Abuja, the capital of Nigeria, is also known as the Federal Capital Territory. Located at the side of Gurara River as a tributary of Central Niger River, Abuja is at the junction of Niger State, Kaduna State, Plateau State and Kewarra state, about 500 km from the former capital of Lagos, and is the country's geographical center. Its downtown is divided into the two parts to strengthen the linkage of the federal government to all the regions and the peoples; additionally, resolve the issues generated from Lagos’s excessive expansion of scale. In 1975, Muhammad Military Government proposals to build a new capital. In October 1979, Shagari civilian government officially approved the blueprint of the new capital, Abuja, and then the first phase of construction was started. In December 1991, the federal government was officially moved from Lagos to Abuja. Not until about in 1996 did the major sectors of the government gradually complete the relocation. The central area is for government agencies, and there are shops and entertainment facilities in the cultural and educational areas and residential areas. There is the airport and expressways leading to the capitals of all the states. The city has an area of over 920,000 square kilometers.