Kebbi, Nigeria

Nigeria is located in West Africa. For well over the past 1000 years, many ancient and indigenous kingdoms and states called Nigeria home. Originating from British colonial rule in the early 19th century, the British helped to set up an administrative and legal structure for Nigeria while practicing indirect rule through traditional chiefdoms. Nigeria became a formally recognized independent federation and country on October 1, 1960. Political strife led to a civil war from 1967-1970, resulting in an alternating democratically elected civilian government and a military dictatorship. A more stable democracy was established in 1999. Nigeria is a very religious country, split roughly in half. Most Christians live in the south, while the majority of Muslims live in the north. This multinational country is home to over 250 ethnic groups, bringing with them over 250 different languages, although the official spoken language is English. Nigeria formally known as the Federal Republic of Nigeria and is noted as the founder of the African Union.