Calabar Kingdom of Calabar | |
---|---|
City | |
Coordinates: 04°58′36″N08°20′18″E / 4.97667°N 8.33833°E | |
Country | Nigeria |
State | Cross River |
Area | |
• Total | 406 km2 (157 sq mi) |
Elevation | 32 m (105 ft) |
Population (2006) [1] | |
• Total | 371,022 |
• Estimate (2022) | 571,500 |
• Density | 910/km2 (2,400/sq mi) |
GDP (PPP, 2015 int. Dollar) | |
• Year | 2023 |
• Total | $4.8 billion [2] |
• Per capita | $7,300 |
Time zone | UTC+1 (WAT) |
Climate | Am |
Calabar (also referred to as Callabar, Calabari, Calbari, Cali and Kalabar) [3] is the capital city of Cross River State, Nigeria. It was originally named Akwa Akpa, in the Efik language, as the Efik people dominate this area. [4] The city is adjacent to the Calabar and Great Kwa rivers, and the creeks of the Cross River (from its inland delta).
Calabar was once described as the tourism capital of Nigeria, [5] especially due to several initiatives implemented during the administration of Donald Duke as the Governor of Cross River State (1999–2007). The city became the cleanest and most environmentally friendly city in Nigeria. [6]
Administratively, the city is divided into Calabar Municipal and Calabar South Local Government Areas. It has an area of 406 square kilometres (157 sq mi) and, as of the 2006 census, a population of 371,022. [7] Both LGAs together had an estimated population of 571,500 in 2022. [8]
When Portuguese explorers in the 15th century reached this part of the Guinea coast, they called the tribes of the area "Calabar". These historic inhabitants were Efiks, Ibibios and Quas. The Efik people migrated from the area of the Niger River to the shores of the Calabar. They were fleeing civil war with their kindred and the Ibibio people. [9]
Since the 16th century, Calabar has served as an international seaport, exporting such goods as palm oil. [10] During the centuries of the Atlantic slave trade, it became a major port for shipment of African slaves to the Americas. The Spanish named it Calabar.
Tribes around that region were taken in as slaves for slave trades. Such tribes included the Igbo tribes (communities) who lived around that region at the time. Those minority tribes were subject to slave raids by more powerful tribes or ethnic groups in the region. [11]
From 1725 until 1750, roughly 17,000 enslaved Africans were sold from Calabar to European slave traders; from 1772 to 1775, the number soared to more than 62,000. [12] Old Calabar (Duke Town) and Creek Town, 16 kilometres (10 mi) northeast, were crucial towns in the trade of slaves in that era. [3]
In 1807, Great Britain abolished the slave trade. [13] In 1815 HMS Comus, as part of the British blockade of Africa, sailed into Duke Town, where she captured seven Spanish and Portuguese slave ships. [14]
John Jea, an enslaved African American, came from the area. He later became a writer. A small mulatto community of merchants was located here that had links to missionary and other merchant colonies in Igboland, Lagos, and across the Atlantic. [15]
In 1846, Scottish Presbyterians established a mission station in Calabar. Among the missionaries, Hope Waddell, who worked in Calabar from 1845 to 1858, and Mary Slessor, who evangelized Christianity in Calabar from 1876 to 1915, worked to improve treatment by and among the native peoples. They influenced many Efik people to convert to Christianity.
They tried to change or abolish the following traditional practices:
They founded a school to provide secondary education to Africans. They also worked to protect water supplies and limit mosquitoes to contain yellow fever epidemics.
Waddell and Slessor are still honoured in Calabar today; streets and squares in the city were named for them.
