22 Interesting Facts About Nigeria

• Location and Borders: Nigeria is located in West Africa. It is bordered by Benin to the west, Niger to the north, Chad to the northeast, Cameroon to the east, and has a coastline along the Atlantic Ocean to the south.
• Square: The country covers an area of approximately 923,769 square kilometers.
• National Currency: The currency of Nigeria is the Nigerian Naira (NGN).

Interesting Facts About Nigeria:

1. HIV Prevalence: Nigeria is one of the three countries with the highest levels of HIV infection. Nearly every 30th Nigerian is a carrier of the human immunodeficiency virus.
2. Oil Discovery: Oil was discovered in Nigeria in the early 20th century. However, industrial production only began 50 years later. Nigeria is now among the top ten largest oil exporters in the world.
3. Beauty Standards: In Nigeria, thin girls are not considered the standard of beauty. If a girl is very thin, it may indicate that her family or fiancé is poor and cannot afford much food.
4. Independence and Political Turmoil: Nigeria gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1960 and has since experienced numerous military coups.
5. Infant Mortality and Life Expectancy: Despite stable population growth, the country ranks 11th in the world for infant mortality. The average life expectancy here does not exceed fifty years.
6. European Trade: The first Europeans landed on these lands in the 15th century and established trade in exotic fruits and ivory with the native kingdom.
7. Religious Diversity: The distribution of Muslims and Christians in Nigeria is almost equal, but all residents also adhere to local traditional beliefs.
8. Lagos: Lagos, the largest city in Africa, is located in Nigeria, with a population of about twenty-one million people, including the suburbs, which is about ten percent of the country’s population.
9. Economic Strength: Nigeria’s economy is the strongest in Africa, yet most of the population still lives below the poverty line. The largest economic partners of Nigeria are India (accounting for eighteen percent of Nigeria’s exports) and China (twenty-eight percent of imports come from China).
10. Ethnic Diversity: Nigeria is home to more than 250 ethnic groups. The distribution of Muslims and Christians is approximately equal, while the share of local religions has decreased to 1.5% in recent years.
11. Olympic Success: Over the past half-century, Nigerian athletes have successfully participated in the Olympic Games and won dozens of gold medals.
12. Cross River National Park: This park in Nigeria is home to the oldest rainforests on the African continent, housing about twenty percent of the world’s butterflies.
13. Literacy Rates: About one-third of citizens over the age of fifteen are illiterate.
14. Administrative Division: Nigeria is divided into thirty-six states and one federal territory.
15. Nobel Laureate: The first African to receive the Nobel Prize was Nigerian writer Wole Soyinka.
16. Highest Point: The highest point in this country is Chappal Waddi Mountain, with its peak at 2,419 meters. For comparison, Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world, is only 3.5 times higher.
17. Agriculture: Most of the population is engaged in agriculture. Nigeria is a leader in the cultivation of cocoa and yams.
18. Nollywood: Nigeria has one of the largest film industries in the world, known as Nollywood. It produces thousands of movies each year, rivaling Hollywood and Bollywood in terms of output.
19. Population: Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa and the seventh most populous country in the world, with over 200 million people.
20. Languages: Nigeria is linguistically diverse, with over 500 languages spoken across the country. The official language is English, but Hausa, Yoruba, and Igbo are also widely spoken.
21. Youth Population: Nigeria has a young population, with more than 60% of its people under the age of 25. This presents both opportunities and challenges for the country’s development.
22. Sports: Football (soccer) is the most popular sport in Nigeria, and the country has produced many talented players who have achieved success both domestically and internationally. The Nigerian national football team, known as the Super Eagles, has won the Africa Cup of Nations multiple times.