Maiduguri, also called Yerwa, is the capital and the largest city of Borno State in north-eastern Nigeria. As of 2007, 1,197,497 live in the city. Maiduguri was founded in 1907 as a military outpost by the British. The Islamist group Boko Haram was founded in Maiduguri in 2002. Since it began its insurgency in 2009, the city has been target of many terrorist attacks by the group.