536 CHAPTER 18

A Look at NigeriaQueen Amina’s 16th-century military conquests helpedmake the present-day nation of Nigeria very diverse. Itsland includes several types of environments, such as trop-ical rain forests, mangrove swamps, and savannas. Its peo-ple and cultures come from more than 250 ethnic groups.Nigeria has a long history and a rich artistic heritage.However, like other African countries, Nigeria faced vio-lence on the way to becoming a modern democracy.

TERMS & NAMESYorubaIgboHausaWole Soyinka

Nigeria has a rich diversity ofpeoples and resources.

Nigeria’s diversity has caused civilwar, from which the country iscurrently recovering.

MAIN IDEA WHY IT MATTERS NOW

ZAZZUA, HAUSALAND, ANCIENT NIGERIA,

1566—The Queen is dead! Long live the

Queen! This week the peaceful and pros-

perous reign of Queen Bakwa came to an

end. Her daughter, Amina, was crowned

queen. Unlike her peace-loving mother,

Queen Amina is a warrior in the Zazzua

cavalry.At her crowning, she announced her

intention to force other West African rulers

to honor her and allow Hausa traders to

travel safely through their lands. She also

intends to build earthen defense walls

around all of Zazzua’s towns. She will

begin her first military campaign in

three months’ time.

Nigeria TodayNigeria Today

Place • These earthen defense walls are

known as ganuwar Amina, or “Amina’s

walls.” �

TAKING NOTES

European colonial powersdivided Africa . . .

In most African countries,governments are . . .

KeyEvidence

MyInferences

Statements

Use your chart to take notes about Western andCentral Africa.

Sokoto

Jos

Wukari

Yola

BeninCity

Bida

Owerri

Makurdi

Oshogbo

Ilorin

Port Harcourt

Abeokuta

Kano

Abuja

Maiduguri

Ilesha

Kaduna

EnuguLagos

Ibadan

Niger

Benue

Niger

N I G E R I A

CAMEROON

CHAD

CENTRALAFRICANREPUBLIC

NIGER

BENIN

TOGOGHANA

BURKINAFASO

L. Chad

Gulf of Guinea

Y o r u b aNupe

Ti v

Edo

I j o

K a n u r i

Mumuye

Mambila

Igbo

Ibibio

H a u s a

Fulani

City

Country

Ethnic group

TOGO

Igbo

N

0

0 100 200 kilometers

100 200 miles

History of Nigeria’s PeopleThe Nok people were one of the earliest known cultures in theland that is now Nigeria. By about 500 B.C., they occupied thecentral plateau. They were skilled in ironworking and weaving.

Today, about 60 percent of Nigerians belong to three majorethnic groups: the Yoruba (YAWR•uh•buh), the Igbo, and theHausa (HOW•suh). The first Yoruba established their kingdomon the west bank of the Niger River. The Igbo were part of the Nrikingdom in the southeast, and the Hausa built cities in the north-ern savannas.

The Yoruba Most of the Yoruba today live in southwesternNigeria. Before colonial rule, Yoruba society was organizedaround powerful city-states. Yoruba men grew yams, peanuts,millet, beans, and other crops on land around the cities. Artistsand poets had great prestige in traditional Yoruba society.Yoruba women specialized in marketing and trade. Theirbusinesses made some women wealthy and independent.

The Igbo For thousands of years, the Igbo have lived in thesoutheast region of Nigeria. Igbo villages are fairly democratic,with leaders being chosen rather than inheriting their posi-tion. They are known for their metalworking, weaving, andwoodcarving. In British colonial times, many Igbo held jobs inbusiness and government.

The Hausa The Hausa are the largest ethnic group in Nigeria.Almost all Hausa are Muslims. Most live in farming villages innorthern Nigeria. Crafts such as leatherworking, weaving, andblacksmithing have been passed down through generations.

Culture • AnIgbo womanpaints a pythonon a house wall. �

A. ComparingHow do the current locationsof Nigeria’s three ethnic groups compare with theiroriginal locations?

Ethnic Groups of Nigeria, 2001

GEOGRAPHYSKILLBUILDER:Interpreting a Map1. Culture • Which of

Nigeria’s ethnicgroups covers thelargest area?

