{"id":981,"date":"2020-05-16T08:56:20","date_gmt":"2020-05-16T08:56:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/seaempowerment.org\/?p=981"},"modified":"2020-05-16T08:56:20","modified_gmt":"2020-05-16T08:56:20","slug":"major-rivers-in-nigeria-details-and-pictures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/seaempowerment.org\/?p=981","title":{"rendered":"Major Rivers in Nigeria (Details and Pictures)"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Twenty eight(28) of Nigeria thirty six(36) states can be accessed through water, with over 250 ethnic groups it is estimated the one quarter of Nigeria population live in the coastal zone\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

10. CALABAR RIVER<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Calabar River<\/b>\u00a0in\u00a0Cross River State<\/a>,\u00a0Nigeria<\/a>\u00a0flows from the north past the city of\u00a0Calabar<\/a>, joining the larger\u00a0Cross River<\/a>\u00a0about 8 kilometres (5.0\u00a0mi) to the south. The river at Calabar forms a natural harbor deep enough for vessels with a draft of 6 metres (20\u00a0ft).[1]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

The Calabar River was once a major source of slaves brought down from the interior to be shipped west in the\u00a0Atlantic slave trade<\/a>. Slaving was suppressed by 1860, but the port of Calabar remained important in the export of\u00a0palm oil<\/a>\u00a0and other products, until it was eclipsed by\u00a0Port Harcourt<\/a>\u00a0in the 1920s. With improved roads into the interior, Calabar has regained importance as a port and is growing rapidly. The tropical rain forest in the Calabar River basin is rapidly being destroyed, and pollution is decreasing fish and shrimp catches in the estuary. Those that are caught have unsafe levels of contaminants.<\/p>\n

Location<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The Calabar River drains part of the\u00a0Oban Hills<\/a>\u00a0in the\u00a0Cross River National Park<\/a>.[2]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0The geology of the river basin includes the\u00a0Pre-Cambrian<\/a>\u00a0Oban Massif, Cretaceous sediments of the Calabar flank and the recent\u00a0Niger Delta<\/a>\u00a0sedimentary basin.[3]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0The basin is about 43 kilometres (27\u00a0mi) wide and 62 kilometres (39\u00a0mi) long, with an area of 1,514 square kilometres (585\u00a0sq\u00a0mi)[4]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0At one time it was entirely covered by tropical rainforest.[5]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

The region has a rainy season from April until October, during which 80% of the annual rain falls, with peaks in June and September. Annual rainfall averages 1,830 millimetres (72\u00a0in). Average temperatures range from 24\u00a0\u00b0C (75\u00a0\u00b0F) in August to 30\u00a0\u00b0C (86\u00a0\u00b0F) in February. Relative humidity is high, between 80% and 100%.[3]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0The basin has 223 streams with a total length of 516 kilometres (321\u00a0mi). This is a small number given the size of the basin.[6]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0Drainage is poor, so the basin is subject to flooding, gully erosion and landslides. A 2010 study said that flooding had increased in recent years.[7]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

In 1862 the\u00a0Zoological Society of London<\/a>\u00a0received a description of a new crocodile named\u00a0Crocodilus frontatus<\/i>\u00a0that had been taken from the Old Calabar River, with a much broader head than in\u00a0Crocodilus vulgaris<\/i>.[8]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0A new bat called\u00a0Sphyrocephalus labrosus<\/a><\/i>\u00a0was also reported.[9]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

The river system formed by the Cross River, Calabar,\u00a0Great Kwa<\/a>\u00a0and other tributaries forms extensive flood plains and wetlands that empty into the Cross River estuary. The system has an estimated area of 54,000 square kilometres (21,000\u00a0sq\u00a0mi) As of 2000 about 8,000 tonnes of fish and 20,000 tonnes of shrimp were being caught annually.[10]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0Shrimp provide a relatively cheap form of protein to the people of Calabar. The fishermen land their catches at Alepan’s beach on the Calabar River, and the catch is sold in the surrounding markets.[11]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

The city of Calabar is bounded by the Calabar River to the west,\u00a0Great Kwa River<\/a>\u00a0to the east and the wetlands of the Cross river estuary to the south. It can only grow to the north, into the Calabar River catchment area, and this has been happening.[25]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0The Calabar river watershed was originally covered by tropical rainforest. Much has now been replaced by agriculture, road construction, forestry, industry and housing for the growing population of Calabar.[5]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0For example, the National Integrated Power Project covers a large area of land besides the Calabar-Itu<\/a>\u00a0highway at Ikot Nyong in Odukpani Local Government Area.[25]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

