Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa bordered by Niger, Chad, Cameroon and Benin, operating as a federal presidential republic of 36 states plus the Federal Capital Territory, with Abuja as its capital and Lagos as its largest city. Nigeria gained independence on 1 October 1960 as a federation under Prime Minister Abubakar Tafawa Balewa and became a republic in 1963; the country endured civil war from 1967 to 1970 and later periods of military rule before a stable democracy was established in 1999. With more than 242 million people it is Africa's most populous nation and the sixth most populous in the world, home to more than 250 ethnic groups speaking roughly 500 languages, of which Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo together make up over 60 percent of the population; English is the official language. The population is divided roughly evenly between Muslims and Christians, with indigenous religions in the minority, and Nigeria ranks among Africa's largest economies as a World Bank designated emerging market.
Facts
Government Type Government type (class) Government type (class) Classification
Status (Extant or Former) FAQs
Where does the name Nigeria come from?
It comes from the Niger River, and Flora Shaw coined the name in 1897.
The name Nigeria derives from the Niger River running through the country. It was coined on 8 January 1897 by the British journalist Flora Shaw. The neighbouring Republic of Niger takes its name from the same river. Before Shaw suggested Nigeria, other proposed names included Royal Niger Company Territories, Central Sudan, Niger Empire, Niger Sudan and Hausa Territories. Where the word Niger itself comes from is uncertain, though it is likely an alteration of a Tuareg name meaning river of rivers.
Connections
Associated With
Additional Source Wikipedia: Nigerian Civil WarLead section (parties)
In Era
Source Wikipedia: Nigeria
In the Other Atlases
Government Type
Also in Society and Culture Atlas: the government type of this subject.
Also in Society and Culture Atlas: the government type of this subject.
Nationals Include
Also in Divinity Atlas: a national of this subject.
Also in Divinity Atlas: a national of this subject.
Source Wole Soyinka (Wikipedia)
Also in Philosophy Atlas: a national of this subject.
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Nigeria
WikipediaLead section, paragraph 1
Nigeria is a federal republic comprising 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, where its capital, Abuja, is located.
Lead section, paragraph 1 (government form)
Nigeria is a federal republic comprising 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, where its capital, Abuja, is located.
Lead section, paragraph 4
Nigeria officially gained independence as a federation on 1 October 1960.
Nigeria: Status
Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa bordered by Niger, Chad, Cameroon and Benin, operating as a federal presidential republic of 36 states plus the Federal Capital Territory, with Abuja as its capital and Lagos as its largest city.
In Era: The Contemporary Period, lead paragraph and infobox, existence dates
Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south.
View the Source Wikipedia: Nigerian Civil War
WikipediaAssociated With: Nigerian Civil War, Lead section (parties)Quote, Associated With: Nigerian Civil War, Lead section (parties)
Nigeria (Federal Military Government under General Yakubu Gowon)
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