91-751: Matamoros–Brownsville, also known as Brownsville–Matamoros , or simply as the Borderplex , is one of the six transborder agglomerations along the Mexico–United States border . It is part of the Lower Rio Grande Valley region . The city of Matamoros is situated in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas , on the south bank of the Rio Grande , while the city of Brownsville is located in the U.S. state of Texas , directly north across
182-733: A Mahdist hijra . In the northeast, the decline of the Bornu Empire gave rise to the British-controlled Borno Emirate which established Abubakar Garbai of Borno as ruler. In 1903, the British victory in the Battle of Kano gave them a logistical edge in pacifying the heartland of the Sokoto Caliphate and parts of the former Bornu Empire. On 13 March 1903, at the grand market square of Sokoto,
273-549: A megacity like Lagos and other major Nigerian cities which are linked with economic development, population growth and the inability of municipal councils to manage the resulting rise in industrial and domestic waste. This waste management problem is also attributable to unsustainable environmental management lifestyles of Kubwa community in the Federal Capital Territory, where there are habits of indiscriminate disposal of waste, dumping of waste along or into
364-618: A West African sphere of influence received recognition from other European nations at the Berlin Conference . The following year, it chartered the Royal Niger Company under the leadership of Sir George Taubman Goldie . By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the company had vastly succeeded in subjugating the independent southern kingdoms along the Niger River , the British conquered Benin in 1897, and, in
455-471: A civilian government but not before appointing Ernest Shonekan head of an interim national government . Babangida's regime has been considered the most corrupt and responsible for creating a culture of corruption in Nigeria. Shonekan's interim government, the shortest in the political history of the country, was overthrown in a coup d'état of 1993 led by General Sani Abacha , who used military force on
546-544: A population of more than 230 million, it is the most populous country in Africa , and the world's sixth-most populous country . Nigeria borders Niger in the north , Chad in the northeast , Cameroon in the east , and Benin in the west . Nigeria is a federal republic comprising 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory , where its capital, Abuja , is located. The largest city in Nigeria
637-432: A river system. The river system of the northeast is also a major river system. In addition, Nigeria has numerous coastal rivers. Over the last million years, Lake Chad in the far north-east of Nigeria has dried up several times for a few thousand years and just as often growing to many times its current size. In recent decades its surface area has been reduced considerably, which may also be due to humans taking water from
728-484: A stable government in the 1999 Nigerian presidential election , with the election of Olusegun Obasanjo of the Peoples Democratic Party . However, the country frequently experiences electoral fraud , and corruption is rampant in various levels of Nigerian politics. Nigeria is a multinational state inhabited by more than 250 ethnic groups speaking 500 distinct languages , all identifying with
819-572: A triumvirate of three brigadier generals whose decisions could be vetoed by a Supreme Military Council . For this triumvirate, they convinced General Murtala Muhammed to become military head of state, with General Olusegun Obasanjo as his second-in-command, and General Theophilus Danjuma as the third. Together, the triumvirate introduced austerity measures to stem inflation, established a Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau, replaced all military governors with new officers, and launched "Operation Deadwood" through which they fired 11,000 officials from
910-706: A wide scale to suppress the continuing civilian unrest. In 1995, the government hanged environmentalist Ken Saro-Wiwa on trumped-up charges in the deaths of four Ogoni elders, which caused Nigerian's suspension from the Commonwealth . Lawsuits under the American Alien Tort Statute against Royal Dutch Shell and Brian Anderson, the head of Shell's Nigerian operation, settled out of court with Shell continuing to deny liability. Several hundred million dollars in accounts traced to Abacha were discovered in 1999. The regime came to an end in 1998 when
1001-514: A wide variety of cultures. The three largest ethnic groups are the Hausa in the north , Yoruba in the west , and Igbo in the east , together constituting over 60% of the total population. The official language is English , chosen to facilitate linguistic unity at the national level. Nigeria's constitution ensures de jure freedom of religion , and it is home to some of the world's largest Muslim and Christian populations. Nigeria
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#17327908254471092-525: Is Lagos , one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world and the largest in Africa . Nigeria has been home to several indigenous pre-colonial states and kingdoms since the second millennium BC, with the Nok civilization in the 15th century BC marking the first internal unification. The modern state originated with British colonialization in the 19th century, taking its present territorial shape with
1183-456: Is incomplete ; you can help by adding missing items . ( August 2010 ) Africa [ edit ] Main municipalities Countries Total population Kinshasa–Brazzaville [REDACTED] Democratic Republic of the Congo / [REDACTED] Republic of the Congo 19,547,463 Bukavu – Cyangugu [REDACTED] Democratic Republic of