A study of changes in land use in the Calabar river catchment between 1967 and 2008 showed that the area covered by high forest decreased by almost 30% during that period. In 1967, high forest covered almost 70% of the basin area. By 2008 it covered less than 40%, mostly in the north. Industrial quarrying began in the 1980s and now affects a significant area. It may be causing stream siltation and flooding as well as air and water pollution.[26]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0The built-up area more than doubled from 3.5% to 7.6% of the land area in the study period.[27]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

Calabar Municipality has no waste treatment facilities. Human wastes and those from cottage industries are dumped in surface sites or into open drains. The torrential rains wash most of the wastes into the Calabar and Great Kwa Rivers.[28]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0Urban pollution and oil exploration activity in the near shore area both threaten the ecology of the estuary, greatly reducing the numbers and diversity of the species that provide food for shrimps and fish.[29]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0A 1999 study of fish caught in the Calabar and Kwa rivers and in the estuary showed levels of copper and hydrocarbons were above the\u00a0World Health Organization<\/a>\u00a0permissible levels in all samples. Iron content was above permissible levels in 20% of samples.[30]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0The rate of accumulation of hydrocarbons was greater in the wet seasons, probably because of higher levels of contaminated material washed from vehicle maintenance shops by the torrential rains.[31]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

Calabar Municipality and Calabar South had a combined population of 371,000 in 2006. The population of Cross River State has been growing at the rate of about 3% annually since 1991. Growth rates are considerably higher in Calabar city.[32]<\/a><\/sup> The state government faces a serious challenge in accommodating this growth while maintaining income levels and avoiding ecological disaster.<\/p>\n

9. CROSS RIVER<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Cross River<\/b>\u00a0(native name:\u00a0Oyono<\/b>)[1]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0is the main\u00a0river<\/a>\u00a0in southeastern\u00a0Nigeria<\/a>\u00a0and gives its name to\u00a0Cross River State<\/a>. It originates in\u00a0Cameroon<\/a>, where it takes the name of the\u00a0Manyu River<\/a>.[2]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0Although not long by African standards its\u00a0catchment<\/a>\u00a0has high rainfall and it becomes very wide. Over its last 80 kilometres (50\u00a0mi) to the sea its flows through\u00a0swampy<\/a>\u00a0rainforest<\/a>\u00a0with numerous\u00a0creeks<\/a>\u00a0and forms an\u00a0inland delta<\/a>\u00a0near its confluence with the\u00a0Calabar River<\/a>,[3]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0about 20 kilometres (12\u00a0mi) wide and 50 kilometres (31\u00a0mi) long between the cities of\u00a0Oron<\/a>\u00a0on the west bank and\u00a0Calabar<\/a>, on the east bank, more than 30 kilometres (19\u00a0mi) from the open sea. The delta empties into a broad estuary[4]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0which it shares with a few smaller rivers. At its mouth in the Atlantic Ocean, the estuary is 24 kilometres (15\u00a0mi) wide. The eastern side of the estuary is in the neighbouring country of Cameroon.<\/p>\n

The major tributary of Cross river is the river Aloma coming from\u00a0Benue State<\/a>\u00a0to merge with the Cross river in Cross River State. Cross River State is connected with a major highway to its sister state\u00a0Akwa Ibom<\/a>. The distance between Oron and Calabar is 21 kilometres (13\u00a0mi) by boat and about 200 kilometres (120\u00a0mi) by road. The population of the lower Cross River traditionally use water transport and Calabar has long had a major\u00a0seaport<\/a>, in the Calabar River about 10 kilometres (6\u00a0mi) from its confluence with the Cross River and about 55 kilometres (34\u00a0mi) from the sea. The Itu bridge on the Cross River is along Itu-Calabar highway and is reported to be one of the landmark achievements of the\u00a0Gowon<\/a>\u00a0administration when it was completed in 1975.<\/p>\n

The Cross River forms a boundary between two\u00a0tropical moist forest<\/a>\u00a0ecoregions<\/a>: the\u00a0Cross-Niger transition forests<\/a>, which lie west of the river between the Cross and\u00a0Niger<\/a>\u00a0Rivers, and the\u00a0Cross-Sanaga-Bioko coastal forests<\/a>, which lie to the east between the Cross River and the\u00a0Sanaga River<\/a>\u00a0of Cameroon<\/p>\n

