Nigeria, officially named the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic located on the African continent. It is made up of 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Nigeria is situated in West Africa, and shares its land borders with Chad and Cameroon in the east, the Republic of Benin in the west and Niger in the north. Its coast in the south lies on the Gulf of
. Guinea on the Atlantic Ocean. The three biggest ethnic groups within Nigeria are the Igbo, Hausa, and Yoruba. The religious makeup of Nigeria's population is roughly divided in half between Muslims and Christians, with a very small percentage of citizens who practice traditional religion.The people of Nigeria have a long and extensive history. Archaeological evidence indicates that human habitation of the area dates back to at least 9000 BC. The area around the Benue and Cross River is believed to be the original home of the Bantu migrants, who spread across most of southern and central Africa between the 1st and 2nd millennium BC.Nigeria's name comes from the Niger River that runs throughout the country. This name was coined by in the late 19th century by Flora Shaw, the future wife of Baron Lugard, a British colonial administrator.Nigeria is the highest populated country on the continent of Africa. It is the seventh most populous country in the world, and the most populous country in the world in which the majority of the citizens are black. Nigeria is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, and is listed as one of the "Next Eleven" economies.For daily news updates, articles, essays and viewpoints on Nigeria, from a Nigerian perspective visit the website Nigeria World at www.Nigeriaworld.com. For a detailed map of Nigeria, with cities, people and land forms, visit www.worldatlas.com. National Geographic has a very useful website that provides visitors with a fully interactive online map of Nigeria. More reference links: http://www.mapsofworld.com/nigeria/ http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/africa/ng.htm