1274-460: Is also a member of the informal MINT group of countries and is one of the Next Eleven economies. The name Nigeria derives from the Niger River running through the country. This name was coined on 8 January 1897, by the British journalist Flora Shaw . The neighboring Republic of Niger takes its name from the same river. The origin of the name Niger , which originally applied to only
1365-400: Is an urban agglomeration across the Mexico–United States border . A transborder agglomeration is an urban agglomeration or conurbation that extends into multiple sovereign states and/or dependent territories . It includes city-states that agglomerate with their neighbouring countries. List of transborder agglomerations [ edit ] [REDACTED] This list
1456-756: Is different from Wikidata Incomplete lists from August 2010 All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from July 2015 Nigeria Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria , is a country in West Africa . It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea to the south in the Atlantic Ocean . It covers an area of 923,769 square kilometres (356,669 sq mi). With
1547-465: Is divided roughly in half between Muslims , who live mostly in the north part of the country, and Christians , who live mostly in the south; indigenous religions , such as those native to the Igbo and Yoruba ethnicities, are in the minority. Nigeria is a regional power in Africa and a middle power in international affairs. Nigeria's economy is the fourth-largest in Africa , the 53rd-largest in
1638-564: Is plains of tall grass interrupted by trees. Sudan savannah is similar but with shorter grasses and shorter trees. Sahel savannah consists of patches of grass and sand, found in the northeast. Nigeria is divided into two main catchment areas - that of Lake Chad and that of the Niger. The Niger catchment area covers about 63% of the country. The main tributary of the Niger is the Benue, whose tributaries extend beyond Cameroon into Cameroon into Chad and
1729-657: The Anglo-Aro War (1901–1902), defeated other opponents. The defeat of these states opened up the Niger area to British rule. In 1900, the company's territory came under the direct control of the British government and established the Southern Nigeria Protectorate as a British protectorate and part of the British Empire . By 1902, the British had begun plans to move north into the Sokoto Caliphate. British General Lord Frederick Lugard
1820-522: The Atlantic slave trade in 1807) and economic imperative (a desire for political and social stability) led most European powers to support the widespread cultivation of agricultural products, such as the palm, for use in European industry. The slave trade continued after the ban, as illegal smugglers purchased slaves along the coast from native slavers. Britain's West Africa Squadron sought to intercept
1911-496: The Brownsville–Harlingen–Raymondville metropolitan areas are included in the official countdown of this transnational conurbation. Note : Principal cities are bolded. Note : Within the municipality of Matamoros . Transborder agglomeration Urban area that extends into two or more countries (or dependent territories) [REDACTED] San Diego–Tijuana
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#17327908254472002-666: The Eastern Region . In May 1967, Governor of the Eastern Region Lt. Colonel Emeka Ojukwu declared the region independent from the federation as a state called the Republic of Biafra , as a result of the continuous and systematically planned attacks against Igbos and those of Eastern extraction popularly known as 1966 pogroms . This declaration precipitated the Nigerian Civil War , which began as
2093-580: The Kanem–Bornu Empire as the region's major centre for Islamic civilization. The Kingdom of Nri of the Igbo people consolidated in the 10th century and continued until it lost its sovereignty to the British in 1911. Nri was ruled by the Eze Nri , and the city of Nri is considered to be the foundation of Igbo culture . Nri and Aguleri , where the Igbo creation myth originates, are in the territory of
2184-564: The Nigerian Political Bureau which made recommendations for the transition to the Third Nigerian Republic. In 1989, Babangida started making plans for the transition to the Third Nigerian Republic. Babangida survived the 1990 Nigerian coup d'état attempt , then postponed a promised return to democracy to 1992. Babangida legalized the formation of political parties and formed the two-party system with
2275-560: The Social Democratic Party and National Republican Convention ahead of the 1992 general elections . He urged all Nigerians to join either of the parties, which Chief Bola Ige referred to as "two leper hands". The 1993 presidential election held on 12 June was the first since the military coup of 1983. The results, though not officially declared by the National Electoral Commission, showed
2366-586: The 2007 general elections, Umaru Yar'Adua of the People's Democratic Party came to power. The international community, which had observed the Nigerian elections to promote a free and fair process, condemned these elections as seriously flawed. Yar'Adua died on 5 May 2010, and Vice President Goodluck Jonathan had been sworn in by the Senate three months earlier as acting president to succeed Yar'Adua. Jonathan won
2457-449: The 2011 presidential election; the polls went smoothly and with relatively little violence or electoral fraud. Jonathan's tenure saw an economic recovery that made Nigeria the leading economic power in Africa. The Jonathan administration also saw an increase in unparalleled corruption, with as many as 20 billion US dollars said to have been lost to the Nigerian state through the national oil company. Above all, however, Jonathan's tenure saw