On 10 September 1884, Queen Victoria signed a treaty of protection with the king and chiefs of Akwa Akpa, known to Europeans as Old Calabar—then the official title to distinguish it from New Calabar to the east. [9] This enabled the United Kingdom to exercise control over the entire territory around Calabar, including Bakassi. [17] Calabar was the headquarter of the European administration in the Niger Delta until 1906 when the seat of government was moved to Lagos. [9]
Calabar developed earlier, albeit less vigorously than Lagos, with which it is sometimes compared because of some parallels. Calabar has the following achievements: [18]
From 1914 until the 1960s, a mail steamer of the Liverpool Elder-Dempster Line called at Calabar every month. In addition to letters and parcels, it also delivered newspapers, and cargo and carried up to 100 passengers to Lagos, Port Harcourt and Calabar.
In 1922, British governor Clifford established the Legislative Council. The four elected members were from Lagos (3) and Calabar (1). The Legislative Council enacted laws for the colony and the protectorate of Southern Nigeria. It also approved the annual budget for the entire country. The four elected members were the first Africans to be elected to a parliamentary body in British West Africa.
The Clifford Constitution led to the formation of political parties in Nigeria. Herbert Macaulay, a newspaper owner and grandson of Samuel Ajayi Crowther, in 1923 founded the first Nigerian political party, the Nigeria National Democratic Party. It remained the strongest party in the elections until 1939.
In 1926, Governor Graeme Thomson attempted to introduce a poll tax in southeast Nigeria, including Calabar. It would reduce the number of Africans eligible to vote in elections. The people reacted with strong protests, which Nigerians call the "Women's War", for many of its leaders, and the British termed the "Aba Riots". These riots spread from the neighbouring town of Aba to Calabar. Several administrative buildings were destroyed and more than 50 women died at the hands of colonial forces. [21]
After independence in 1960, tensions increased between the North and South areas of the country, which were strongly affiliated with Muslims and Christians, respectively. In addition, the South had a concentration of educated people who were politically powerful and had a history of trade and interaction with other communities.
The Southeastern area decided to become independent and declared itself as the Republic of Biafra in 1967. It included Calabar. In October 1967, an armada of the Nigerian Navy left the harbour of Bonny on a naval campaign en route to Calabar. The ships carried troops of the Nigerian 3rd Naval Division under the command of Colonel Benjamin Adekunle. At this time, Calabar was being defended by the 9th Battalion of Biafrans under the command of Major Ogbo Oji. On 17 October, the Biafran defences on the beaches of Calabar came under heavy air and naval fire. Less than 24 hours later, the Nigerian 8th Battalion under the command of Major Ochefu went ashore at Lokoja and captured the Calabar cement factory. [22]
Later that day, the Nigerian 33rd Battalion landed on the beach at Calabar. The Biafran resistance was overwhelmed. After Nigerian troops advanced into Calabar from three different positions, bloody hand-to-hand fighting ensued. After suffering heavy losses, the remaining mercenaries retreated northward and fled Biafra. [22] After three years, the country reunited under the Nigerian central government.
Today's economy of the megacity of Calabar is dominated by:
The state government of Cross River is trying to stimulate tourism in Calabar. The initiation of the Calabar Carnival in 2004 by the then Governor Donald Duke is probably the most successful measure to advance tourism in Calabar. [24]
Margaret Ekpo International Airport was inaugurated in 1983 by then-President Shagari. Lufthansa, British Airways and KLM/Air France fly to the airport from Calabar with a stopover in Lagos or Abuja (the last leg of the flight is operated by the regional airlines Air Peace, Ibom Air and Aero Contractors).
