A republic in western Africa, south of NIGER between BENIN and CAMEROON. Its capital is Lagos. From the time it was visited in the 18th and 19th centuries by many European explorers, figuring in its administrative history were Great Britain, the native king, Sierra Leone, and the Gold Coast colony. Nigeria gained independence in 1960, becoming a republic in 1961. Nigeria derives its name from the Niger River which flows through it. (From Webster's New Geographical Dictionary, 1988, p848 & Room, Brewer's Dictionary of Names, 1992, p379).