8. RIVER SOKOTO<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Sokoto River<\/b>\u00a0(formerly known as Gublin Kebbi) is a river in north-west\u00a0Nigeria<\/a>\u00a0and a tributary of the\u00a0River Niger<\/a>. The river’s source is near\u00a0Funtua<\/a>\u00a0in the south of\u00a0Katsina State<\/a>, some 275 kilometres (171\u00a0mi) in a straight line from\u00a0Sokoto<\/a>. It flows north-west passing\u00a0Gusau<\/a>\u00a0in\u00a0Zamfara State<\/a>, where the\u00a0Gusau Dam<\/a>\u00a0forms a reservoir that supplies the city with water. Further downstream the river enters\u00a0Sokoto State<\/a>\u00a0where it passes by Sokoto and is joined by the\u00a0Rima River<\/a>, then turning south and flowing through\u00a0Birnin Kebbi<\/a>\u00a0in\u00a0Kebbi State<\/a>. About 120 kilometres (75\u00a0mi) south of Birnin Kebbi, it reaches its confluence with the\u00a0Niger River<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The plains around the river are widely cultivated and the river used as a source of irrigation. The river is also an important means of transport. The\u00a0Bakolori Dam<\/a>, about 100 kilometres (62\u00a0mi) upstream from Sokoto, is a major reservoir on the Sokoto River. It has had significant impact on downstream floodplain cultivation.[1]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

7. RIVER KADUNA<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Kaduna River<\/b>\u00a0is a tributary of the\u00a0Niger River<\/a>\u00a0which flows for 550 kilometres (340\u00a0mi) through\u00a0Nigeria<\/a>. It got its name from the\u00a0crocodiles<\/a>\u00a0that lived in the river and surrounding area. Kaduna in the native dialect,\u00a0Hausa<\/a>, was the word for “crocodiles”.[1]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0It starts in\u00a0Plateau State<\/a>\u00a0on the\u00a0Jos Plateau<\/a>\u00a029 kilometres (18\u00a0mi) southwest of Jos town, flows through its namesake\u00a0Kaduna State<\/a>\u00a0and through its capital\u00a0Kaduna<\/a>, and meets the Niger River in\u00a0Niger State<\/a>. Most of its course passes through open savanna woodland, but its lower section has cut several gorges above its entrance into the extensive Niger floodplains<\/p>\n

6. OSUN RIVER<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Os\u0323un River<\/b>\u00a0(sometimes, but rarely spelt Oshun) is a\u00a0river<\/a>\u00a0that flows southwards through central\u00a0Yorubaland<\/a>\u00a0in southwestern\u00a0Nigeria<\/a>\u00a0into the\u00a0Lagos<\/a>\u00a0Lagoon and the Atlantic Gulf of Guinea. It is one of the several rivers ascribed in local\u00a0mythology<\/a>\u00a0to have been women who turned into flowing waters after some traumatic event frightened or angered them.<\/p>\n

The river is named after the\u00a0Os\u0323un<\/a>\u00a0or Oshun, one of the most popular and venerated\u00a0Orishas<\/a>.[1]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0The annual traditional worship at the\u00a0\u1eccs\u0323un Shrine<\/a>\u00a0near the \u1eccs\u0323un River at\u00a0Osogbo<\/a>\u00a0has become a popular\u00a0pilgrimage<\/a>\u00a0and important\u00a0tourist<\/a>\u00a0attraction<\/a>, drawing people from all over Nigeria and abroad to the annual\u00a0festival<\/a>\u00a0in August.<\/p>\n

Osun is one of the river goddesses in Yorubaland, she is noted for providing for the needs of the people. She was reputedly one of the wives of\u00a0S\u0323ango<\/a>, the\u00a0Yoruba<\/a>\u00a0god of thunder. The river goddess has been able to give the barren babies and change the lives of many people.[2]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0And also there has been many fictional stories about goddess oshun, for example, Shegun Coker and the cursed temple by Kolawole Michael, 2008.<\/p>\n

