Anambra State (Anambra State)
According to the 2022 census report, there are over 9 million residents in the state. The state name was formed in 1976 from the former East Central State. The state is named after Omambala River, a river that runs through the state. Anambra is the Anglicized name of the Omambala. The State capital is Awka, a rapidly growing city that increased in population from approximately 700,000 to more than 6 million between 2006 and 2020. The city of Onitsha, a historic port city from the pre-colonial era, remains an important centre of commerce within the state.
Nicknamed the "Light of the Nation", Anambra State is the eighth most populous state in the nation, although that has seriously been argued against as Onitsha, the state's biggest and most populous urban area was discovered to be over 8.5 million in population in 2020 by Africapolis which makes Onitsha the second largest urban area in Nigeria by population and third in Africa. And also According to the 2019 Demographia world urban areas Onitsha is the 47th largest built-up urban areas in the world with more than 8 million populationsAnambra is a very populous state, despite being the second smallest in area. The area currently known as Anambra State has been the site of numerous civilizations since at least the 9th century AD, including the ancient Kingdom of Nri, whose capital was the historic town of Igbo-Ukwu within the state. Residents of Anambra State are primarily Igbo, with the Igbo language serving as a lingua franca throughout the state.
During the Nigerian Civil War (1967–1970), Anambra State was part of the secessionist Republic of Biafra formed by Igbo nationalists. During the war, Anambra State was afflicted by a severe famine, which devastated much of the population. Today, Anambra State is a highly urbanized state, and has made major strides in reducing its poverty rate.
The name Anambra is the merging of Anam and branch. Anam is a clan in the Omambala region and the last Igbo speaking community the British colonialists encountered while heading up to Northern Nigeria from across the riverine areas. They usually described present day Anambra as 'Anam branch' to their colleagues up North. Reason Anam together with some neighboring clans was Anambra LGA when the state was created. It is now Anambra-West LGA with Olumbanasa.
Map - Anambra State (Anambra State)
Map
Country - Nigeria
Flag of Nigeria |
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 in the country. The modern state originated with British colonialization in the 19th century, taking its present territorial shape with the merging of the Southern Nigeria Protectorate and Northern Nigeria Protectorate in 1914 by Lord Lugard. The British set up administrative and legal structures while practising indirect rule through traditional chiefdoms in the Nigeria region. 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 a stable democracy in the 1999 presidential election. The 2015 general election was the first time an incumbent president failed to be re-elected.
Currency / Language
ISO | Currency | Symbol | Significant figures |
---|---|---|---|
NGN | Nigerian naira | ₦ | 2 |
ISO | Language |
---|---|
EN | English language |
HA | Hausa language |
IG | Igbo language |
YO | Yoruba language |