NIGERIA-SOUTHERN PROVINCES 



INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. Administrative Divisions. 

 On January 1, 1914, the countries, hitherto administered 

 separately under the names of Northern and Southern 

 Nigeria, were amalgamated and placed under a Governor- 

 General. It is, nevertheless, convenient, from the point 

 of view of their agricultural and commercial interests, to 

 deal with them in this place separately. The inhabitants 

 of the Northern and Southern Provinces are to a very 

 large extent dissimilar in languages, religion and customs, 

 and the climatic conditions, by which distinct varieties of 

 life are so much influenced, are so suitably defined by the 

 artificial boundary which, until recently, divided Northern 

 and Southern Nigeria, that little excuse need be offered 

 for the maintenance of old division in the discussion of 

 the subjects within the competence of this book. Follow- 

 ing then the plan adopted in the first edition, Southern 

 Nigeria, referred to now as the Southern Provinces, is 

 being first dealt with and treated, as far as possible, inde- 

 pendently of Northern Nigeria, now entitled the Northern 

 Provinces, the separate account of which follows. 



Geographical Position. Pending the adjustment of the 

 eastern frontier, occasioned by the outcome of the recent 

 war, the Southern Provinces of Nigeria extend from 

 2 45' E. to 10 15' E. long. ; the Western Province reaching 

 9 10' N., and the Central and Eastern about 7 15' N. lat. 



Area and Population. The estimated area of the country 

 before adjustment was 94,000 sq. miles, and the census of 

 1911 showed the population as 7.857,983. 



Natural Divisions. The Southern Provinces are con- 

 veniently divided for agricultural considerations into ivet 

 and dry zones. In the former the rainfall ranges from 

 about 90 inches at Bendi to 250 inches at Opobo. In the 

 latter zone the highest rainfall is reached in Lagos Town, 

 where about 75 inches are annually registered ; the lowest 

 reading being that of 40 inches at Olokemeji. The 



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