The Igbo or Ibo are one of the largest ethnicities in Africa. Most Igbo speakers are based in southeast Nigeria, where they constitute an estimated 18% of the population, but there they can be found in significant numbers in Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea. Their language is also called Igbo. The primary Igbo states in Nigeria are Anambra, Abia, Imo, Ebonyi, and Enugu States. The Igbos also constitute more than 25% of the population in some Nigerian States like Delta State and Rivers State. Traces of the Igbo Culture and language could be found in Cross River, Akwa Ibom and Bayelsa States. Igbo language is predominant in such cities like Onitsha, Aba, Owerri, Enugu, Nsukka, Awka, Umuahia, and Asaba, amongst others. An ethnic group is a culture or subculture whose members are readily distinguishable by outsiders based on traits originating from a common racial, national, linguistic, or religious source. ... // Etymology World map showing Africa (geographically) The name Africa came into Western use through the Romans, who used the name Africa terra — land of the Afri (plural, or Afer singular) — for the northern part of the continent, as the province of Africa with its capital Carthage, corresponding to... Igbo (also known, less commonly, as Ibo; Ndi Igbo in Igbo) is a language spoken in Nigeria by around 18 million speakers (the Igbo), especially in the southeastern region once identified as Biafra. ... Anambra is a state in east-central Nigeria. ... Abia State, Nigeria, is a state in southeastern Nigeria. ... Imo is a state in Nigeria. ... Jump to: navigation, search Ebonyi State is an inland south-eastern state of Nigeria, populated primarily by Igbos Its capital is Abakaliki, and Afikpo and Onueke are the second and third largest towns. ... Enugu State is an inland state in central southern Nigeria. ... Delta State is a state in Nigeria. ... Rivers State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria. ... Cross River is a state in southeastern Nigeria. ... Akwa Ibom is a state in Nigeria. ... Bayelsa State is a state in southern Nigeria, on the coast and between Delta State and Rivers State. ... Jump to: navigation, search Onitsha (pop 7 million 2005 est. ... Jump to: navigation, search Location of Aba Aba is a city in Nigeria, located on the Aba River. ... Jump to: navigation, search Owerri is a city in southeastern Nigeria. ... Jump to: navigation, search Enugu is the capital city of Enugu State, Nigeria. ... Nsukka is a town in South-East Nigeria in Enugu State, a former centre of the palm oil trade. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Jump to: navigation, search This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Asaba may refer to: Asaba - city in Nigeria Asaba - city in Shizuoka, Japan sometimes called Asabane. ...

Origins and Ancient History

Ndi Igbo ("the Igbo people") are a heterogenous society, with its clans migrating to their current locations at different times. However, the core Igbo, from which most of the culture, traditions, and religion come from, can trace their origin to the village of Nri, located in present day Anambra State, which was founded by its progenitor, Eri, around 900 AD. From this village, Nri people spread all across what is now considered Igboland, mixing with its indigenous people and assimilating aspects of their culture. A clan is a group of people united by kinship and descent, which is defined by perceived descent from a common ancestor. ...

The Igbo clans that trace their ancestry to Eri are the Umueri and Umunri (children of Nri or Eri). Igbo clans based in Onitsha, who trace their roots to the Kingdom of Benin, and the clan known as the Aros, based in Arochukwu, are among those that do not trace their lineage to Nri. The Kingdom of Benin was a widespread empire, which flourished from the 14th to the 19th century. ...

Traces of ancient Igbo civilization can be found in the village of Ukwu, near Onitsha. Discovered by a farmer in 1938, the artifacts give a few clues about early Igbo culture and way of life. Amongst the artifacts found include bronze castings which date back to approximately 900 AD. and that predate the bronzes of Ife by 300-400 years, making them the first of their kind in sub-saharan Africa. These castings show a high degree of metal workmanship, and coupled with the fact that some of the materials used originated from Egpyt also shows the presence of an advanced inter-Saharan trade.