5. OGUN RIVER<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The river rises in\u00a0Sepeteri<\/a>\u00a0Oyo State<\/a>\u00a0near\u00a0Shaki<\/a>\u00a0at coordinates\u00a08\u00b041\u20320\u2033N<\/span>\u00a03\u00b028\u20320\u2033E<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span>\u00a0and flows through\u00a0Ogun State<\/a>\u00a0into\u00a0Lagos State<\/a>.[2]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0The river is crossed by the\u00a0Ikere Gorge Dam<\/a>\u00a0in the\u00a0Iseyin<\/a>\u00a0local government area of Oyo State. The reservoir capacity is 690\u00a0million cubic metres (560,000\u00a0acre\u22c5ft).[3]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0The reservoir abuts the\u00a0Old Oyo National Park<\/a>, providing recreational facilities for tourists, and the river flows through the park.[4]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0The Ofiki River, which also rises near Shaki, is the Ogun River’s chief tributary.[citation needed<\/span><\/a><\/i>]<\/sup>\u00a0The Oyan River, another tributary, is crossed by the\u00a0Oyan River Dam<\/a>\u00a0which supplies water to Abeokuta and Lagos.[citation needed<\/span><\/a><\/i>]<\/sup>\u00a0In densely populated areas the river is used for bathing, washing and drinking. It also serves as a drain for mostly organic wastes from abattoirs located along the river’s course<\/p>\n

In the\u00a0Yoruba religion<\/a>,\u00a0Yemoja<\/a>\u00a0is the divinity of the Ogun River. The catechist Charles Phillips, father of the\u00a0Charles Phillips<\/a>\u00a0who later became Bishop of Ondo, wrote in 1857 that the Ogun River was generally worshipped by the people who live along its banks from its rise until where it empties into the lagoon.[5]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0The river ran through the heart of the old\u00a0Oyo Empire<\/a>. Metropolitan Oyo was divided into six provinces with three on the west side of the Ogun River and three to the river’s east.[6]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0At one time, the river formed an important route for traders carrying goods by canoe between\u00a0Abeokuta<\/a>\u00a0and the\u00a0Lagos Colony<\/a><\/p>\n

4. IMO RIVER<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Imo River<\/b>\u00a0(Igbo<\/a>:\u00a0Mmiri Imo<\/b>) is in southeastern\u00a0Nigeria<\/a>\u00a0and flows 240 kilometres (150\u00a0mi) into the Atlantic Ocean. In\u00a0Akwa Ibom State<\/a>, the river is known as\u00a0Imoh River<\/a>, that is,\u00a0Inyang Imoh<\/b>, which translates to\u00a0River of Wealth<\/b>\u00a0(Ibibio<\/a>:\u00a0Inyang<\/b>\u00a0means\u00a0River<\/b>\u00a0or\u00a0Ocean<\/b>, and\u00a0Imoh<\/b>\u00a0means\u00a0Wealth<\/b>). Its estuary is around 40 kilometres (25\u00a0mi) wide,[3]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0and the river has an annual discharge of 4 cubic kilometres (1.0\u00a0cu\u00a0mi)[4]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0with 26,000 hectares of\u00a0wetland<\/a>.[5]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0The Imo’s tributary Rivers are the\u00a0Otamiri<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Oramirukwa<\/a>.[6]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0The Imo was cleared under the\u00a0British colonial administration of Nigeria<\/a>\u00a0in 1907\u20131908 and 1911; first to\u00a0Aba<\/a>\u00a0and then to Udo near\u00a0Umuahia<\/a>.[7]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

The deity, or\u00a0Alusi<\/a>\u00a0of the river is the female\u00a0Imo Mmiri<\/i>\u00a0who communities surrounding the river believe to be the owner of the river. Mmiri in\u00a0Igbo language<\/a>\u00a0means water or rain. A festival for the Alusi is held annually between May and July.[8]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0The Imo River features an 830-metre (2,720\u00a0ft) bridge at the crossing between\u00a0Rivers State<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Akwa Ibom State<\/a><\/p>\n

3. ANAMBRA RIVER<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Omambala De mystic River;<\/b>Obala nkpume na eti mkpili, oke mmili ndu, mmili ala na-azu Omambala, the mystic artery\/vein of the dark race.<\/i><\/big><\/p>\n

The\u00a0Anambra River<\/b>\u00a0(Igbo<\/a>:\u1eccnw\u1ee5bala<\/b>\u00a0;\u00a0\u1eccma Mbala<\/b>), the natural landmark from which Anambra State was created, was named by the white men as Anam Branch of the River Niger. This name later came to be shortened to Anam bra (Anambra), the name it officially bears to date.<\/p>\n

