Nigeria Political Geography

The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names Further reading

Benin

The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. | 2011 | Copyright

Benin bĕnēn´ , city (1991 est. pop. 203,000), S Nigeria, a port on the Benin River. Palm nuts and timber are produced nearby and processed in Benin, which is the center of Nigeria's rubber industry. Furniture and carpets are also made. The Univ. of Benin (1970; formerly the Institute of Higher Studies of Benin) is there.

Benin was the capital of the kingdom of Benin, which was probably founded in the 13th cent. and flourished from the 14th through the 17th cent. The kingdom was ruled by the Oba and a sophisticated bureaucracy. From the late 15th cent. Benin traded slaves as well as ivory, pepper, and cloth to Europeans. In the early 16th cent. the Oba sent an ambassador to Lisbon, and the king of Portugal sent missionaries to Benin. The kingdom of Benin declined after 1700, but revived in the 19th cent. with the development of the trade in palm products with Europeans.

Britain conquered and burned the city in 1897, destroying much of the country's treasured art and dispersing nearly all that remained. The portrait figures, busts, and groups created in iron, carved ivory, and brass (long thought to be bronze) made in Benin beginning perhaps as early as the 13th cent. rank with the finest art of Africa. Cire perdue casting is still practiced there. Examples of Benin art are displayed in museums in the city.

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

MLA
Chicago
APA

"Benin." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 25 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"Benin." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (May 25, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-BeninNig.html

"Benin." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved May 25, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-BeninNig.html

Learn more about citation styles

Benin City

Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names | 2005 | | Copyright

Benin City, Edo/Nigeria Sometimes called Edo, the name of the state of which it is the capital and named after the Edo; they are also known as the Bini.

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

MLA
Chicago
APA

JOHN EVERETT-HEATH. "Benin City." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 25 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JOHN EVERETT-HEATH. "Benin City." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (May 25, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O209-BeninCity.html

JOHN EVERETT-HEATH. "Benin City." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. 2005. Retrieved May 25, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O209-BeninCity.html

Learn more about citation styles

Free newspaper and magazine articles

	Benin: Glorious Treasures Magazine article from: New African; 12/1/2007
	Benin Kings and Rituals: Court Arts from Nigeria.(Critical essay) Magazine article from: African Arts; 3/22/2008
	The changing phases of power and civil administration in Benin: from... Magazine article from: Nebula; 3/1/2008