2548-637: The 2nd century BC. The transition from Neolithic times to the Iron Age was accomplished without intermediate bronze production. Some have suggested the technology moved west from the Nile Valley . But the Iron Age in the Niger River valley and the forest region appears to predate the introduction of metallurgy in the upper savanna by more than 800 years, as well as predating it in the Nile Valley. More recent research suggests that iron metallurgy
2639-708: The 7th century AD, the area became known as Sudan or as Bilad Al Sudan (English: Land of the Blacks). Since the populations were partially affiliated with the Arab Muslim culture of North Africa , they began trans-Saharan trade and were referred to by the Arabic speakers as Al-Sudan (meaning "The Blacks") as they were considered an extended part of the Muslim world . There are early historical references by medieval Arab and Muslim historians and geographers which refer to
2730-464: The 9th century, and its material culture includes terracotta and bronze figures. In the 16th century, Portuguese explorers were the first Europeans to begin important, direct trade with the peoples of southern Nigeria, at the port they named Lagos (formerly Eko) and in Calabar along the region Slave Coast . Europeans traded goods with peoples at the coast; coastal trade with Europeans also marked
2821-670: The British formally united the Southern Nigeria Protectorate and the Northern Nigeria Protectorate into the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria . Administratively, Nigeria remained divided into the Northern and Southern Protectorates and Lagos Colony . Inhabitants of the southern region sustained more interaction, economic and cultural, with the British and other Europeans owing to the coastal economy. Christian missions established Western educational institutions in
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2912-467: The British government moved Nigeria toward self-government on a representative and increasingly federal basis. By the eve of independence in 1960, regional differences in modern educational access were marked. The legacy, though less pronounced, continues to the present day. The balance between north and south was also expressed in Nigeria's political life. For instance, northern Nigeria did not outlaw slavery until 1936 whilst in other parts of Nigeria, slavery
3003-763: The Chad Basin, where the course of the El Beid River forms the border with Cameroon, from the Mandara Mountains to Lake Chad. The Komadugu Yobe river system gives rise to the internationally important Hadejia-Nguru wetlands and Ox-bow lakes around Lake Nguru in the rainy season. Other rivers of the northeast include the Ngadda and the Yedseram, both of which flow through the Sambisa swamps, thus forming
3094-8723: The Congo / [REDACTED] Rwanda 1,200,000 Goma – Gisenyi 756,323 Abidjan–Lagos [REDACTED] Côte d'Ivoire / [REDACTED] Ghana / [REDACTED] Togo / [REDACTED] Benin / [REDACTED] Nigeria 27,000,000 Lomé – Aflao [REDACTED] Togo / [REDACTED] Ghana 1,544,206 N'Djamena – Kousséri [REDACTED] Chad / [REDACTED] Cameroon 1,694,819 Asia [ edit ] Main municipalities Countries Total population Astara and Astara [REDACTED] Iran – [REDACTED] Azerbaijan 100,000 Khorramshahr and Abadan and Basra [REDACTED] Iran – [REDACTED] Iraq 2,000,000 Dhahran and Jubail and Manama [REDACTED] Saudi Arabia – [REDACTED] Bahrain 2,000,000 Tashkent and Saryagash [REDACTED] Uzbekistan – [REDACTED] Kazakhstan 3,000,000 Fergana and Kyzyl-Kiya [REDACTED] Uzbekistan – [REDACTED] Kyrgyzstan 300,000 Qorasuv and Kara-Suu 40,000 Lahore and Amritsar [REDACTED] Pakistan – [REDACTED] India 12,000,000 Heihe and Blagoveshchensk [REDACTED] China – [REDACTED] Russia 400,000 Dandong and Sinuiju [REDACTED] China – [REDACTED] North Korea 1,000,000 Greater Bay Area ( Guangzhou and Dongguan and Shenzhen and Hong Kong – Macau [REDACTED] China – [REDACTED] Hong Kong – [REDACTED] Macau 71,200,000 Sijori Growth Triangle ( Singapore and Johor Bahru and Batam and Bintan ) [REDACTED] Singapore – [REDACTED] Malaysia – [REDACTED] Indonesia 9,000,000 Padang Besar and Padang Besar [REDACTED] Malaysia – [REDACTED] Thailand 20,000 Vientiane and Nong Khai [REDACTED] Laos – [REDACTED] Thailand 900,000 Savannakhet and Mukdahan 200,000 Europe [ edit ] Further information: Eurodistrict Main municipalities Countries Total population Øresund Region (Greater Copenhagen and Malmö ) [REDACTED] Denmark – [REDACTED] Sweden 3,964,522 Haparanda and Tornio [REDACTED] Sweden – [REDACTED] Finland 32,000 Pello and Pello 4,500 Karesuando and Karesuvanto 500 Imatra and Svetogorsk [REDACTED] Finland – [REDACTED] Russia 45,000 Ivangorod and Narva [REDACTED] Russia – [REDACTED] Estonia 69,000 Valga and Valka [REDACTED] Estonia – [REDACTED] Latvia 20,000 Como and Chiasso (part of Greater Milan ) [REDACTED] Italy – [REDACTED] Switzerland 189,000 Gorizia and Nova Gorica [REDACTED] Italy – [REDACTED] Slovenia Basel and Huningue and Weil am Rhein ( Regio TriRhena ) [REDACTED] Switzerland – [REDACTED] France – [REDACTED] Germany 2,400,000 Geneva and Annemasse and Ferney-Voltaire and Nyon ( Grand Genève ) [REDACTED] Switzerland – [REDACTED] France 890,000 Kreuzlingen and Konstanz [REDACTED] Switzerland – [REDACTED] Germany 110,000 Basque Eurocity Bayonne-San Sebastián [REDACTED] France – [REDACTED] Spain 620,000 Le Perthus and Els Límits 700 Bourg-Madame and Puigcerdà Hendaye and Irun Lille and Roubaix and Tourcoing and Mouscron and Tournai and Kortrijk [REDACTED] France – [REDACTED] Belgium 1,850,000 Longwy and Aubange and Pétange [REDACTED] France – [REDACTED] Belgium – [REDACTED] Luxembourg 80,000 Strasbourg and Kehl [REDACTED] France – [REDACTED] Germany 700,000 Forbach and Saarbrücken 700,000 La Línea de la Concepción and Gibraltar [REDACTED] Spain – [REDACTED] Gibraltar 95,628 Baarle-Hertog and Baarle-Nassau [REDACTED] Belgium – [REDACTED] Netherlands 9,262 Görlitz and Zgorzelec [REDACTED] Germany – [REDACTED] Poland 85,000 Guben and Gubin 35,000 Frankfurt (Oder) and