[nahy-jeer-ee-uh] 
| a republic in W Africa: member of the Commonwealth of Nations; formerly a British colony and protectorate. 107,129,469; 356,669 sq. mi. (923,773 sq. km). Capital: Abuja. |
Ni·ge·ri·a (nī-jîr'ē-ə)  (click for larger image in new window) A country of western Africa on the Gulf of Guinea. A variety of states were established in the region prior to the arrival of Europeans, including the Bornu, Benin, and Songhai empires. Exploited by Portuguese, British, French, and Dutch traders in the 17th and 18th centuries, Nigeria was eventually claimed by the British, who consolidated the area into one colony in 1914. The country attained its independence in 1960. Abuja is the official capital (since 1991), but many government offices remain in Lagos, the former capital and the largest city. Population: 135,000,000. Ni·ge'ri·an adj. & n. |
A nation in western Africa on the Gulf of Guinea (an arm of the Atlantic Ocean), bordered by Niger to the north, Chad and Cameroon to the east, and Benin to the west. Lagos is the capital and largest city.
Note: With over 110 million inhabitants, Nigeria is Africa's most populous country.
Note: Nigeria has been independent from Britain since 1960, and its independent history has been marked by bloodshed and instability. An ill-fated separatist movement established the secessionist state of Biafra in southeastern Nigeria from 1967 to 1970.
Note: The city-state of Benin, in what is now Nigeria, flourished from the fourteenth to the seventeenth centuries as a center of commerce and culture. It was famous for its cast-gold sculptures.
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