article_snippet: strongest allies in the region since military rule there ended.
article_snippet: Indeed, it has been identified as one in the next set of prominent emerging economies, making it a tantalizing target for the United States private investment.
article_snippet: it is also Africa's No. 1 oil producer, although an increasingly diversified economy -- for example in the agriculture sector -- provides a myriad of opportunities for more robust trade with the United States.
article_snippet: Nearly 70% of those in areas in the north live in absolute poverty, according to recent data, as compared to about 50% in southern areas of the United States.  