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--Where is Nigeria?-- |
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--Where is Nigeria?-- |
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The setting for Things Fall Apart is turn-of-the-century Nigeria. It is located just above the inner curve of the "elbow" on Africa's west coast, just north of the equator, and just south of the Sahara Desert. Nigeria is approximately one-third larger than the state of Texas and is Africa's most populous country.
The Federal Republic of Nigeria, in western Africa, is bounded by Cameroon to the east, Chad to the northeast, Niger to the north, Benin to the west, and the Atlantic Ocean to the south. Until 1991, the capital was the largest city, Lagos, on the southwestern coast; at that time, the new city of Abuja, in the country's interior, became capital. Nigeria has a federal form of government and is divided into 36 states and a federal capital territory. Its many ethnic groups give the country a rich culture but also pose major challenges to nation building. The economy is dominated by the production of petroleum, which lies in large reserves below the Niger Delta. While oil wealth has financed major investments in the country's infrastructure, Nigeria remains among the world's 20 poorest countries in terms of per capita income. In precolonial times, the area was home to several kingdoms and tribal communities; in spite of European contact that began in the 16th century, they maintained their autonomy until the 19th century. The colonial era began in earnest in the late 19th century, when Britain consolidated its rule over Nigeria. In 1914 the British merged their northern and southern protectorates into a single state called the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria. Nigeria became independent of British rule in 1960. Since then, the country has endured decades of on-and-off military rule. Source: "Nigeria, Federal Republic of," Microsoft® Encarta® Encyclopedia 99. © 1993-1998 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
Links: Brown
University's Postcolonial and Postimperial Literature in English: Nigeria
Overview
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