Nigeria: Introduction

Nigeria is a country located in West Africa with a coast on the Gulf of Guinea and Atlantic Ocean. Neighboring countries include Benin, Cameroon, Chad, and Niger. The geography ranges from southern coastal swamps to tropical forests, woodlands, grasslands and semi-desert in the north. The government system is a federal republic. The chief of state and head of government is the President. Nigeria has a mixed economic system in which the economy includes a variety of private freedom, combined with centralized economic planning and government regulation. Nigeria is a member of the African Union (AU) and the African Economic Community (AEC).