Federal Republic of Nigeria

The Federal Republic of Nigeria is a sovereign state in West Africa, located between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea to the south. Founded on October 1, 1963, it is Africa's most populous country, with over 242 million people, and the world's sixth-most populous. Nigeria is a federal republic composed of 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, where its capital, Abuja, has been located since 1991. Prior to this, Lagos served as the capital from 1914. The modern state originated from British colonialization in the 19th century, with its current territorial shape established in 1914 through the merging of the Southern and Northern Nigeria Protectorates.