The name Nigeria was invented by Lord Lugard's wife in 1897 in honor of the 2,600 mile long Niger River. The first Europeans to reach Nigeria were the Portuguese in the fifteenth century. In 1533, the first English ships landed at the Bight of Benin, then known as the "Slave Coast". The present day Nigeria came into existence in 1914, when the Colony of Lagos, the Protectorate of Southern Nigeria, and the protectorate of Northern Nigeria were united. One Major event that happened in Nigeria's history was in 1960 when Nigeria was granted full independence. Nigeria is divided into 36 states plus Federal Capital Territory which is Abuja and Nigeria states are divided into 774 local government areas.