The Calabar Port Complex consists of the Old Port, the New Port and the Dockyard and is responsible for the petroleum terminals at Antan, Odudu, Yoho and QuaIboe as well as other jetties at NIWA, McIver, NNPC, ALSCON, Dozzy and Northwest. The three terminals at the Port of Calabar are operated by "world-class terminal operators, namely: ECM Terminal Ltd, INTELS Nigeria Ltd and Shoreline Logistics Nigeria Limited", according to the port operating company NPA. [25]
The port of Calabar's profile in the oil and gas industry is fast gaining traction as the business is to capitalise on import and export opportunities by providing an efficient port service system that guarantees fast turnaround time of vessels and faster cargo clearance. [25]
Calabar is a multi-purpose facility. The harbour consists of 2 terminals, A and B, and 2 smaller berths in the "Old Harbour" area. It has a channel draught of 7.5 metres. The terminals are operated by private operators under concession agreements. Terminal B, which occupies 80% of the harbour area, is operated under a concession by ECM Terminals Ltd; Intels LTD and Addak are the other terminal operators. [26]
Calabar sees itself as the "tourism capital of Nigeria". This is supported by the state government. [27]
One of the five main themes of the museum is the Esuk Mba slave market in Akpabuyo. The slave trade in Calabar was based on slave raiding and trading, which mainly took place in the hinterland, where the enslaved were mostly prisoners of war. The prisoners of war were collected at this market and sold as slaves to slave traders. [28]
Another exhibition shows objects from the slave trade, including chains and shackles. The traders used these to prevent resistance while transporting as many people as possible over long distances. [28]
One exhibition shows the various means of payment used in the slave trade, from copper bars, manillas and Danish guns to brass bells, gongs, flutes and more. The arrangement of the slaves on a ship is artistically illustrated. The slaves were arranged in different positions depending on where they were accommodated on the ship, either sitting, standing or side by side. These positions were maintained until the ships reached their destination in the New World - a crossing that could take several months. [28]
Finally, another exhibition traces the efforts of abolitionists such as William Wilberforce, Thomas Clarkson and Granville Sharp, who saw the slave trade as morally reprehensible and a matter of natural rights. They therefore put forward twelve proposals for abolition. A British Act for the Abolition of the Slave Trade of 25 March 1807 finally stipulated that the slave trade should be abolished by law from 1 May 1807. [28]
The Daily Trust Nigeria reported the museum's decline. However, the negative report could be due to the COVID wave that was rampant at the time. [29]
The National Museum of Calabar was flat packed, shipped from Britain and built-in 1884 [30] (it is sometimes incorrectly stated to have been built in 1959). It was formerly the government building or the governor's residence during colonial rule, which was built in Britain and then shipped in parts to Calabar. The Calabar National Museum is made of old Scandinavian pine and has preserved centuries-old relics, especially documents, furnishings and artefacts from the colonial era. [31] The museum houses the relics of the slave trade, including the names of the people who supported the slave trade and the currency of the slave trade. The Calabar National Museum, designed and built by the colonisers in Glasgow, houses souvenirs from the slave trade. In 1959, the building became a national monument. [32]
The National Museum was once the home of a British governor. It is located in Calabar, Cross River State, and displays unique artefacts and historical heritage.
On a tour of the museum, you can see the furnishings used by Europeans during the slave trade and colonial period. You can also see the constitutions in their original documents, which are kept in a large library. [33]
Calabar's most impressive monument is located in the park of the National Museum. It depicts two chained hands.
Mary Mitchell Slessor was a Scottish missionary sent to Nigeria by the United Presbyterian Church in the 19th century. [34] Mary Slessor's House, built around 1880 in Akpap Village, Calabar, Cross River State, is one of the monuments dedicated to her memory.