Słubice 75,000 Szczecin 763,321 Herzogenrath and Kerkrade [REDACTED] Germany – [REDACTED] Netherlands 95,000 Freilassing and Salzburg [REDACTED] Germany – [REDACTED] Austria 175,000 Vienna and Bratislava [REDACTED] Austria – [REDACTED] Slovakia 1,900,000 Komárom and Komárno [REDACTED] Hungary – [REDACTED] Slovakia 56,000 Rousse and Giurgiu [REDACTED] Bulgaria – [REDACTED] Romania 250,000 Lifford and Strabane [REDACTED] Ireland – [REDACTED] United Kingdom 18,500 Slavonski Brod and Brod [REDACTED] Croatia – [REDACTED] Bosnia and Herzegovina 110,000 North America [ edit ] Main municipalities Countries Total population Paso Canoas [REDACTED] Costa Rica / [REDACTED] Panama 9,543 Metro Vancouver – Fraser Valley – Bellingham - Whatcom County [REDACTED] United States / [REDACTED] Canada 3,350,000 Detroit–Windsor 5,976,595 Buffalo - Niagara Region 1,614,790 Port Huron – Sarnia – Point Edward 105,776 Sault Ste. Marie – Sault Ste. Marie 93,944 San Diego–Tijuana [REDACTED] United States / [REDACTED] Mexico 5,105,769 Calexico–Mexicali 1,143,000 San Luis Río Colorado – San Luis 227,000 Nogales – Nogales 240,000 El Paso–Juárez 2,500,000 Laredo–Nuevo Laredo 775,481 Lower Rio Grande Valley 2,671,028 Reynosa–McAllen 1,500,000 Brownsville–Matamoros 1,387,985 South America [ edit ] Main municipalities Countries Total population Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni – Albina [REDACTED] French Guiana / [REDACTED] Suriname Saint Georges – Oiapoque [REDACTED] French Guiana / [REDACTED] Brazil 32,000 Quaraí – Artigas [REDACTED] Brazil / [REDACTED] Uruguay 67,000 Santana do Livramento – Rivera 140,000 Chuí – Chuy 15,592 Corumbá – Puerto Suárez [REDACTED] Brazil / [REDACTED] Bolivia 124,000 Tabatinga – Leticia – Santa Rosa [REDACTED] Brazil / [REDACTED] Colombia / [REDACTED] Peru 107,000 Ponta Porã – Pedro Juan Caballero [REDACTED] Brazil / [REDACTED] Paraguay 209,000 Foz do Iguaçu – Ciudad del Este – Puerto Iguazu [REDACTED] Brazil / [REDACTED] Paraguay / [REDACTED] Argentina 800,000 Barracão – Dionísio Cerqueira – Bernardo de Irigoyen [REDACTED] Brazil / [REDACTED] Argentina 36,000 Uruguaiana – Paso de los Libres 170,000 Tulcán – Ipiales [REDACTED] Ecuador / [REDACTED] Colombia 190,000 Cúcuta – San Antonio del Táchira [REDACTED] Colombia / [REDACTED] Venezuela 700,000 See also [ edit ] Border town Cross-border town naming List of divided cities Metropolitan area References [ edit ] ^ "Bukavu, Democratic Republic of
3185-664: The Congo Population (2023) - Population Stat" . populationstat.com . Retrieved 2 May 2023 . ^ "Explore Cyangugu Town" . Nyungwe Forest National Park . Retrieved 2 May 2023 . ^ "Central Asian cities are overgrown with slums" . centre1.com . Retrieved 12 May 2017 . ^ "Archived copy" (PDF) . www.espon.eu . Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 September 2015 . Retrieved 12 January 2022 . {{ cite web }} : CS1 maint: archived copy as title ( link ) ^ "Archived copy" (PDF) . www.espon.eu . Archived from
3276-774: The Fulani people to gain headway into the region. Until this point, the Fulani, a nomadic ethnic group, primarily traversed the semi-desert Sahelian region north of Sudan with cattle and avoided trade and intermingling with the Sudanic peoples. At the beginning of the 19th century, Usman dan Fodio led a successful jihad against the Hausa Kingdoms , founding the centralised Sokoto Caliphate . This empire, with Arabic as its official language, grew rapidly under his rule and that of his descendants , who sent out invading armies in every direction. The vast landlocked empire connected
3367-590: The Kwankwassiya of Rabiu Kwankwaso , former governor of Kano State in the Northwest. Bola Tinubu , of the ruling party, won the disputed election with 36.61% of the vote, but both runners-up claimed victory and litigation is ongoing in an election tribunal. Bola Tinubu's inauguration was held on 29 May 2023. Problems with widespread kidnapping in Nigeria continued. On 29 May 2024, Tinubu signed into law an act readopting Nigeria, We Hail Thee , which
3458-600: The Niger and the Cross Rivers has lost most of its forest because of development and harvesting by increased population and has been replaced by grassland . Everything in between the far south and the far north is savannah (insignificant tree cover, with grasses and flowers located between trees). Rainfall is more limited to between 500 and 1,500 millimetres (20 and 60 in) per year. The savannah zone's three categories are Guinean forest-savanna mosaic , Sudan savannah, and Sahel savannah. Guinean forest-savanna mosaic
3549-531: The Nigerian government, with Nigeria utilizing air support from Egyptian pilots provided by Gamal Abdel Nasser , while France and Israel aided the Biafrans. The Congolese government, under President Joseph-Désiré Mobutu , took an early stand on the Biafran secession, voicing strong support for the Nigerian federal government and deploying thousands of troops to fight against the secessionists . Following
3640-739: The Sharie catchment area. In the Sahel region, rain is less than 500 millimetres (20 in) per year, and the Sahara Desert is encroaching. In the dry northeast corner of the country lies Lake Chad , on a shared water boundary delimitation with Niger, Chad and Cameroon. The Chad Basin is fed from the north-eastern quarter of Nigeria. The Bauchi Plateau forms the watershed between the Niger/Benue and Komadugu Yobe river systems. The flat plains of north-eastern Nigeria are geographically part of
3731-482: The Umeuri clan. Members of the clan trace their lineages back to the patriarchal king-figure Eri . In West Africa, the oldest bronzes made using the lost wax process were from Igbo-Ukwu , a city under Nri influence. The Yoruba kingdoms of Ife and Oyo in southwestern Nigeria became prominent in the 12th and 14th centuries, respectively. The oldest signs of human settlement at Ife's current site date back to
