1. South eastern Nigeria is the densest area in Africa after the Nile valley in Egypt. The Nile has been a home to millions for thousands of years and the majority of Egypt's 80 million plus population dwell there, while south eastern Nigeria has a staggering population density of 1000 per square mile.

2. The oldest continuous kingdom in Africa is the Nri Kingdom and is situated right in the middle of south eastern Nigeria. The Kingdom of Nri is believed to have started in the middle of the 10th century (around 950 AD) although some put this in the 13th century 300 years later. Some of the oldest continuos kingdoms in the world include the oldest Japan starting in 660 BC! Also included is the fourth eldest, the kingdom of Denmark which interestingly began in 940. Too bad Nri can't confirm their date with writing. Nri is also renowned for its organisation, pacifism, and the fact that it did not keep a standing army by choice.

3. The highest selling novel in African history, Things Fall Apart, was written by a native south easterner, Chinua Achebe (16 November 1930 – 21 March 2013), who was born in Ogidi in present Anambra state. The book is also set in south eastern Nigeria and has sold millions in many languages, and Chinua Achebe is praised as the 'father' of modern African literature.

4. The earliest published accounts by a West African in Europe of African society was not only based, yet again, in south eastern Nigeria, but was also by one from there; Olaudah Equianos 1789 autobiography The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano is one of, if not the most, important books of the abolitionist movement era. The book recounted Equianos homeland (somewhere thought to be in Anambra State) and his journey through slavery, his liberation and his journeys throughout the world. Equiano ultimately became a rich Londoner and an icon of the abolitionist movement.

5. The southeastern region has one of the most diverse cultivated species of yam in the world.

6. The Bantu expansion, which birthed the majority of the population between the current nations of Cameroon and South Africa all the way to Kenya, is said to have began in the SE.

7. The biggest mask in Africa calls the SE its home. The Ijele masquerade hails from Anambra State and stands at several meters tall. It is only outed every couple of years for special occasions and is decorated with multicoloured material and models of local life such as animals and villagers. Copies of the Ijele mask have been requested by notable establishments around world, they have been commissioned for foreign museums and even Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge, in Disney World Orlando, Florida, United States.

8. South easterners are thought to have invented one of West Africas pre-European/Arab writing systems known as nsibidi.

9. The bronze artefacts from Igbo-Ukwu dating to before the 10th century are considered to be "among the most inventive and technically accomplished bronzes ever made" by the Metropolitan Museum of Art and "The people of Igbo-Ukwu, ancestors of present-day Igbo, were the earliest smithers of copper and its alloys in West Africa." by the same source. "Igbo-Ukwu bronzeworking was an isolated phenomenon at the time, but bronze casting developed several centuries later in other parts of Nigeria."
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/igbo/hd_igbo.htm

10. Together, there was around 30 years of some sort of major revolt/war against the British between 1880 and 1910 by south easterners. Beginning with the Ekumeku movement, one of the notable wars include the Anglo-Aro war which ended with the defeat of the Aro confederacy after several months stand-off with the British. and Revolts carried on well into the 1930s with Aba womens riots, and in the 1940s with the rise of Nnamdi Azikiwe and anti-colonial movements. 20 years later Nigeria gained independence.

11. Calabar was one of the first and most important major trading ports between Europeans and Africans in the middle of the last millenium and was chosen as the first capital of Nigeria. Unfortunately all other trade was overshadowed by the trade in slaves shortly after its establishment.

12. The critically endangered Cross River gorilla, a subspecies of the western gorilla, is native to southeastern Nigeria (and some in Cameroon).

Another interesting thing about this ibos is that they were taught how to read and write in their very own native language by the people they hated most, The Yorubas.
Interesting indeed!

No one hates the Yoruba. In order to hate, you will actually have to care. Thanks for the bump.

1.SE/N could not be the ''densest'' since it is after another ''densier'' country ''Egypt''......


2.Nri Kingdom has no written/Archeological back-up for ur claims, as the oldest continuos kingdom in AFRICA(u said so urself) u wrote ''Nri kingdom is believed'' . How re u gonna back this up......!!! This sound like moonlight tales......!!!



3. Fact......!!!



4.hmmm, convincing as dates were provided!!!