Inhabitants of the coastal areas of Omambala region; mainly the Aguleri, Anam, Anaku, Nando, Umueri, Nsugbe, Onicha, etc believe in the sanctification power of the Omambala River. “Ritual bath” in the River they say, cleans from iniquities.<\/p>\n

In the ancient times, people from different kingdoms\/empires such as Idah, Nri, Idu, Ilo-ife, etc consider Omambala a very sacred River, that is why they personified Omambala in their various ethos, myths & legends. Priests and priestesses sojourned from far and near to perform certain sacred rites & ordinances of sacrifice to Omambala.<\/p>\n

Many wars were fought between slave raiders, traders and the inhabitants of the Omambala region which spilled great volume of human bloods on the river, down into the Atlantic Ocean for alchemical interactions with cosmological forces.<\/p>\n

Many Ndi-Anam believe the Omambala goddess, collects the mineral remains of their ancestors during period of great flood when the aquatic-spirit penetrate ancestral graves.<\/p>\n

Natural philosophers which include dibias from Anam, observed a thunderous phenomenon which follows a seasonal pattern: the Nsugbe-Omambala area, thunders during the dry season and Ahaba-Niger area, thunders during the wet season.<\/p>\n

The Anam people who literally occupy East bank and Westbank of the Omambala River, often refer to it as”\u1eccnw\u1ee5bala” in their folklores.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Anambra River<\/b>\u00a0flows 210 kilometres (130\u00a0mi) into the\u00a0Niger River<\/a>\u00a0and is found in\u00a0Anambra<\/a>,\u00a0Nigeria<\/a>. The river is the most important feeder of the River Niger below\u00a0Lokoja<\/a>. The flow of the Anambra river is released into the\u00a0Atlantic<\/a>\u00a0through various outlets forming the 25,000-square-kilometre (9,700\u00a0sq\u00a0mi)\u00a0Niger Delta<\/a>\u00a0region.[2]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

2. RIVER BENUE\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Benue River<\/b>\u00a0(French<\/a>:\u00a0la B\u00e9nou\u00e9<\/i>), previously known as the\u00a0Chadda River<\/b>\u00a0or\u00a0Tchadda<\/b>, is the major\u00a0tributary<\/a>\u00a0of the\u00a0Niger River<\/a>. The river is approximately 1,400 kilometres (870\u00a0mi) long and is almost entirely navigable during the summer months. As a result, it is an important transportation route in the regions through which it flows.<\/p>\n

It rises in the\u00a0Adamawa Plateau<\/a>\u00a0of northern\u00a0Cameroon<\/a>, from where it flows west, and through the town of\u00a0Garoua<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Lagdo Reservoir<\/a>, into\u00a0Nigeria<\/a>\u00a0south of the\u00a0Mandara mountains<\/a>, and through\u00a0Jimeta<\/a>,\u00a0Ibi<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Makurdi<\/a>\u00a0before meeting the\u00a0Niger River<\/a>\u00a0at\u00a0Lokoja<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Large tributaries are the\u00a0Faro River<\/a>, the\u00a0Gongola River<\/a>\u00a0and the\u00a0Mayo K\u00e9bbi<\/a>, which connects it with the\u00a0Logone River<\/a>\u00a0(part of the\u00a0Lake Chad\u00a0system) during floods. Other tributaries are\u00a0Taraba River\u00a0and\u00a0River Katsina Ala.<\/p>\n

At the point of confluence, the Benue exceeds the Niger by volume. The\u00a0mean discharge\u00a0before 1960 was 3,400 cubic metres per second (120,000\u00a0cu\u00a0ft\/s) for the Benue and 2,500 cubic metres per second (88,000\u00a0cu\u00a0ft\/s) for the Niger. During the following decades, the runoff of both rivers decreased markedly due to irrigation.<\/p>\n

The Benue River flooded in October 2012, resulting in a large increase in the population of\u00a0venomous snakes\u00a0in the Duguri District,\u00a0Alkaleri Local Government Area,\u00a0Bauchi State. A July 2013 report indicated that over 200 people in the district had died of snakebite. The General Hospital in\u00a0Kaltungo,\u00a0Gombe State\u00a0in Nigeria, is the nearest location for treatment of snakebite; “whoever is lucky to make it to Kaltungo is treated in only two days and then they return home.”[1]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

