Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a West African nation situated between the Sahel and the Gulf of Guinea, and is the continent's most populous country with over 242 million people. Its capital is Abuja, while Lagos serves as the largest city and one of Africa's biggest metropolitan areas. A highly diverse federal republic of 36 states, it is home to more than 250 ethnic groups—with the Hausa, Yoruba, and Igbo comprising over 60% of the population—and is roughly split between Muslims and Christians, with English as the official language. The region's history includes ancient civilizations like the Nok culture (c. 1500 BC) and powerful pre-colonial kingdoms, but the modern state was shaped by British colonization, which merged the Northern and Southern protectorates in 1914. Nigeria gained independence on 1 October 1960, endured a devastating civil war (1967–1970) and military dictatorships, before establishing a stable democracy in 1999. As one of Africa's largest economies and a regional power, it is a founding member of the African Union and belongs to OPEC, the UN, and the Commonwealth; its name was coined by journalist Flora Shaw in 1897, derived from the Niger River.