Nigeria's borders were not drawn by nature, culture or history. The country was created by a British colonial power after repeated wars against West African powers.
During Africa's rapid decolonization in the 1950s and '60s, the British left behind a Nigeria that would struggle to create a common national identity and stable political institutions.
Nigeria is Africa's most populous country and a major oil exporter struggling to cope with lethal religious-based violence.
Boko Haram has been crusading to overthrow the Nigerian government for years. It wants to replace the government with an Islamic state and is waging war with bombs and abductions to get to that end.
While Nigeria has the largest economy is Africa and is one of the world's biggest oil producers, it continues to struggle with corruption that prevents wealth from trickling down to the general population.
The following is a timeline showing Boko Haram's rise to power and mayhem in Nigeria.
For an American audience that has not heard of it, what is Boko Haram?
How did it evolve to the point of kidnapping girls en masse?
Why should Americans or Westerners care any more about this than other violent conflicts in Africa?
We consulted a panel of experts to get the Inside Story.
Error
Sorry, your comment was not saved due to a technical problem. Please try again later or using a different browser.