2. Location • Which ethnic groups livealongside Lake Chad?

537

Becoming a DemocracyIn the 1800s, the United Kingdom colonized the northern andsouthern areas of what is now Nigeria. English became the com-mon language. The two regions were united in 1914. In the1920s, Nigerians began to work toward separating from Britishrule. Nigeria finally gained independence in 1960.

When oil was found in eastern Nigeria, the Igbo people theredeclared their independence. They set up the Republic of Biafra(bee•AF•ruh). Civil war raged from 1966 to 1970, causing a mil-lion deaths from fighting or starvation. After the war, militaryrulers took over. People had little freedom. Sometimes electionswere held, but leaders often ignored the results. Finally, in May1999, Nigeria had a free election. Former military ruler OlusegunObasanjo was elected president.

Nigeria’s EconomyNigeria has more than 123 million people—the largest population in Africa. More thanhalf of Nigerians are farmers. Huge areas ofthe country have rubber, cacao, peanut, andpalm oil plantations. The country has richdeposits of oil and natural gas. Oil isNigeria’s main export, supplying more than90 percent of government income. Minerals,

such as coal, iron ore, tin, lead, limestone, and zinc, are alsoimportant to the economy. Factories produce cars, cement, chem-icals, clothing, and processed foods.

Wole Soyinka Wole Soyinka (WOH•leh shaw•YIHNG•kuh), a Yorubaman, was born in Abeokuta, Nigeria, in 1934. In 1986, Soyinka becamethe first black African to receive the Nobel Prize in literature. Soyinka(shown on the left) is best known for his plays, which combine Africanstories and European drama. He has also written novels, essays, andpoetry. At the same time, he has been a voice for democracy, justice, andfreedom of speech.

Soyinka’s outspoken ideas got him into trouble with Nigeria’s militaryrulers, and he was thrown into prison. After he was released, he leftNigeria. Soyinka lived in France and the United States for many years.He returned to Nigeria in 1998 to work for democratic reforms.

538 CHAPTER 18

Region • Cassavaplants grow inNigeria’s tropicalclimate. Nigerianseat the cassava’sstarchy root,shown below. Itmust be preparedcarefully, since itis poisonous ifeaten raw. � B. Recognizing

ImportantDetails Whatevent promptedthe Igbo people to declare independence from Nigeria?

Nigerian Art andLiteratureNigeria’s many cultures and eth-nic groups have produced a richmix of artistic styles. Yorubanartists have been making metalsculptures for about a thousandyears. Yoruba also carve masksand figures out of wood.Decorated calabashes, or gourds,are another example of Nigerianart. Dried, hollow gourds are usedas food containers or musicalinstruments. Baskets are madefrom local plants. Basket weaversturn practical containers intoworks of art.

Nigerians are also famous for their literature. Nigerian writerssuch as Amos Tutuola, Ben Okri, and Wole Soyinka have usedfolktale themes. Their novels and plays combine these themeswith modern-day concerns such as human rights.

Western and Central Africa 539

Make a mask inspired by Nigeria’s history, economy, or peoples.

SECTION ASSESSMENT

Using Graphics2. Use a chart like this one to list

the three major ethnic groups ofNigeria and give facts about each.

Main Ideas3. (a) How could a drought affect

Nigeria’s economy?

(b) How did the discovery of oilaffect Nigeria after it gainedindependence?

(c) How are Nigeria’s modern writers influenced by the past?

Critical Thinking4. Synthesizing

What relationship exists betweenNigerian society and history and itsart and literature?

Think About◆ what modern Nigerian artists and

writers are concerned about◆ how the past affects modern

artists

Terms & Names1. Explain the significance of: (a) Yoruba (b) Igbo (c) Hausa (d) Wole Soyinka

Human-EnvironmentInteraction • Thisdecorated bowlwas made from acalabash. �

Group Facts