Originally, the house was a mud house with two bedrooms, a verandah, a shop and a parlour. She referred to it as a "trailer", but the locals called it a "good pass all". In 1889, Mr Owens, a carpenter at the mission, was hired to build a more permanent structure for her. The walls were made of iron plates with wooden doors and windows. [35]
When Southern Nigeria became a British protectorate, Miss Slessor acted as a female magistrate and skilful diplomatic ambassador. For her efforts in Okoyong, she was given the Efik name Obongawan Okoyong (Queen of Okoyong). [35]
She was also instrumental in the establishment of the Hope Waddell Training Institute in Calabar, which provided vocational training for Efiks. Miss Slessor is widely regarded as a heroine in Nigerian history, and the Mary Slessor House stands as a historical site in honour of the missionary in Ekenge, Calabar, Cross River State. [35]
Millennium Park in Calabar is an amusement park that serves as a famous symbol of the city, offering various recreational activities for children and adults. [36] Millennium Park, with its pretty and attractive garden and arcades, is a major destination for first-time visitors. Tastefully decorated to artfully showcase and embellish the rich history and culture of Cross River, it provides an excellent backdrop for carefree moments. The Millennium Park is beautifully landscaped and managed and complements the beauty and tourism concept of Calabar town. [37]
Located within the Calabar Marina Resort, [38] Tortuga Island is an area with three popular plantation-style bars. The colonial-inspired themed bars are set in beautiful landscaped gardens and offer panoramic views of the river.
The famous Tortuga Island is a seating area within the resort. The operators rave about a cocktail at sunset and a delicious grilled meat dinner. You can "order from a well-stocked bar and enjoy expertly fried fish as well as some other delicacies." [39]
The Tinapa Resort seems to have fallen into disrepair during the Covid epidemic. Pictures on a travel website show broken windows and various pioneer plants around the vacant building. [40] The decay also affects the Calabar monorail located on the premises, which was once the first of its kind in Africa.
The Drill Rehabilitation Centre nature reserve was founded in 1991 and is the first rehabilitation project for primates in the region. Drills orphaned by hunting are donated by local citizens or handed over after confiscation by the authorities; no animals are bought or taken from the wild. More than 75 drills have been rescued and reunited with conspecifics after a thorough medical examination. Drills have reproduced poorly in western zoos, but the DRBC has recorded over 250 births from rehabilitated wild-born parents and their offspring, making the project the world's most successful captive breeding programme for an endangered primate. Today, 286 drills live in 6 family groups, each in their own natural habitat in an electrified enclosure of up to 9 hectares. There are plans to release the first group back into the wild. The Drill Ranch is also home to 28 orphaned chimpanzees. As the closest relatives of humans, chimpanzees contribute greatly to the education of visitors by arousing interest and sympathy for the animal world. The project has two locations. The original site in Calabar, the capital of Cross River State, is where it all began. Today, the "Drill Ranch Calabar" serves as the project's headquarters, office, quarantine centre for new animals and veterinary practice, as well as accommodation for the managers and rotating volunteer staff. One of the project's 6 drill breeding groups is also located here so that anyone living in or visiting the state capital has the opportunity to see drills. This group now comprises 39 animals in 4 generations, including the first drill. Drill Ranch Calabar is also home to a chimpanzee nursery - the project's youngest chimpanzees live here, where they receive round-the-clock care and supervision before moving to Afi Ranch at the age of 6-8 years. [41]
Not far from Calabar, you can visit the Kwa Waterfalls (approx. 15 km away), Ibeno Beach (30 km away) and the Cross River National Park. These three attractions are the most popular in Calabar on tourism websites.