5. Hmmmm..yam...!!!



6.u wrote ''bantu is 'said' to have rooted from the SE/N..... U re not sure of urself, who and what said it......!!! What makes this FACT!!!



7.masquerade......ok......hmmm


8.Nsibidi.....ok


9: sounds like FACT even with reference......!!! One fact


10: Another Fact......dates provided!!!


11 and 12 on point......!!!!
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Brother,
There is difference between Facts and conjectures(...... U used many Doubtful Words in ur article which implies there are limitations to most of ur points which thus denied most of ur points Factual Xtics.......e.g

they were ''said'' to be; they were ''believed'' to be ; they were ''thought'' to be.........!!!


U should use Direct sentence if SE was actually what u pointed out!!!


My critics became necessary simply cuz u tagged ur points ''FACTS'' while most are tales by moonlight......!!!

Chukwu bless Ndigbo! Amen

13) Igbos are known to be the most resilient set of people in the world as well as the best entrepreneurs in Africa which is why they survive wherever they are and no matter the situation or circumstance.

your no 11 & 12 fact is faulty, Calabar is not located in the south east, also, the gorillas are in cross river , south-south region of nigeria.

donroxy: 1.SE/N could not be the ''densest'' since it is after another ''densier'' country ''Egypt''......

2.Nri Kingdom has no written/Archeological back-up for ur claims, as the oldest continuos kingdom in AFRICA(u said so urself) u wrote ''Nri kingdom is believed'' . How re u gonna back this up......!!! This sound like moonlight tales......!!!

3. Fact......!!!

4.hmmm, convincing as dates were provided!!!

5. Hmmmm..yam...!!!

6.u wrote ''bantu is 'said' to have rooted from the SE/N..... U re not sure of urself, who and what said it......!!! What makes this FACT!!!

7.masquerade......ok......hmmm

8.Nsibidi.....ok

9: sounds like FACT even with reference......!!! One fact


10: Another Fact......dates provided!!!


11 and 12 on point......!!!!
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Brother,
There is difference between Facts and conjectures(...... U used many Doubtful Words in ur article which implies there are limitations to most of ur points which thus denied most of ur points Factual Xtics.......e.g

they were ''said'' to be; they were ''believed'' to be ; they were ''thought'' to be.........!!!

1. Your opposition to the first point makes no sense since it's a fact, the southeast area is the densest area after the nile valley. No debate here.
2. If you would have actually checked you would have known that a nobleman's funerary chamber was uncovered in what is now Igbo-Ukwu dating back to the 9th century and associated with the Nri kingdom (the ritual objects and symbolism matched the culture).
6. The Bantu expansion is a theory, a large amount of facts in the scientific world are based on theories that are sometimes challenged so it is believed by linguistics/anthropologists (if you would have checked) to have started here since there could be any other explanation, even though this theory is widely accepted. 'Said', 'believed', doesn't make any difference since they all mean coming from an opinion. It's a fact since it is a fact that it is a widely accepted theory.

seanet02: resilient?
No wonder they fled to ivory coast when the chips went down.
Resilient indeed.

Start you own thread please. You sound bitter and restless.

emiye: your no 11 & 12 fact is faulty, Calabar is not located in the south east, also, the gorillas are in cross river , south-south region of nigeria.

Simple common knowledge of geography would tell you that Calabar is in the eastern portion of the south of Nigeria. Common knowledge. There is no such thing as a "south-south" on a compass, just like "east-east", "north-north", and "west-west" are nonsensical and nonexistent in civilised societies.

donroxy: 1.SE/N could not be the ''densest'' since it is after another ''densier'' country ''Egypt''......


2.Nri Kingdom has no written/Archeological back-up for ur claims, as the oldest continuos kingdom in AFRICA(u said so urself) u wrote ''Nri kingdom is believed'' . How re u gonna back this up......!!! This sound like moonlight tales......!!!



3. Fact......!!!



4.hmmm, convincing as dates were provided!!!



5. Hmmmm..yam...!!!



6.u wrote ''bantu is 'said' to have rooted from the SE/N..... U re not sure of urself, who and what said it......!!! What makes this FACT!!!



7.masquerade......ok......hmmm


8.Nsibidi.....ok


9: sounds like FACT even with reference......!!! One fact


10: Another Fact......dates provided!!!