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3822-632: The amenable Oba Akitoye and signing the Treaty between Great Britain and Lagos on 1 January 1852. Britain annexed Lagos as a crown colony in August 1861 with the Lagos Treaty of Cession . British missionaries expanded their operations and travelled further inland. In 1864, Samuel Ajayi Crowther became the first African bishop of the Anglican Church . In 1885, British claims to
3913-578: The bank of the Rio Grande. The Matamoros–Brownsville area is connected by four international bridges. In addition, this transnational conurbation area has a population of 1,136,995, making it the fourth-largest metropolitan area on the Mexico-U.S. border. The area of Matamoros–Brownsville lies among the top-10 fastest-growing urban areas in the United States. The Brownsville–Harlingen and
4004-657: The beginnings of the Atlantic slave trade . The port of Calabar on the historical Bight of Biafra (now commonly referred to as the Bight of Bonny) became one of the largest slave-trading posts in West Africa in this era. Other major slaving ports were located in Badagry , Lagos on the Bight of Benin , and Bonny Island on the Bight of Biafra. The majority of those taken to these ports were captured in raids and wars. Usually,
4095-552: The border with Cameroon , where the montane land is part of the Bamenda Highlands of Cameroon. The far south is defined by its tropical rainforest climate , where annual rainfall is 1,500 to 2,000 millimetres (60 to 80 in) per year. In the southeast stands the Obudu Plateau . Coastal plains are found in both the southwest and the southeast. Mangrove swamps are found along the coast. The area near
4186-593: The border with Cameroon close to the coast is rich rainforest and part of the Cross-Sanaga-Bioko coastal forests ecoregion , an important centre for biodiversity . It is a habitat for the drill primate , which is found in the wild only in this area and across the border in Cameroon. The areas surrounding Calabar , Cross River State, also in this forest, are believed to contain the world's largest diversity of butterflies. The area of southern Nigeria between
4277-477: The canals, sewerage systems that are channels for water flows, and the like. Haphazard industrial planning, increased urbanisation, poverty and lack of competence of the municipal government are seen as the major reasons for high levels of waste pollution in major cities of the country. Some of the solutions have been disastrous to the environment, resulting in untreated waste being dumped in places where it can pollute waterways and groundwater . In 2005, Nigeria had
4368-568: The captives were taken back to the conquerors' territory as forced labour ; they were sometimes gradually acculturated and absorbed into the conquerors' society. Slave routes were established throughout Nigeria linking the hinterland areas with the major coastal ports. Some of the more prolific slave-trading kingdoms who participated in the Atlantic slave trade were linked with the Edo's Benin Empire in
4459-565: The civil service. Colonel Buka Suka Dimka launched a February 1976 coup attempt , during which General Murtala Muhammed was assassinated. Dimka lacked widespread support among the military, and his coup failed, forcing him to flee. After the coup attempt, General Olusegun Obasanjo was appointed military head of state. Obasanjo vowed to continue Murtala's policies. Aware of the danger of alienating northern Nigerians, Obasanjo brought General Shehu Yar'Adua as his replacement and second-in-command as Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters completing
4550-434: The cultural and political differences were sharp among Nigeria's dominant ethnic groups: the Hausa in the north, Igbo in the east and Yoruba in the west. The Westminster system of government was retained, and thus the President 's powers were generally ceremonial. The parliamentary system of government had Abubakar Tafawa Balewa as Prime Minister and Nnamdi Azikiwe as the ceremonial president. The founding government
4641-503: The dictator died in the villa. He looted money to offshore accounts in Western European banks and defeated coup plots by arresting and bribing generals and politicians. His successor, General Abdulsalami Abubakar , adopted a new constitution on 5 May 1999, which provided for multiparty elections. On 29 May 1999, Abubakar handed over power to the winner of the 1999 presidential election, former military ruler General Olusegun Obasanjo , as President of Nigeria. Obasanjo had been in prison under
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#17327908254474732-439: The dictatorship of Abacha. Obasanjo's inauguration heralded the beginning of the Fourth Nigerian Republic, ending a 39-year period of short-lived democracies, civil war and military dictatorship. Although the elections that brought Obasanjo to power and allowed him to run for a second term in the 2003 presidential elections were condemned as unfree and unfair, Nigeria made significant progress in democratization under Obasanjo. In
4823-400: The duo of Moshood Abiola and Baba Gana Kingibe of the Social Democratic Party defeated Bashir Tofa and Sylvester Ugoh of the National Republican Convention by over 2.3 million votes. However, Babangida annulled the elections, leading to massive civilian protests that effectively shut down the country for weeks. In August 1993, Babangida finally kept his promise to relinquish power to
4914-423: The east with the western Sudan region and made inroads down south conquering parts of the Oyo Empire (modern-day Kwara ), and advanced towards the Yoruba heartland of Ibadan , to reach the Atlantic Ocean. The territory controlled by the empire included much of modern-day northern and central Nigeria. The sultan sent out emirs to establish suzerainty over the conquered territories and promote Islamic civilization;
