Considering the division into states from the political and admi- nistrative angle, Adawama or Taraba are two states of the Nor- th-East Region, even if to an observer they would be clearly in the center. Also, Abuja, the capital, is consider part of the north of the country. Perhaps due to this mismatch with reality, there is a very impor- tant geographical term often used by the media: Nigeria’s Middle Belt, which refers to the area that bisects the country from east to west, along the center, forming a transition zone between nor- thern and southern Nigeria. It includes most of the North-Cen- tral Region and the southern half of the North-Eastern Region. Characterized by a large mix of ethnicities – 50 to 100 separate languages and ethnic groups – it is a meeting point between two worlds and the scene of frequent incidents in our days.
130 million Nigerians live below the poverty line. The south is richer, has more universities, and is better educated. The south also includes the oil reservoir and the financial capital, Lagos. The political center is in the north, where 46% of the population lives, while 53% live in the south. Population density is higher in the south, though the surface is smaller. Southerners often complain about resource distribution, which is subjected to centralization by the central power. Some places, like Delta State, are far less developed, even though they have oil reservoirs. Figures and numbers of both religious and ethnic groups have often been manipulated for propaganda, as well as political and power conflicts.
Average annual income per person in $
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