The Ibo are a west African cultural group occupying south east Nigeria and numbering about 18,000,000. Primarily cultivators by tradition, they inhabit the richly forested tableland, bounded by the river Niger to the west and the river Cross to the east. They are divided into five main groups, and their languages belong to the Kwa branch of the Niger-Congo family. Research Ibo
The Yoruba are the majority ethnic group living in south west Nigeria; there is a Yoruba minority in east Benin. They number approximately 20 million in all, and their language belongs to the Kwa branch of the Niger- Congo family. The Yoruba established powerful city-states in the 15th century, known for their advanced culture which includes sculpture, art, and music. The Yoruba kingdom was broken up in 1820 by an invasion of the Fulahs who captured the city of Ilorin. Research Yoruba
The Congo, or Zaire is one of the great rivers of the world, in Southern Africa, having its embouchure in the South Atlantic. The mouth of the river was known to the Portuguese in 1485, but the lower part of its course was first explored by an English expedition under Captain Tuckey in 1816, which ascended it for about 172 miles. In 1867, however, David Livingstone discovered; a considerable river called the Chambezi, rising in the Chibale Hills, and having followed it to Lake Bangweolo traced it thence as the Luapula to Lake Moero, and thence again as the Lualaba to Nyangwe. From this point its exploration was taken up in 1876 to 1877 by Henry Stanley, who proved its identity with the Congo. It carries more water to the ocean than the Mississippi, its volume being next to that of the Amazon. Its total length is perhaps 3000 miles. Its chief tributaries are the Aruwimi and the Mo-bangi from the right, and the Ikelemba and Kwa from the left, which latter represents the collected waters of immense rivers from the south, such as the Kassai, the Kwango, etc.
The Republic of the Congo (commonly known as Congo-Brazzaville to distinguish it from the Democratic Republic of The Congo) is a republic in west central Africa. It has a total area of 342,000 km2. The climate is tropical; a rainy season from March to June and a dry season from June to October; with a constantly high temperature and humidity; particularly enervating climate astride the Equator. The terrain is coastal plain, southern basin, central plateau, northern basin. Natural resources are petroleum, timber, potash, lead, zinc, uranium, copper, phosphates and natural gas. The religion is 50% Christian, 48% animist, 2% Muslim. The official language is French with many African languages spoken, Lingala and Kikongo being the most widely used. The area known as the Congo came under French protection in 1889 and in 1905 became a French colony before becoming self-governing in 1958 and independent in 1960. Research Congo
Abbreviations
Research Ibo