Before the arrival of Europeans, the sense of a distinct cultural identity among the Igbo was much more diffuse: the Igbo did not have a centralized system of government and lived in small, democratically organized autonomous communities. World map showing Europe (geographically) When considered a continent, Europe is the worlds second-smallest continent in terms of area, with an area of 10,600,000 km² (4,140,625 square miles), making it larger than Australia only. ... Look up Culture on Wiktionary, the free dictionary Wikinews has news related to this article: Culture and entertainment Dictionary of the History of Ideas: Cultural Development in Antiquity Dictionary of the History of Ideas: Culture and Civilization in Modern Times Classificatory system for cultures and civilizations, by Dr. Sam Vaknin...

Post-Colonization

The arrival of the British in the 1870s and increased encounters between the Igbo and other Nigerians led to a deepening sense of a distinct Igbo ethnic identity. The Igbo also proved remarkably decisive and enthusiastic in their embrace of Christianity and Western education. Under British colonial rule, the diversity within each of Nigeria's major ethnic groups slowly decreased and distinctions between the Igbo and other large ethnic groups, such as the Hausa and the Yoruba became sharper. Jump to: navigation, search Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament writings of his early followers. ... The Hausa are a people of northern Nigeria and southeastern Niger. ... Jump to: navigation, search The Yorùbá are estimated to be the second largest ethnic group in Nigeria, after the combined Hausa and Fulani. ...

In 1966, a failed coup d'etat by Nigerian army officers led by an Igbo—Major Kaduna Nzeogwu—resulted in the death of Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto, a prominent northern Nigerian of the Hausa tribe. Although the coup was foiled primarily by another Igbo, Colonel O. Ojukwu, the belief prevailed in northern Nigeria that Hausa leaders were singled out for death. This situation gave rise to a retaliatory pogrom in which tens of thousands of Igbo were murdered in northern Nigeria, which led to the headlong flight back to the Eastern Region of as many as two million Igbos. 1966 was a common year starting on Saturday (link goes to calendar) // Events January January 1 - In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa ousts president David Dacko and takes over the Central African Republic. ... A coup détat, or simply a coup, is the sudden overthrow of a government, usually done by a small group that just replaces the top power figures. ... The Ikemba Nnewi, Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu (born November 4, 1933) was the leader the secessionist state of Biafra in Nigeria (1967 - 1970), during the Nigerian Civil War. ...

Eventually, the crisis reached an apex in May 1967 with the secession of the Igbo-dominated Eastern Region from Nigeria to form the Republic of Biafra headed by the aforementioned Colonel Ojukwu. The secession quickly led to civil war after talks between former Army colleagues, Yakubu Gowon and Ojukwu broke down. The Republic of Biafra lasted only until January 1970 after a campaign of starvation by the Nigerian Army. National motto: none Official language Igbo, English Capital Enugu Largest city Port Harcourt Head of State Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu Chief of General Staff (VP) Philip Effiong Area ?- Total ?- % water Population;- Total 13,500,000 (1967) Currency Biafran pound (BIAP) Created May 30, 1967 Dissolved January 15, 1970 National anthem Land... Yakubu Gowon General Yakubu Jack Dan-Yumma Gowon (born October 19, 1934) was the head of state (Head of the Federal Military Government) of Nigeria from 1966 to 1975. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1970 was a common year starting on Thursday. ...

A number of Nigeria's well-known intellectuals and have been of Igbo descent, of note, Olaudah Equiano, whose autobiography was one of the earliest and most detailed narratives about the slave trade, and Chinua Achebe - author of Things Fall Apart. Olaudah Equiano Olaudah Equiano (c. ... Chinua Achebe Chinua Achebe (born November 16, 1930) is a Nigerian writer. ... Things Fall Apart is a 1958 novel by Nigerian author Chinua Achebe. ...

See also

• Igbo language
• Igbo mythology
• African Jews