5005-400: The emergence of a wave of terror by the Boko Haram insurgency , such as the Gwoza massacre and Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping in 2014. Ahead of the general election of 2015 , a merger of the biggest opposition parties in Nigeria – the Action Congress of Nigeria , the Congress for Progressive Change , the All Nigeria Peoples Party , a faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance and
5096-480: The emirs in turn became increasingly rich and powerful through trade and slavery. By the 1890s, the largest slave population in the world, about two million, was concentrated in the territories of the Sokoto Caliphate . The use of slave labour was extensive, especially in agriculture. By the time of its break-up in 1903 into various European colonies, the Sokoto Caliphate was one of the largest pre-colonial African states. A changing legal imperative (the outlawing of
5187-410: The first time since the return of democracy, no former military ruler ran for president, marking a strengthening of democracy and faith in the multiparty constitution . The election also saw the rise of metonymic supporters of the new candidates, the Obidient movement of Peter Obi , previously governor of Anambra State, widely appealed to young, urban voters and has his core base in the Southeast; and
5278-416: The forest zone's most southerly portion, especially around the Niger River and Cross River deltas, is mangrove swamp . North of this is a freshwater swamp, containing different vegetation from the saltwater mangrove swamps, and north of that is a rainforest. The savannah zone's three categories are divided into Guinean forest-savanna mosaic , made up of plains of tall grass which are interrupted by trees,
5369-478: The highest rate of deforestation in the world, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations . That year, 12.2%, the equivalent of 11,089,000 hectares, had been forested in the country. Between 1990 and 2000, Nigeria lost an average of 409,700 hectares of forest every year equal to an average annual deforestation rate of 2.4%. Between 1990 and 2005, in total Nigeria lost 35.7% of its forest cover or around 6,145,000 hectares. Nigeria had
5460-407: The inlets to irrigate agricultural land. Nigeria is covered by three types of vegetation: forests (where there is significant tree cover), savannahs (insignificant tree cover, with grasses and flowers located between trees), and montane land (least common and mainly found in the mountains near the Cameroon border). Both the forest zone and the savannah zone are divided into three parts. Some of
5551-487: The last vizier of the caliphate officially conceded to British rule. The British appointed Muhammadu Attahiru II as the new caliph. Lugard abolished the caliphate but retained the title sultan as a symbolic position in the newly organized Northern Nigeria Protectorate . This remnant became known as " Sokoto Sultanate Council ". In June 1903, the British defeated the remaining northern forces of Attahiru. By 1906, all resistance to British rule had ended. On 1 January 1914,
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#17327908254475642-410: The location of a large area of Central African mangroves . Nigeria's most expansive topographical region is that of the valleys of the Niger and Benue river valleys (which merge and form a Y-shape). To the southwest of the Niger is a "rugged" highland . To the southeast of the Benue are hills and mountains, which form the Mambilla Plateau , the highest plateau in Nigeria. This plateau extends through
5733-458: The merging of the Southern Nigeria Protectorate and the Northern Nigeria Protectorate in 1914. The British set up administrative and legal structures while practicing indirect rule through traditional chiefdoms . Nigeria became a formally independent federation on 1 October 1960. It experienced a civil war from 1967 to 1970, followed by a succession of military dictatorships and democratically elected civilian governments until achieving
5824-486: The middle reaches of the Niger River, is uncertain. The word is likely an alteration of the Tuareg name egerew n-iger ewen used by inhabitants along the middle reaches of the river around Timbuktu before 19th-century European colonialism . Before Flora Shaw suggested the name Nigeria , other proposed names included Royal Niger Company Territories , Central Sudan , Niger Empire , Niger Sudan , and Hausa Territories . Kainji Dam excavations showed ironworking by
5915-418: The military triumvirate, with Obasanjo as head of state and General Theophilus Danjuma as Chief of Army Staff , the three went on to re-establish control over the military regime and organized the military's transfer of power programme: states creation and national delimitation , local government reforms and the constitutional drafting committee for a new republic. The military carefully planned
6006-403: The most common across the country; Sudan savannah, with short grasses and short trees; and Sahel savannah patches of grass and sand, found in the northeast. Waste management including sewage treatment , the linked processes of deforestation and soil degradation , and climate change or global warming are the major environmental problems in Nigeria. Waste management presents problems in
6097-461: The new PDP (a faction of serving governors of the ruling People's Democratic Party) – formed the All Progressives Congress led by current president Bola Ahmed Tinubu. At the time, it was the most expensive election ever to be held on the African continent (being surpassed only by the elections of 2019 and 2023 ). The new mega-opposition party chose as their candidate for the election former military dictator Muhammadu Buhari. Buhari's campaign in 2015
