LAND: 923,000 square miles, twice the size of California. Bordered by Atlantic Ocean, Benin, Cameroon, Chad and Niger.

ECONOMY: One of world's leading oil producers with an output of 2 million barrels a day. Oil sector provides 95 percent of foreign exchange earnings and 80 percent of budget revenues. Tight control of oil by military governments has discouraged investors and led to high inflation and unemployment. Largely subsistence agricultural sector has failed to keep up with rapid population growth. Per capita income was about $1,300 in 1996.

GOVERNMENT: Military government since 1983. In 1993, businessman Moshood Abiola becomes the apparent winner of presidential elections, which are then annulled by Gen. Sani Abacha. Abiola, considered by many to be the country's legitimate president, is jailed in 1994 and charged with treason. Abacha in 1995 announced the military would hand power to a democratically elected civilian government in October 1998; In April, Abacha became only nominee for president after the five sanctioned parties were pressed to endorse him. Abacha died in June 8 of heart failure. Abiola, expected to be released within days, dies of an apparent heart attack after falling ill during meetings with visiting U.S. officials.

HISTORY: Independence from Britain in 1960. Nigeria is shattered by a devastating civil war lead by ethnic Ibo military officials who try to establish the Republic of Biafra, an independent state. Generals ousted Nigeria's last civilian government in 1983. Abacha seized power in 1993 after canceling presidential elections and suspending the constitution. Moshood Abiola, the businessman who had won the aborted vote, declared himself president in defiance of Abacha in 1994 and was jailed. He died Tuesday after falling ill during a meeting with U.S. officials.