Zaria
Federal State
Zaria ( Saria ) is a town in Nigeria. Its former name was Zazzau. It has about 663,000 inhabitants ( 2012 calculation ) and is located in the state of Kaduna.
Geography
Zaria is located in the north of the country, between Kaduna and Kano.
History
Already in the 10th century can be a distinctive urban culture of the Hausa in northern Nigeria later prove. The pagan Have - kings ruled in Zaria from 1486 to 1804. From the 16th century, Queen Amina of Zazzau is known, which came to power 15ß8/1589.
In 1804, Zaria was conquered by the Fulani and started the Islamization of the region. The last possession rulers fled with his followers south to Zuba and other Fulaniangriffe could resist. His successors built in what is now the capital of Nigeria, Abuja, a state and called themselves yet in 2010 the rulers of Zazzau.
At the end of the 19th century Zaria capital of the province Segseg was in the African Fulbereich Sokoto and was at that time in the western Sudan. It has been described as an important trading center and had 50,000 inhabitants. Hugh Clapperton, Adamu Baïki and Richard Lander visited the city.
The recent history Zarias is characterized by religious conflict. In the 1980s, churches were destroyed. The southern part of the state of Kaduna, Zaria lies in the is predominantly populated by Christians, the northern Muslims.
Economy
In the region of cotton is grown. The city serves as a major transportation hub.
Zaria is a university town. The Ahmadu Bello University is the largest university in Nigeria and second largest in Africa (after Cairo University ). The University fell on by Islamist intellectuals.
Sons and daughters of the town
- Umaru Dikko ( b. 1936 ), Nigerian politician
- Rumun Ndur ( b. 1975 ), Canadian ice hockey player
- Shola Ameobi ( born 1981 ), English footballer
- Wunmi Mosaku ( born 1986 ), English actress
- Isaac Promise, (* 1987), Nigerian footballer
- Kingsley Umunegbu (* 1989), Nigerian footballer