Niger Delta
Quick Summary
The Niger Delta is a vast, low-lying geographical region in Nigeria, located where the Niger River drains into the Gulf of Guinea of the Atlantic Ocean. This area is characterized by a complex network of waterways, including oxbow lakes and river meander belts, transitioning from freshwater swamps to brackish mangrove thickets near the coast.1
The Niger Delta region is part of Nigeria, which is the most populous country in Africa. The economy of the Delta region, particularly in Delta state, is significantly driven by petroleum exports, alongside agriculture and various industries. The region's ports, such as Burutu, Forcados, Koko, Sapele, and Warri, are crucial for these exports. The Niger Delta was historically known as the Oil Rivers Protectorate, named for the palm oil that was its primary product before being incorporated into British Nigeria.123
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.
western AfricaPre-European slave trading…exported—as has been seen—from the Niger delta region. The communities of Ijo (Ijaw), Ibibio, and Efik fishermen and salt makers, who controlled the waterways to the interior, developed city-states whose whole fortunes came to be bound up with the slave trade. Most of their slaves were brought from their immediate…
Read More…exported—as has been seen—from the Niger delta region. The communities of Ijo (Ijaw), Ibibio, and Efik fishermen and salt makers, who controlled the waterways to the interior, developed city-states whose whole fortunes came to be bound up with the slave trade. Most of their slaves were brought from their immediate…
Read More- western AfricaThe British in the Niger delta
That was the Niger delta. British shipping had been paramount there when the British slave trade had been abolished in 1807, and the merchants of the delta city-states had quickly adapted themselves to offering palm oil as an alternative export to slaves.
Read MoreThat was the Niger delta. British shipping had been paramount there when the British slave trade had been abolished in 1807, and the merchants of the delta city-states had quickly adapted themselves to offering palm oil as an alternative export to slaves.
Read More
Niger RiverPhysiographyThe Niger delta, which stretches for nearly 150 miles (240 km) from north to south and spreads along the coast for about 200 miles (320 km), extends over an area of 14,000 square miles (36,000 square km). Within the delta the river breaks up into an…
Read MoreThe Niger delta, which stretches for nearly 150 miles (240 km) from north to south and spreads along the coast for about 200 miles (320 km), extends over an area of 14,000 square miles (36,000 square km). Within the delta the river breaks up into an…
Read More
NigeriaDrainageThe Niger delta is a vast low-lying region through which the waters of the Niger River drain into the Gulf of Guinea. Characteristic landforms in this region include oxbow lakes, river meander belts (see meander), and prominent levees. Large freshwater swamps give way to brackish mangrove…
Read MoreThe Niger delta is a vast low-lying region through which the waters of the Niger River drain into the Gulf of Guinea. Characteristic landforms in this region include oxbow lakes, river meander belts (see meander), and prominent levees. Large freshwater swamps give way to brackish mangrove…
Read More