6188-400: The official Nigerian government side attacked Biafra on 6 July 1967, at Garkem. The 30-month war, with a long blockade of Biafra and its isolation from trade and international relief, ended in January 1970. Estimates of the number of dead in the former Eastern Region during the 30-month civil war range from one to three million. Britain and the Soviet Union were the main military backers of
6279-533: The original (PDF) on 24 September 2015 . Retrieved 12 January 2022 . {{ cite web }} : CS1 maint: archived copy as title ( link ) ^ "San Diego - Tijuana" . World Gazetteer. Archived from the original on 2007-10-01 . Retrieved 1 September 2011 . ^ "The 411 - Fascinating Facts" . Guest Life: El Paso/Juarez and Southern New Mexico . Archived from the original on 28 September 2007 . Retrieved 17 Feb 2010 . ^ "Nuevo Laredo Metro area" . World Gazetteer. Archived from
6370-2328: The original on 9 February 2013 . Retrieved 1 September 2011 . ^ Gomez, Rodney; Guajardo, Luis; Ely-Ledesma, Edna (June 15, 2022). "It is time to recognize the Rio Grande Valley as a rising borderland metropolis" . Rice University: Kinder Institute for Urban Research. {{ cite web }} : CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list ( link ) ^ "McAllen Overview" . McAllen Chamber of Commerce . Retrieved 26 August 2011 . ^ "Explore Matamoros" . Brownsville South Padre Island International Airport . Retrieved 5 February 2024 . ^ "IBGE Cidades (Brazil's Census 2010)" . ^ "INE (Uruguay's Census 2011)" . ^ http://www.lapatilla.com/site/2016/08/15/cucuta-y-san-antonio-dos-ciudades-unidas-pero-separadas-por-cierre-frontera/ "...que une ambas ciudades formando una conurbación, los 650.000 habitantes de Cúcuta y los 50.000 de San Antonio supieron que comenzaban tiempos difíciles." v t e World's largest cities City proper Capitals Africa Americas North Latin Central South Asia Arab world Arabia ASEAN East, South and Southeast Asia Europe Baltic European Union Nordic Metropolitan area Americas ( North South West Indies ) Europe ( European Union ) Asia Africa Middle East Oceania Urban area / agglomeration Asia Africa Europe European Union Nordic North America Oceania Transborder Historical World Europe Related articles Arcology Ecumenopolis Global city Megacity Megalopolis Conurbation Satellite city population Primate city Secondary city [REDACTED] Cities portal [REDACTED] World portal Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Transborder_agglomeration&oldid=1259089629 " Category : Transborder agglomerations Hidden categories: CS1 maint: archived copy as title CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list Articles with short description Short description
6461-466: The plotters struggled to form a central government. Senate President Nwafor Orizu handed over government control to the Army , under the command of another Igbo officer, Major General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi . Later, the counter-coup of 1966, supported primarily by Northern military officers, facilitated the rise of Yakubu Gowon as military head of state. Tension rose between north and south; Igbos in northern cities suffered persecution and many fled to
6552-495: The protectorates. Under Britain's policy of indirect rule and validation of Islamic legitimist tradition, the Crown did not encourage the operation of Christian missions in the northern, Islamic part of the country. By the mid-20th century following World War II , a wave for independence was sweeping across Africa, in response to the growth of Nigerian nationalism and demands for independence, successive constitutions legislated by
6643-536: The return to civilian rule putting in place measures to ensure that political parties had broader support than witnessed during the first republic. In 1979, five political parties competed in a series of elections in which Alhaji Shehu Shagari of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) was elected president. All five parties won representation in the National Assembly. On 1 October 1979, Shehu Shagari
6734-587: The separatist Ambazonia ) 1,690 km or 1,050 mi. Its coastline is at least 853 km (530 mi). Nigeria lies between latitudes 4° and 14°N , and longitudes 2° and 15°E . The highest point in Nigeria is Chappal Waddi at 2,419 m (7,936 ft). The main rivers are the Niger and the Benue , which converge and empty into the Niger Delta . This is one of the world's largest river deltas and
6825-463: The site of Lejja and to 750 BC and at the site of Opi . The Kano Chronicle highlights an ancient history dating to around 999 AD of the Hausa Sahelian city-state of Kano , with other major Hausa cities (or Hausa Bakwai ) of Daura , Hadeija , Kano , Katsina , Zazzau , Rano , and Gobir all having recorded histories dating back to the 10th century. With the spread of Islam from
6916-598: The smugglers at sea. The rescued slaves were taken to Freetown , a colony in West Africa originally established by Lieutenant John Clarkson for the resettlement of slaves freed by Britain in North America after the American Revolutionary War . Britain intervened in the Lagos kingship power struggle by bombarding Lagos in 1851, deposing the slave-trade-friendly Oba Kosoko , helping to install
7007-516: The south, Oyo Empire in the southwest, and the Aro Confederacy in the southeast. Benin's power lasted between the 15th and 19th centuries. Oyo, at its territorial zenith in the late 17th to early 18th centuries, extended its influence from western Nigeria to modern-day Togo . In the north, the incessant fighting amongst the Hausa city-states and the decline of the Bornu Empire allowed
7098-454: The threshold of power in the country. As oil production and revenue rose, the Nigerian government became increasingly dependent on oil revenues and international commodity markets for budgetary and economic concerns. The coup in July 1975 , led by Generals Shehu Musa Yar'Adua and Joseph Garba , ousted Gowon, who fled to Britain. The coup plotters wanted to replace Gowon's autocratic rule with
