Maiduguri

Maiduguri
Maiduguri Location in Nigeria
Coordinates: 11°50′N 13°09′E / 11.833°N 13.15°E / 11.833; 13.15
Country	Nigeria
State	Borno State

Maiduguri or Yerwa is the capital of Borno State in Nigeria and sits along the Ngadda River.^[1] It was founded in 1907 as a military outpost by the British.

History

The region was the home to Kanem-Bornu Empire for centuries. The city was founded in 1907 as a military outpost by the British. The city eventually grew into one of the largest cities in Northern Nigeria.

Demographics

Maiduguri is estimated to have a population of 1,197,497 by 2009 as of 2007.^[2]. Its citizens are mostly Muslim and consist of Kanuri,(Shuwa) Arab, Bura and other smaller ethnic groups.There is also a considerable Christian population.

Economy

Maiduguri is home to two markets, a museum and is served by the Maiduguri International Airport. Maiduguri has one of the best-equipped universities and hospitals in Nigeria, the University of Maiduguri. It is home to the El-Kanemi Warriors, a football team.

Maiduguri is the principal trading hub for northeastern Nigeria. Its economy is largely based on services and trade with a small share of manufacturing. The city lies at the end of a railway line connecting Port Harcourt, Enugu, Kafanchan, Kuru, Bauchi, and finally Maiduguri.^[3]

Communal violence

Several times since the mid 1960s, Maidugri has witnessed outbreaks of large scale ethnic or religious violence. Ethnic and political rivalries caused rioting between rival political supporters in 1966 and 1974, while members of religious sects led intercomunal violence in 1982 and 2001.^[4][5] On 18 February 2006, riots related to the Prophet Muhammad cartoons published by the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten left at least 8 people dead, and resulted in the destruction of approximately 12 churches.^{[6] [7]}

Maiduguri was also a scene of major religious violence throughout Northeast Nigeria committed by an Islamist group, Boko Haram, in July 2009, leading to over 700 dead.

See also

• Railway stations in Nigeria
• University of Maiduguri

References

• Maiduguri: The jewel in the Sahara. IKENNA EMEWU. Daily Sun (Nigeria) Saturday, August 7, 2004.
• "Maiduguri." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2009. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. accessed 03 Apr. 2009
• Nigeria's Borno state adopts Sharia. Barnaby Phillips, BBC. Saturday, 19 August, 2000.
• Rupert Kawka (ed), Ibrahim Walad, Frauke Jäger, Rupert Kawka et al. From Bulamari to Yerwa to Metropolitan Maiduguri. Interdisciplinary Studies on the Capital of Borno State, Nigeria. Series: Westafrikanische Studien Volume 24. Rüdiger Köppe Verlag, Cologne (2002) ISBN 9783896454607

External links

• FallingRain Map - elevation = 294m (Red dots are railways)

Coordinates: 11°50′N 13°09′E / 11.833°N 13.15°E / 11.833; 13.15

v • d • e Local Government Areas of Borno State, Nigeria Abadam · Askira/Uba · Bama · Bayo · Biu · Chibok · Damboa · Dikwa · Gubio · Guzamala · Gwoza · Hawul · Jere · Kaga · Kala/Balge · Konduga · Kukawa · Kwaya Kusar · Mafa · Magumeri · Maiduguri · Marte · Mobbar · Monguno · Ngala · Nganzai · Shani

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