The Kwa Falls is an impressive waterfall characterised by a narrow, steep gorge from top to bottom. The sparkling water plunges into the depths and forms a pool that is ideal for a variety of water sports. Anyone can go swimming here. [42]
Ibeno Beach is one of the Atlantic Ocean beaches along the coastline of Ibeno in Akwa Ibom State. It is the longest sandy beach in West Africa. [43] Ibeno Beach stretches for about 30 kilometres from Ibeno to James Town along the Atlantic coast of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. With its beautiful coastline, Ibeno offers endless natural opportunities for tourism, water sports, beach football and boating. Vlogger Tayo Aina speaks of the "best-kept secret of Akwa Ibom". [44]
Cross River National Park is located northeast of Calabar and borders Cameroon. The Nigerian federal government is courting investors to develop the potential of ecotourism in this and other national parks. [45] The park's motto is "The Pride Of Nigeria". The Kanyang Tourist Village, about an hour's drive from Calabar, will provide visitors with a base from which to visit the park and will have a lodge, restaurant and wildlife museum. Activities include game viewing, bird watching, gorilla tracking, mountain climbing or hiking, sport fishing, boat cruises and the Botanical Gardens and Herbarium at Butatong. [46]
Attractions include the Kwa Falls (see above). The Agbokim Falls on the Cross River plunge over a cliff into the tropical rainforest in about 7 steps. There is a small zoological garden with animal species that are rare in Nigeria, which has helped to save some rare species from extinction. [47]
The Calabar Carnival, for which the old harbour town is famous, takes place every December. The participating dance schools and imaginative costumes are obviously inspired by Brazil, although the samba is replaced by Afrobeats. [27] [48]
The Calabar Carnival lasts for the entire month of December and is divided into
As Nigeria's income is almost exclusively derived from oil and its resources must be protected for national reasons, the Nigerian government has always relied on a strong navy. Nigeria's navy is the most powerful in West and Central Africa.
The Nigerian Eastern Naval Command is based in Calabar [49] and includes, among others:
A naval air base is planned for Calabar.
The Eastern Naval Command (ENC) is the second operational command of the Nigerian Navy and covers the sea area from Delta State to the Nigerian-Cameroonian border and from the Nigerian coast to the border of the Nigerian EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone).
University of Calabar (Unical) is considered "one of the best in the country". [18]
University Of Cross River State (Unicross) is the state's University.
The Nigerian Navy maintains a cadet school in Calabar. [49] It is a new model school, Nigerian Navy Secondary School, situated in Akpabuyo, about 10 minutes' drive from the airport. This new school complements the existing Nigerian Navy Primary School and Naval Officers Wives Association Primary School, both situated at Ikot Ansa Calabar.
Founded in 1895, the Hope Waddell Training Institution was renovated after a long period of neglect and is once again functioning as a high school. Nigeria's first president Azikiwe received his secondary school leaving certificate here. [50]
Among the best hospitals (according to various lists on the Internet) are the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital [51] and the Federal Psychiatric Hospital. [52] [53] The former took over the facilities of the former St Margaret's Hospital in 1979, which had been founded in 1897 as the first public hospital in Nigeria. The facilities of the maternity centre of St. Margaret's Hospital were also taken over by the hospital. [54]
The Nigerian Navy maintains a naval hospital in Calabar, the Nigerian Navy Reference Hospital. [49] [55] The Nigerian Navy Reference Hospital claims to be "one of the best military health facilities in Nigeria. It emphasises the importance the Nigerian Navy places on providing excellent healthcare to members of the armed forces and society at large." [55]
Under Köppen's climate classification, Calabar features a tropical monsoon climate (Köppen: Am) amidst a lengthy wet season spanning ten months and a short dry season covering the remaining two months. The harmattan, which significantly influences weather in West Africa, is noticeably less pronounced in the city. Temperatures are relatively constant throughout the year, with average high temperatures usually ranging from 25 to 28 degrees Celsius. There is also little variance between daytime and nighttime temperatures, as temperatures at night are typically only a few degrees lower than the daytime high temperature. Calabar averages just over 3,000 millimetres (120 in) of precipitation annually.