11 and 12 on point......!!!!
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Brother,
There is difference between Facts and conjectures(...... U used many Doubtful Words in ur article which implies there are limitations to most of ur points which thus denied most of ur points Factual Xtics.......e.g

they were ''said'' to be; they were ''believed'' to be ; they were ''thought'' to be.........!!!


U should use Direct sentence if SE was actually what u pointed out!!!


My critics became necessary simply cuz u tagged ur points ''FACTS'' while most are tales by moonlight......!!!

Most of the history of the world as we know it can never be factual but more of speculative with little archeological evidence.

emiye: your no 11 & 12 fact is faulty, Calabar is not located in the south east, also, the gorillas are in cross river , south-south region of nigeria.

lol at the gorillas

ezeagu:

Simple common knowledge of geography would tell you that Calabar is in the eastern portion of the south of Nigeria. Common knowledge. There is no such thing as a "south-south" on a compass, just like "east-east", "north-north", and "west-west" are nonsensical and nonexistent in civilised societies.

When you talk of Nigeria, the word South East simply refers to 5 states, Imo,Anambra,Ebonyi,Enugu and Abia states.

Geo-political zones - South west, South-South, South East, North West, North East and North Central

emiye:

When you talk of Nigeria, the word South East simply refers to 5 states, Imo,Anambra,Ebonyi,Enugu and Abia states.

Geo-political zones - South west, South-South, South East, North West, North East and North Central

Sorry, I was talking about normal-widely accepted sane peoples geography.

seanet02: At least Yorubas were brave enough to produce Black Scorpion and Ebora owu who make mincemeat of ibos at the front.

Thanks to you, my thread has been seen by over 100.

OkparaIgbo: Good Job OP for impacting some of these new knowledge to me on Ala/Ndi-Igbo. Ignore all the haters and detractors that would soon flood this thread like vampires looking for blood. Ka Chukwu gozie Ala/Ndi-Igbo...Iseeeeee.!

Good advice. Thanks.

Truly interesting!

emiye:

When you talk of Nigeria, the word South East simply refers to 5 states, Imo,Anambra,Ebonyi,Enugu and Abia states.

Geo-political zones - South west, South-South, South East, North West, North East and North Central

The topic is centered on intellectually accepted cardinal directions not the Nigeria’s idiotic geo-political zone, olodo.

6. The Bantu expansion, which birthed the majority of the population between the current nations of Cameroon and South Africa all the way to Kenya, is said to have began in the SE.

^^^^I knew Igbos had Bantu blood...

I remember having a discourse with Okwunazu3 and PhysicsQED last year in the culture section about majority of Igbos(esp. those further to the East) being Bantuoid...

Olaudah Equiano is one of the greatest black Britons ever - he was a great man of honour!!

Ezeagu, can you explain further on why Nri Kingdom is the oldest continuous Kingdom in Africa??

ezeagu:

Sorry, I was talking about normal-widely accepted sane peoples geography.

widely accepted by whom? those classification can be relative, except one stick to the one defined and recognised in the constitution of the country, If you look at the map, i can as well classify Benue state under "South Eastern" Nigeria,

12. The critically endangered Cross River gorilla, a subspecies of the western gorilla, is native to southeastern Nigeria (and some in Cameroon).

^^^^This is interesting... SE Nigeria(Calabar) and Cameroon are the only two natural habitats for gorillas in the world...

Can we also get some information about Igbo-ukwu arts??

shymexx: Olaudah Equiano is one of the greatest black Britons ever - he was a great man of honour!!

Ezeagu, can you explain further on why Nri Kingdom is the oldest continuous Kingdom in Africa??

The Nri Kingdom has a new years festival known as Igu aro which literally means 'the counting of the years'. It happens once yearly and it is marked by the appearance of the Eze (king) and the blessing of people who made pilgrimage to Nri from other lands. The Igu aro festival marks the years by ritually counting them. They are on the 1014th year as of February 2013. The earliest archaeological discovery associated with Nri is actually in Igbo-Ukwu in a part that used to be part of the Kingdom. The main discovery at Igbo-Ukwu was a unknown noblemans chamber (which had collapsed) and they found bronzes and art that were fashioned in a style still used by the Nri people till this day. The Nri themselves date the first monarch of their kingdoms reign to the 10th century.