7189-413: The war, Nigeria enjoyed an oil boom in the 1970s, during which the country joined OPEC and received huge oil revenues. Despite these revenues, the military government did little to improve the standard of living , help small and medium businesses, or invest in infrastructure. As oil revenues fueled the rise of federal subsidies to states, the federal government became the centre of political struggle and
7280-551: The waters of this country". In August 1983, Shagari and the NPN were returned to power in a landslide victory, with a majority of seats in the National Assembly and control of 12 state governments. But the elections were marred by violence, and allegations of widespread vote-rigging and electoral malfeasance led to legal battles over the results. There were also uncertainties, such as in the first republic, that political leaders may be unable to govern properly. The 1983 military coup d'état
7371-859: The world by nominal GDP , and 27th-largest by PPP . Nigeria is often referred to as the Giant of Africa owing to its large population and economy , and is considered to be an emerging market by the World Bank . Nigeria is a founding member of the African Union and a member of many international organizations, including the United Nations , the Commonwealth of Nations , NAM , the Economic Community of West African States , Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and OPEC . It
7462-581: Was a coalition of conservative parties: the Northern People's Congress led by Sir Ahmadu Bello , a party dominated by Muslim northerners, and the Igbo and Christian-dominated National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons led by Nnamdi Azikiwe . The opposition consisted of the comparatively liberal Action Group , which was largely dominated by the Yoruba and led by Obafemi Awolowo . An imbalance
7553-657: Was abolished soon after colonialism. Nigeria gained a degree of self-rule in 1954, and full independence from the United Kingdom on 1 October 1960, as the Federation of Nigeria with Abubakar Tafawa Balewa as its Prime Minister , while retaining the British monarch , Elizabeth II , as nominal head of state and Queen of Nigeria . Azikiwe replaced the colonial governor-general in November 1960. At independence,
7644-403: Was coordinated by key officers of the Nigerian military and led to the overthrow of the government and the installation of Major General Muhammadu Buhari as head of state. The military coup of Muhammadu Buhari shortly after the regime's re-election in 1984 was generally viewed as a positive development. In 1985, Ibrahim Babangida overthrew Buhari in a coup d'état. In 1986, Babangida established
7735-467: Was created in the polity as the result of the 1961 plebiscite . Southern Cameroons opted to join the Republic of Cameroon while Northern Cameroons chose to join Nigeria. The northern part of the country became larger than the southern part. The disequilibrium and perceived corruption of the electoral and political process led to two military coups in 1966. The first coup was in January 1966 and
7826-487: Was developed independently in sub-Saharan Africa . The Nok civilization thrived between 1,500 BC and AD 200. It produced life-sized terracotta figures that are some of the earliest known sculptures in sub-Saharan Africa and smelted iron by about 550 BC and possibly a few centuries earlier. Evidence of iron smelting has also been excavated at sites in the Nsukka region of southeast Nigeria: dating to 2000 BC at
7917-583: Was led mostly by soldiers under Majors Emmanuel Ifeajuna (of the Igbo tribe), Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu ( Northerner of Eastern extraction) and Adewale Ademoyega (a Yoruba from the West). The coup plotters succeeded in assassinating Sir Ahmadu Bello and Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa alongside prominent leaders of the Northern Region and Premier Samuel Akintola of the Western Region , but
8008-418: Was popular and built around his image as a staunch anti-corruption fighter—he won the election by over two million votes. Observers generally praised the election as being fair. The election marked the first time an incumbent president had lost re-election in Nigeria. In the 2019 presidential election , Buhari was re-elected. Four candidates vied for the presidency in the 2023 presidential election . For
8099-507: Was sworn in as the first President and Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Obasanjo peacefully transferred power to Shagari, becoming the first head of state in Nigerian history to willingly step down. The Shagari government became viewed as corrupt by virtually all sectors of Nigerian society. In 1983, the inspectors of the state-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation began to notice "the slow poisoning of
8190-547: Was tasked by the Colonial Office to implement the agenda. Lugard used rivalries between many of the emirs in the southern reach of the caliphate and the central Sokoto administration to prevent any defence as he worked towards the capital. As the British approached the city of Sokoto , Sultan Muhammadu Attahiru I organized a quick defence of the city and fought the advancing British-led forces. The British force quickly won, sending Attahiru I and thousands of followers on
8281-501: Was the country's national anthem from 1960 to 1978, as its national anthem, replacing Arise, O Compatriots . Nigeria is located in western Africa on the Gulf of Guinea and has a total area of 923,768 km (356,669 sq mi), making it the world's 32nd-largest country . Its borders span 4,047 kilometres (2,515 mi), and it shares borders with Benin (773 km or 480 mi), Niger (1,497 km or 930 mi), Chad (87 km or 54 mi), and Cameroon (including
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