Climate data for Calabar | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 33.9 (93.0) | 36.1 (97.0) | 37.2 (99.0) | 35.0 (95.0) | 33.9 (93.0) | 32.8 (91.0) | 31.7 (89.1) | 31.7 (89.1) | 31.7 (89.1) | 32.2 (90.0) | 32.8 (91.0) | 33.3 (91.9) | 37.2 (99.0) |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 31.2 (88.2) | 32.3 (90.1) | 32.1 (89.8) | 31.4 (88.5) | 30.9 (87.6) | 29.2 (84.6) | 27.6 (81.7) | 27.5 (81.5) | 28.2 (82.8) | 29.4 (84.9) | 30.4 (86.7) | 31.0 (87.8) | 30.1 (86.2) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 26.8 (80.2) | 27.5 (81.5) | 27.6 (81.7) | 27.2 (81.0) | 26.9 (80.4) | 25.8 (78.4) | 24.8 (76.6) | 24.8 (76.6) | 25.2 (77.4) | 25.8 (78.4) | 26.4 (79.5) | 26.6 (79.9) | 26.3 (79.3) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 22.4 (72.3) | 22.8 (73.0) | 23.1 (73.6) | 23.0 (73.4) | 22.9 (73.2) | 22.5 (72.5) | 22.1 (71.8) | 22.2 (72.0) | 22.2 (72.0) | 22.2 (72.0) | 22.4 (72.3) | 22.3 (72.1) | 22.5 (72.5) |
Record low °C (°F) | 16.7 (62.1) | 16.7 (62.1) | 20.0 (68.0) | 20.6 (69.1) | 20.0 (68.0) | 20.0 (68.0) | 19.4 (66.9) | 18.9 (66.0) | 20.0 (68.0) | 19.4 (66.9) | 19.4 (66.9) | 17.7 (63.9) | 16.7 (62.1) |
Average rainfall mm (inches) | 38 (1.5) | 76 (3.0) | 158 (6.2) | 218 (8.6) | 313 (12.3) | 411 (16.2) | 455 (17.9) | 419 (16.5) | 421 (16.6) | 328 (12.9) | 191 (7.5) | 48 (1.9) | 3,076 (121.1) |
Average rainy days (≥ 0.3 mm) | 3 | 4 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 22 | 19 | 12 | 5 | 173 |
Average relative humidity (%) | 84 | 82 | 85 | 87 | 88 | 90 | 92 | 92 | 92 | 90 | 89 | 85 | 88 |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 167.4 | 146.9 | 108.5 | 135.0 | 136.4 | 129.0 | 55.8 | 49.6 | 60.0 | 105.4 | 135.0 | 176.7 | 1,405.7 |
Mean daily sunshine hours | 5.4 | 5.2 | 3.5 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 2.0 | 3.4 | 4.5 | 5.7 | 3.9 |
Source: Deutscher Wetterdienst [56] |
The Efik Kingdom patriarch is known as the Obong of Calabar. Other related nations, include the Qua Kingdom of Ejagham (Ekoi)/Bantu origin, and the Efut Kingdom. The Qua Kingdom has the Ndidem of the Qua nation as the Grand Patriarch, and the Efut have the Muri munene as the Grand Patriarch.
Before the colonial period, Calabar, originally known as Akwa Akpa, was a kingdom with the City of Calabar as the site of government. Calabar has three different monarchs, the Obong of Calabar as the ruler of the Efiks and the Ekpe secret society as the stool on which the Obong of Calabar sat. The Ndidem of Calabar is the ruler of the Quas and the paramount ruler of Calabar Municipality. The muri munene of the Efuts who is the ruler of the Efuts and paramount ruler of Calabar South.
Calabar people are mainly people from the old Calabar province – Calabar South, Calabar Municipality, Akpabuyo, Bakassi, Biase, Odukpani and Akamkpa, but as commonly used in Nigeria, the term "Calabar people" could also refer to the indigenes of Greater Calabar as well as the people of the original South Eastern State of Nigeria who are at present the people of Akwa Ibom State and Cross River State.
Akwa Ibom State is a state in the South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria. It borders Cross River State to the east, Rivers State and Abia State to the west and north-west, and to the south by the Atlantic Ocean. The state takes its name from the Qua Iboe River which bisects the state before flowing into the Bight of Bonny. Akwa Ibom was split from Cross River State in 1987 with her capital Uyo and with 31 local government areas.
