Nigeria is the most populated country in Africa, and its current geographic configuration is a direct result of British colonization in the 19th century. After gaining independence in 1960, it faced a civil war in 1967–1970 as the secessionist state of Biafra declared its own independence. A succession of civilian and military dictatorships came after this before a stable democracy was established in the wake of the 1999 presidential elections. More than 250 different ethnic groups and 500 different languages are spoken in the multiethnic state of Nigeria. In terms of population, the Hausa people live in the north, the Yoruba people in the west, and the Igbo people in the east.