Nigeria

Despite having one of the world's largest petroleum reserves and a wealth of natural resources—or perhaps because of it—the Federal Republic of Nigeria is plagued by dire poverty, poor governance, and environmental crises. Although the country adopted a new constitution in 1999 as part of a peaceful transition to civil government after almost 16 years of military government, the flow of resources out of the country continues unabated, while corruption and mismanagement plague the state. Attempts to rebuild damaged infrastructures and provide political stability have been threatened by ongoing tensions, as portions of the largely disenfranchised population turn to radicalized religious and political action. This volatile situation was much in evidence in 2006 when repercussions from a Danish caricature of the Prophet Muhammad led to ...