eadows and pastures: 23%
forest and woodland: 15%
other: 28%

Irrigated land: 8,650 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment:
current issues: soil degradation; rapid deforestation;
desertification; recent droughts in north severely affecting
marginal agricultural activities
natural hazards: periodic droughts
international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine
Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer
Protection, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Desertification

People
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Population: 103,912,489 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 45% (male 23,455,266; female 23,245,099)
15-64 years: 52% (male 27,645,106; female 26,553,135)
65 years and over: 3% (male 1,522,862; female 1,491,021) (July 1996
est.)

Population growth rate: 3.05% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 42.89 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 12.71 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: 0.34 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.02 male(s)/female
all ages: 1.03 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 72.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 54.34 years
male: 53.06 years
female: 55.65 years (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.24 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Nigerian(s)
adjective: Nigerian

Ethnic divisions: non-Africans 27,000
north: Hausa and Fulani
note: Hausa and Fulani, Yoruba, and Ibos together make up 65% of
population
southwest: Yoruba
southeast: Ibos

Religions: Muslim 50%, Christian 40%, indigenous beliefs 10%

Languages: English (official), Hausa, Yoruba, Ibo, Fulani

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)
total population: 57.1%
male: 67.3%
female: 47.3%

Government
----------

Name of country:
conventional long form: Federal Republic of Nigeria
conventional short form: Nigeria

Data code: NI

Type of government: military government; Nigeria has been ruled by
one military regime after another since 31 December 1983; on 1
October 1995, the present military government announced it will turn
power over to democratically elected civilian authorities in October
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