Nigeria is an African country on the Gulf of Guinea. It has many natural landmarks and wildlife reserves. It has various protected areas such as Cross River National Park and Yankari National Park, both of which have waterfalls, dense rainforests, savanna and rare primate habitats. Take a look below for 30 more fun and interesting facts about Nigeria.

1. Nigeria has an estimated population of 175 million people. It’s the most populous nation in Africa and the seventh most populated nation in the entire world.

2. Soccer is one of the country’s most popular spots. Its national team has won the Africa Cup of Nations 3 times.

3. While some cultures believe that it’s rude to not look someone in the eye, in Nigeria, it’s customary to look away from someone’s eyes.

4. Nigerians operate on what has become known as “African time,” meaning that they’re rarely on time. The more high class a person is, the later they will come.

5. In some Islamic marriages in Nigeria, once a woman is married, she may no longer see any of her male relatives again.

6. Like other African countries, the left hand is considered dirty by Nigerians. It’s in poor taste to eat, shake hands, or pass or receive items with the left hand.

7. The Niger River, which spans 2,600 miles, is the third largest river in West Africa.

8. Nigeria’s movie industry is known as “Nollywood” and it’s one of the biggest movie industries in the world.

9. The city of Abuja was built in the 1980s and eventually replaced Lagos as the capital.

10. It’s thought that the area surrounding Calabar has the world’s most diverse species of butterflies.

11. Nigeria has launched the Nigeria Vision 20:2020 initiative that aims to put its economy in the world’s top 20 biggest economies by the year 2020.

12. The richest man in Africa, Aliko Dangote, lives in Nigeria. His estimated net worth is $12 billion.

13. Social media is very popular in Nigeria and there are over 3 million Facebook users in the country.

14. 5 of the 10 richest pastors in the world live in Nigeria, according to a report from Forbes. Their net worth ranges from $10 million to $150 million.

15. West Africa’s oldest civilization, the Nik, have been in the country since 1000 B.C.

16. Africa’s oldest boat, and the third oldest boat in the world, was discovered in Yobe. The Dufuna Canoe is over 6,500 years old.

17. The Yoruba group of Nigeria has the highest rate of twin births in the world. It’s believed by some that the group’s consumption of yams contributes to this.

18. The city of Lagos’ population is more than all of eastern United States combined.

19. Nigeria’s nickname is “Giant of Africa” due to the size of its land and the diversity of its people.

20. The Portuguese reached Nigeria in 1472. In 1880, the British began conquering Nigeria’s south. The north was conquered by 1903.

21. The 2006 Census found that Nigerians were the highest educated ethnic or racial group in America.

22. Amaros was the name for repatriated Brazilian and Cuban slaves. The Aguda people of Lagos today are those repatriated slaves. This Brazilian community includes deportees of the Male Revolt in Portugal.

23. Nigeria’s population was just 16 million in 1911. It’s projected to hit 444 million by 2050, surpassing the United States and becoming the 4th largest in the world.

24. Once upon a time, the north was more literate than the south in Nigeria. According to Lord Lugard, there were 25,000 Qur’anic Arabic schools with about 250,000 pupils in the north.

25. Sardauna of Sokoto said that he preferred foreign workers to Igbos because he felt that Igbos were domineering. This was while Nigeria existed as separate regions with regional administrations.

26. Based on the amount squandered, of an income of $81 billion per year, Nigeria is the most corrupt nation in the world.

27. Nigeria is the nation with the most defrauded people in history. Successive administrations continue to loot a greater percentage of the nation’s wealth, sometimes stealing hundreds of millions of dollars.

28. Kano history has it that a great warrior princess called Magajiya Maimuna led her cavalry from Zaria to conquer Kumbwada.

29. There is a Nigerian origin, Yoruba chief in Accra. Chief Brimah is the only foreign Chief with a seat in the Ghanaian traditional council.

30. Nigeria has more than 250 ethnic groups, however, there are 3 dominant tribes: the Ibo, Hausa-Fulani and Yoruba, which make up 18%, 29% and 21% respectively.