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NIGERIA

Nigeria has 250 to 400 or more recognized groups, many divided into subgroups of considerable social and political importance. Most important ethnolinguistic categories: Hausa and Fulani in north, Yoruba in southwest, and Igbo in southeast, all internally subdivided. Next major groups: Kanuri, Ibibio, Tiv, and Ijaw.

The number of languages in Nigeria is estimated at 350 to 400, many with dialects. Most important: Hausa, Yoruba, and Igbo. Hausa major language in north. English official language used in government, large-scale business, mass media, and education beyond primary school.
POPULATION GRAPH
Population:
129,934,911
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2002 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 43.6% (male 28,503,211; female 28,156,976)
15-64 years: 53.6% (male 35,418,119; female 34,179,802)
65 years and over: 2.8% (male 1,832,682; female 1,844,121) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.54% (2002 est.)
Birth rate:
39.22 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death rate:
14.1 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Net migration rate:
0.27 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 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: 0.99 male(s)/female
total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
72.49 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 50.59 years
female: 50.6 years (2002 est.)
male: 50.58 years
Total fertility rate:
5.49 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
5.06% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
2.7 million (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
250,000 (1999 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Nigerian(s)
adjective: Nigerian
Ethnic groups:
Nigeria, which is Africa's most populous country, is composed of more than 250 ethnic groups; the following are the most populous and politically influential: Hausa and Fulani 29%, Yoruba 21%, Igbo (Ibo) 18%, Ijaw 10%, Kanuri 4%, Ibibio 3.5%, Tiv 2.5%
Religions:
Muslim 50%, Christian 40%, indigenous beliefs 10%
Languages:
English (official), Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo (Ibo), Fulani
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 57.1%
male: 67.3%
female: 47.3% (1995 est.)