It covers an area of , square kilometres , sq mi. With a population of more than million, it is the most populous country in Africa , and the world's sixth-most populous country. Nigeria borders Niger in the north , Chad in the northeast , Cameroon in the east , and Benin in the west.
Nigeria is a federal republic comprising 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory , where its capital, Abuja , is located. The largest city in Nigeria by population is Lagos , one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world and the largest in Africa. Nigeria has been home to several indigenous material cultures, pre-colonial states and kingdoms since the second millennium BC. The Nok culture , c.
The present day territory of Nigeria was home to a vast array of city-states. The modern state originated with British colonialization in the 19th century, taking its present territorial shape with the merging of the Southern Nigeria Protectorate and the Northern Nigeria Protectorate in The British set up administrative and legal structures and incorporated traditional monarchs as a form of indirect rule.
It experienced a civil war from to , followed by a succession of military dictatorships and democratically elected civilian governments until achieving a stable government in the Nigerian presidential election.
Nigeria is a multinational state inhabited by more than ethnic groups speaking distinct languages , all identifying with a wide variety of cultures.