1. RIVER NIGER<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Niger River<\/b>\u00a0(\/\u02c8<\/span>n<\/span>a\u026a<\/span>d\u0292<\/span>\u0259r<\/span>\/<\/span><\/span>;\u00a0French:\u00a0(le) fleuve Niger<\/i>,\u00a0pronounced\u00a0<\/small>[(l\u0259) fl\u0153v ni\u0292\u025b\u0281]<\/span>) is the principal\u00a0river\u00a0of\u00a0West Africa, extending about 4,180\u00a0km (2,600\u00a0mi). Its\u00a0drainage basin\u00a0is 2,117,700\u00a0km2<\/sup> (817,600 sq mi) in area. Its source is in the\u00a0Guinea Highlands\u00a0in southeastern\u00a0Guinea. It runs in a crescent through\u00a0Mali,\u00a0Niger, on the border with\u00a0Benin\u00a0and then through\u00a0Nigeria, discharging through a massive\u00a0delta, known as the\u00a0Niger Delta<\/sup>\u00a0or the\u00a0Oil Rivers, into the\u00a0Gulf of Guinea\u00a0in the\u00a0Atlantic Ocean. The Niger is the third-longest river in Africa, exceeded only by the\u00a0Nile\u00a0and the\u00a0Congo River\u00a0(also known as the Za\u00efre River). Its main\u00a0tributary\u00a0is the\u00a0Benue River.<\/p>\n

The earliest use of the name “Niger” for the river is by\u00a0Leo Africanus\u00a0in his\u00a0Della descrittione dell\u2019Africa et delle cose notabili che iui sono<\/i>\u00a0published in Italian in 1550. The name may come from\u00a0Berber\u00a0phrase\u00a0ger-n-ger<\/i>\u00a0meaning “river of rivers”. As\u00a0Timbuktu\u00a0was the southern end of the principal\u00a0Trans-Saharan trade\u00a0route to the western Mediterranean, it was the source of most European knowledge of the region.<\/p>\n

Medieval\u00a0European\u00a0maps\u00a0applied the name\u00a0Niger<\/i>\u00a0to the middle reaches of the river, in modern Mali, but\u00a0Quorra (Kworra)<\/i>\u00a0to the lower reaches in modern Nigeria, as these were not recognized at the time as being the same river. When European colonial powers began to send ships along the west coast of Africa in the 16th and 17th centuries, the\u00a0Senegal River\u00a0was often postulated to be the seaward end of the Niger. The\u00a0Niger Delta, pouring into the Atlantic through mangrove swamps and thousands of\u00a0distributaries\u00a0along more than 160 kilometres (100 miles), was thought to be no more than coastal wetlands. It was only with the 18th-century visits of\u00a0Mungo Park, who travelled down the Niger River and visited the great\u00a0Sahelian empires\u00a0of his day, that Europeans correctly identified the course of the Niger and extended the name to its entire course.<\/p>\n

The modern nations of\u00a0Nigeria\u00a0and\u00a0Niger\u00a0take their names from the river, marking contesting national claims by colonial powers of the “Upper”, “Lower” and “Middle” Niger river basin during the\u00a0Scramble for Africa\u00a0at the end of the 19th century.<\/p>\n

SOURCES:<\/strong>
\nhttps:\/\/www.wikipedia.org\/<\/a>
\nhttps:\/\/nigerianinfopedia.com.ng\/<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Twenty eight(28) of Nigeria thirty six(36) states can be accessed through water, with over 250 ethnic groups it is estimated the one quarter of Nigeria population live in the coastal zone\u00a0 10. CALABAR RIVER The\u00a0Calabar River\u00a0in\u00a0Cross River State,\u00a0Nigeria\u00a0flows from the north past the city of\u00a0Calabar, joining the larger\u00a0Cross River\u00a0about 8 kilometres (5.0\u00a0mi) to the south.…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":970,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"post_folder":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/seaempowerment.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/981"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/seaempowerment.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/seaempowerment.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seaempowerment.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seaempowerment.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=981"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/seaempowerment.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/981\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":983,"href":"https:\/\/seaempowerment.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/981\/revisions\/983"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seaempowerment.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/970"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/seaempowerment.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=981"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seaempowerment.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=981"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seaempowerment.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=981"},{"taxonomy":"post_folder","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seaempowerment.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fpost_folder&post=981"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}