Nigeria, located on the west of the African Continent and bordering the Gulf of Guinea to the north, covers an area of more than 920,000 square kilometers and has a coastline of about 800 km.

The tropical monsoon brings high temperatures and perennial rains to the country which has many rivers.

Its capital is the inland city of Abuja.

With a population of 133 million, it is the most populous country in Africa.

There are over 250 ethnic groups in Nigeria, predominantly the Hausa and Fulani people in the north, the Yoruba in the southwest and the Igbo in the east.

English is the official language and the other major languages include Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo.

Nigeria boasts a civilization of more than 2,000 years. The famous Nok culture and other cultures enable Nigeria to enjoy fame as "the cradle of Black African culture."

In the 15th and 16th centuries, Nigeria was under the control of Portuguese and British colonists. In 1914, it came fully under Britain's colonial dominance.

The country finally gained independence on Oct. 1, 1960, but remained a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. Three years later, the Federal Republic of Nigeria was established.

On the strength of an oil reserve of 35.2 billion barrels and a daily output of 2.5 million barrels, Nigeria is the top oil production country in Africa and ranks the 10th globally. It also holds membership in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries-OPEC.

The oil industry has become the backbone of the nation's economy since the 1970s, currently accounting for 20 to 30 percent of its gross domestic production, 95 percent of its foreign exchange income and 80 percent of government revenue. Oil exports have taken in more than 10 billion U.S. dollars, on average, over the past several years.

In addition to oil, other deposits like natural gas and coal are also in abundance.

Nigerian football players have performed remarkably well internationally.

Nigeria and China established diplomatic relations in 1971. Cooperation over a wide range of sectors is growing rapidly, with their bilateral trade volume hitting 2.8 billion dollars in 2005.