Anaang is an ethnic group in Southern Nigeria, whose land is primarily within 8 of the present 31 Local Government Areas in Akwa Ibom State: Abak, Essien Udim, Etim Ekpo, Ika, Ikot Ekpene, Obot Akara, Oruk Anam, Ukanafun in Akwa Ibom State. The Anaang are the second largest ethnic group after the Ibibios in Akwa Ibom state.
The Bight of Biafra, also known as the Bight of Bonny, is a bight off the west-central African coast, in the easternmost part of the Gulf of Guinea.
Cross River State is a state in the South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria. Cross River State was formed from the eastern part of the Eastern Region on 27 May 1967. Its capital is Calabar, it borders to the north through Benue state, to the west through Ebonyi state and Abia state, and to the southwest through Akwa Ibom state, while its eastern border forms part of the national border with Cameroon. Originally known as the South-Eastern State before being renamed in 1976, Cross River state formerly included the area that is now Akwa Ibom state, which became a distinct state in 1987.
Mary Mitchell Slessor was a Scottish Presbyterian missionary to Nigeria. Once in Nigeria, Slessor... learned Efik, one of the numerous local languages, then began teaching. Because of her understanding of the native language and her bold personality Slessor gained the trust and acceptance of the locals and was able to spread Christianity while promoting women's rights and protecting native children. She is most famous for her role in helping to stop the common practice of infanticide of twins in Okoyong, an area of Cross River State, Nigeria.
The Efik are an ethnic group located primarily in southern Nigeria, and western Cameroon. Within Nigeria, the Efik can be found in the present-day Cross River State and Akwa Ibom state. The Efik speak the Efik language which is a member of the Benue–Congo subfamily of the Niger-Congo language group. The Efik refer to themselves as Efik Eburutu, Ifa Ibom, Eburutu and Iboku.
The Nigerian Navy (NN) is the naval branch of the Nigerian armed forces. With more than 70 warships, it is categorised as the fourth strongest navy in Africa. It is considered well-trained and has participated in several peacekeeping missions.
Eket is one of the 31 local government areas in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. The name Eket or Ekid also refers to the indigenous people of the region who are the Ibibio people of the southern part of Ibibioland and to their dialect which is Ekid. The Eket people use the endonym Ekid for themselves and their language, but Europeans spell and pronounce the name as "Eket".
Joseph Edet Akinwale Wey was a Nigerian Navy Vice Admiral who served as head of the Nigerian Navy, acting foreign minister, and chief of staff of the Supreme Headquarters, making him the de facto vice president of Nigeria during Yakubu Gowon's regime.
Tourism in Nigeria centers largely on events, due to the country's ample amount of ethnic groups, but also includes rainforests, savannah, waterfalls, and other natural attractions. Tourists spent US$2.6 billion in Nigeria in 2015. This dropped to US$1.5 billion in 2017.
The Oron people are a multi-ethnic tribal grouping that make up the Akpakip Oro or Oron Nation. The Oron people (Örö) are located primarily in southern Nigeria in the riverine area of Akwa Ibom State and Cross River State and in Cameroon. Akpakip Oro are regarded as an ancient warrior people, speaking the Oron (Oro) language which is in the Cross River language family of the Benue–Congo languages. They are ancestrally related to the Efik people of the Cross River State, the Ibeno and Eastern Obolo in Akwa Ibom, the Andoni people in Rivers State, Ohafia in Abia State and the Balondo-ba-Konja in the Congo.
