Sokoto (Nigeria)
| Sokoto | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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| Coordinates | 13 ° 4 ′ N , 5 ° 15 ′ E | ||
| Basic data | |||
| Country | Nigeria | ||
| Sokoto | |||
| ISO 3166-2 | NG-SO | ||
| Residents | 358,857 (2012) | ||
Sokoto (local name Sakkwato ) is a city in northwestern Nigeria with 358,857 inhabitants (as of 2012). It is the capital of the Sokoto state of the same name . It is also the seat of the Catholic diocese of Sokoto .
geography
Sokoto is located in northwest Nigeria in the valley of the Sokoto and Rima rivers, south of the rivers, as the area between them is often flooded. Major towns nearby are Illela and Argungu . Like all of northern Nigeria, the landscape around Sokoto consists of the savannah of the Sudan landscape .
climate
Sokoto's hot climate results in frequent temperature fluctuations and high humidity . On average, the highest temperature is 40 ° C in April, the lowest is below 15 ° C in December and January. The humidity fluctuates between 10 percent in February and 90 percent in August. The annual rainfall is 733 mm, it rains mainly between July and September with a maximum of 244 mm in August.
history
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Sokoto had been the capital of the Caliphate of Sokoto since 1808 , which was founded by Usman dan Fodio during his jihad between 1804 and 1812 and ruled large parts of northern Nigeria until it was defeated by the British under Frederick Lugard in 1903 .
Population development
In 2002, 55 percent of the population were younger than 20 years and 40 percent were 20 to 60 years old.
In 1825, the British African explorer Richard Lander had a population of 120,000, in 1921 only 19,300 people lived in Sokoto, and in 1963 90,000.
politics
Sokoto is the capital of the Nigerian state of Sokoto , in which, like in other northern states of Nigeria, the Sharia was reintroduced, which attracted attention in the international press .
Economy and Infrastructure
Sokoto has a good road network and connections to other states of Nigeria as well as to the Nigerien capital Niamey . The airport Sadiq Abubakar III International Airport south of the city is mainly of Mecca pilgrims from the states of Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara used. In 1991, 247 pilgrims from Sokoto were killed in the crash of Nigeria Airways Flight 2120 . Prior to 2004, Nigeria Airways offered a scheduled flight connection between Sokoto and the capital Abuja .
Important institutions are Usman-dan-Fodio University , which is located on the other side of the Sokoto and Rima rivers, a university clinic and another specialized hospital, and other colleges and a university of education named after Shehu Shagari .
Culture
Once a year there is a very large fishing festival. The date depends on the moon phase and is in the transition from the rainy to the dry season. The fisherman who catches the largest fish is awarded the prize.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Population data 2012. (No longer available online.) Archived from the original on December 29, 2011 ; accessed on August 13, 2020 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ Atlas du Nigeria, Les éditions JA, Paris 2003
