Ogaga4Luv:

Although the exact origin of the Urhobo people is not known, they are closely related to their immediate neighbors based on linguistic and cultural similarities. Urhobo oral history believes their origins are related to those of Aka the name by which the ancient Benin Empire used to be known. This could also be traced back to the Ogiso dynasty. The Urhobo still refer to the Binis as people of Aka which indicate that the separation between the Urhobo and Bini must have occurred long before evolvement of Benin Empire.

With an estimated population of about 2.5 Million, the Urhobo is the largest ethnic group in Delta State. It is considered to be the among the 10 largest of the over 250 ethnic groups in Nigeria.
The whole of Urhoboland consist of a low-lying plain. Land elevation is generally under 50 meters above mean sea level and there is a marked absence of imposing hills that rise above the general land surface. The area is traversed by numerous flat-floored rivers that drain into the Atlantic Ocean. The most important rivers are the Ethiope, Warri and the Kiagbodo. Large stretches of most rivers, especially the lower reaches of the Ethiope, Warri and the Kiagdodo rivers are permanently waterlogged.

Living in the tropical rain forests and more recently in the oil rich Niger Delta has helped to shape the economic choices of the Urhobo. Traditionally they practice slash and burn farming that requires frequent crop rotation for soil preservation. Fishing and hunting are also important sources for subsistence. They also gather palm nuts and process them into oil, a commodity which is eventually traded on the international markets.
The Urhobo are also involved in the Oil, Gas and related industries, they distinguish themselves as pioneers and leaders in their chosen trades and professions.

Republican by culture, the Urhobo are an independent minded and industrious people. Traditional Urhobo political authority however, is based on kinship groups, age-grades, and title associations. At one time Urhobo Kings (ivie) were officially installed by the Oba of Benin. Those who had achieved sufficient status within their community would travel to the Oba, who would endow them with ceremonial swords and insignia that would add weight to their quest for power among their kinspeople. The Urhobo are known to be very tolorent of others cultures around them

The Urhobo believe the ancestral interventions. They recognize the existence of a dual cosmological system: the spirit world and the physical world. It is believed that everyone in the physical world has a replica in the spiritual world and that these two worlds have great influence over one another. Power, however, seems to be in the hands of the spirits, who are constantly making demands on and causing problems for the living, who in turn must appease the spirits through sacrifice. Every ten years the Urhobo hold a large masquerade ceremony for the entire community to honor the spirits (edjo).
Presently though, most Urhobo practice Christianity introduced by western colonial influences.

The Urhobo produced numerous art forms, including freestanding sculptures (Ivwri), a type of wooden sculpture that is popularly associated with the cult of the hand, and masks and masquerading.