History of Nigeria
The Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa. The name Nigeria was taken from the Niger River running through the country.
Nigeria is roughly split half and half between Muslims in the North and Christians in the South; a very small minority practice traditional religion.
The people of Nigeria have an extensive history. Archaeological evidence shows that human habitation of the area dates back to at least 9000 BCE.
In the 16th century, Spanish and Portuguese explorers were the first Europeans to begin trade in Nigeria, in the port they named Lagos and in Calabar. The Europeans traded goods with the peoples of the coast and became a part of the African slave trade. Colonial Nigeria is considered to begin in 1807, when Great Britain abolished the slave trade. It administered Nigeria in separate British protectorates until 1914, when it unified the country while maintaining considerable regional autonomy among the three major regions.
Following World War II, in response to the growth of Nigerian nationalism and demands for independence, the British government moved Nigeria toward self-government . On 1 October 1960, Nigeria gained its independence from the United Kingdom.
Several years later, it had civil war as Biafra tried to establish independence. The Nigerian civil war, known as the "Biafran War" was fought from 2 July 1967 to 15 January 1970. The war was between the then Eastern Region of Nigeria and the rest of the country. The Eastern Region declared itself an independent state which was regarded as an act of secession by the Federal Military Government of Nigeria. The war was fought to reunify the country.
During the oil boom of the 1970s, Nigeria economy became richer. The government became increasingly dependent on oil revenues and it did not build economic stability. That spelled doom to federalism in Nigeria.
Nigeria is roughly split half and half between Muslims in the North and Christians in the South; a very small minority practice traditional religion.
The people of Nigeria have an extensive history. Archaeological evidence shows that human habitation of the area dates back to at least 9000 BCE.
In the 16th century, Spanish and Portuguese explorers were the first Europeans to begin trade in Nigeria, in the port they named Lagos and in Calabar. The Europeans traded goods with the peoples of the coast and became a part of the African slave trade. Colonial Nigeria is considered to begin in 1807, when Great Britain abolished the slave trade. It administered Nigeria in separate British protectorates until 1914, when it unified the country while maintaining considerable regional autonomy among the three major regions.
Following World War II, in response to the growth of Nigerian nationalism and demands for independence, the British government moved Nigeria toward self-government . On 1 October 1960, Nigeria gained its independence from the United Kingdom.
Several years later, it had civil war as Biafra tried to establish independence. The Nigerian civil war, known as the "Biafran War" was fought from 2 July 1967 to 15 January 1970. The war was between the then Eastern Region of Nigeria and the rest of the country. The Eastern Region declared itself an independent state which was regarded as an act of secession by the Federal Military Government of Nigeria. The war was fought to reunify the country.
During the oil boom of the 1970s, Nigeria economy became richer. The government became increasingly dependent on oil revenues and it did not build economic stability. That spelled doom to federalism in Nigeria.