Ibeno is located in the south of Nigeria and is a Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. Ibeno town lies on the eastern side of the Kwa Ibo River about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) from the river mouth, and is one of the largest fishing settlements on the Nigerian coast. Ibeno lies in the Mangrove Forest Belt of the Niger Delta region of Nigeria, bounded to the west by Eastern Obolo Local Government Area, to the north by Onna, Esit Eket and Eket, and to the south by the Atlantic Ocean. Ibeno Local Government is the host of Exxonmobil Unlimited, now Seplat
Calabar Carnival is an annual carnival held in Cross River State, Nigeria. Also known as Africa's Biggest Street Party, the carnival holds every December and was declared by the then governor of Cross River State, Mr. Donald Duke as an activity to mark Christmas celebration yearly. He said his vision for creating the festival was to make Cross-River a home of tourism and hospitality in Nigeria and Africa. The quality of the festival has grown over the years making it Nigeria's biggest carnival and an internationally recognized festival. It used to be a month-long event that began on the 1st of December, until the former governor of the state, Benedict Ayade reduced it to two weeks after he was elected. During the 2017 carnival, Former governor Benedict Ayade said in his speech that the carnival is to showcase Africa as the richest continent and a blessed place where the young ones should be proud to belong. The carnival has always been entertaining and colourful as different competitions take place and huge cash prizes are won. Calabar which is also known by the name Canaan City, is a city in south-eastern Nigeria. Calabar is actually the capital city of Cross River State. Calabar sits adjacent to the Calabar and Great Kwa Rivers and Falls as well as the creeks of the Cross River.
Duke Town, originally known as Atakpa, is an Efik city-state that flourished in the 19th century in what is now southern Nigeria. The City State extended from now Calabar to Bakassi in the east and Oron to the west. Although it is now absorbed into Nigeria, traditional rulers of the state are still recognized. The state occupied what is now the modern city of Calabar.
Cross River is the main river in southeastern Nigeria and gives its name to Cross River State. It originates in Cameroon, where it takes the name of the Manyu River. Although not long by African standards its catchment has high rainfall and it becomes very wide. Over its last 80 kilometres (50 mi) to the sea it flows through swampy rainforest with numerous creeks and forms an inland delta near its confluence with the Calabar River, about 20 kilometres (12 mi) wide and 50 kilometres (31 mi) long between the cities of Oron on the west bank and Calabar, on the east bank, more than 30 kilometres (19 mi) from the open sea. The delta empties into a broad estuary which it shares with a few smaller rivers. At its mouth in the Atlantic Ocean, the estuary is 24 kilometres (15 mi) wide. The eastern side of the estuary is in the neighboring country of Cameroon.
EfikEF-ik is the indigenous language of the Efik people, who are situated in the present-day Cross River State and Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria, as well as in the north-west of Cameroon. The Efik language is mutually intelligible with other lower Cross River languages such as Ibibio, Anaang, Oro and Ekid but the degree of intelligibility in the case of Oro and Ekid is unidirectional; in other words, speakers of these languages speak and understand Efik but not vice versa. The Efik vocabulary has been enriched and influenced by external contact with the British, Portuguese and other surrounding communities such as Balondo, Oron, Efut, Okoyong, Efiat and Ekoi (Qua).
The Calabar River in Cross River State, Nigeria flows from the north past the city of Calabar, joining the larger Cross River about 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) to the south. The river at Calabar forms a natural harbor deep enough for vessels with a draft of 6 metres (20 ft).
Afang soup is a vegetable soup that originates from the Ibibio People of Akwa Ibom in Southern Nigeria. They share this soup with their neighbors the Efik people of Calabar, Cross River. It is a dish popularly known by Nigerians and also some parts of Africa. It is especially popular among the Ibibio and the Anang people of Akwa Ibom. The Efik of Cross River state adopted this cuisine as part of their cultural identity. It is served at homes and also sometimes in ceremonies such as weddings,birthdays, burials, festivals etc. mostly in the southern part of Nigeria. Afang soup is very nutritious and the cost of preparation can be adaptable based on family needs.
Eniong Abatim is a community located in the present-day Odukpani Local Government Area of Cross River state of Nigeria. The people speak the Efik language.
Watt Market is a multipurpose marketplace located in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria. Established in 1901, it is the largest market in the state and a significant center of commerce and cultural exchange in the region. Watt Market sells all sorts of things, like food, clothes, and even electronics.
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