grove of Osun-Osogbo.

In the vicinity of the city of Osogbo, on the banks of the Osun River, there is a unique grove in which you can see sculptures, shrines and other works of art of the Yoruba people. In 2005 it became UNESCO. The grove, in addition to historical and cultural, also has natural value. This is one of the few areas of "high forest" that have survived in southern Nigeria. About 400 plant species grow here.

Interesting for tourists and the capital of the state - Abuja. The most expressive buildings in this city are the building of the Central Bank and the National Mosque. The last one was built in 1984. This is a huge building with a large central dome and four minarets, whose height reaches 120 meters. Interestingly, non-Muslims can also enter this mosque.

Conclusion

The Federal Republic of Nigeria is located in West Africa and has a wide outlet to the Atlantic Ocean. The main wealth of the country is oil, on the extraction of which the entire economy of the state is shaken.

Nigeria has a population of 180 million (as of 2015). About 80% of them live below the poverty line. There are over 500 languages ​​spoken in Nigeria, although English is the official language.