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'Akwa Ibom' is a state in Nigeria. It is located in the south-east of the country, lying between latitudes 4°321 and 5°331 North, and longitudes 7°251 and 8°251 East. The State is bordered on the east by Cross River State, on the west by Rivers State and Abia State, and on the South by the Atlantic Ocean.
Akwa Ibom is one of Nigeria’s 36 states with a population of 3.9 million people. It was created in 1987 from the former Cross River State and is a major oil-producing area in the country. The state’s capital is Uyo, home to some 300,000 people and a prominent academic centre (University of Uyo) Akwa Ibom has two major ports on the Atlantic Ocean Along with English, the main languages spoken here are Ibibio, Annang, Eket, Ibeno and others.

★ Area: 8412.00 sq kilometres

★ Population: 3,000,000 (1993 est.)

★ Languages: Ibibio, Annang, Oro, Ibeno, Eket
Uyo is the capital of Akwa Ibom State. Ikot Ekpene, Abak, Oron, Eket, Ibeno are a few of many prominent cities.
ALSCON (NIGERIA)
'Important Cities:'
Abak
Eket
Ibeno
Ikot Abasi
Mkpat Enen
Uyo
Ikot Ekpene, also called Rafia City or IK, is a very famous small town in Nigeria. It is located at an important junction in the south of the country, joining Calabar, the eastern port, with Port Harcourt, the southern port, Uyo, the capital of Akwa Ibom State, and Eket, a major Oil producing town.

Contents

History

Administrative Divisions

People

Local Government Areas

Politics

External links

History

Akwa Ibom State was created out of Cross River State on September 23, 1987. Akwa Ibom was created by combining the Ikot Abasi ,Uyo (State Capital), Ikot Ekpene, Eket and Abak divisions of old Calabar province.
Languages: Ibibio, Annang, Oro, Eket and Ibeno

Administrative Divisions

Akwa Ibom is divided into 31 Local Government Areas, or LGAs:

★ Abak

★ Eastern-Obolo

★ Eket

★ Esit-Eket

★ Essien-Udim

★ Etim-Ekpo

★ Etinan

★ Ibeno

★ Ibesikpo-Asutan

★ Ibiono-Ibom

★ Ika

★ Ikono

★ Ikot Abasi http://www.fallingrain.com/world/NI/0/Ikot_Abasi.html

★ Ikot-Ekpene

★ Ini

★ Itu

★ Mbo

★ Mkpat-Enin

★ Nsit-Atai

★ Nsit-Ibom

★ Nsit-Ubium

★ Obot-Akara

★ Okobo

★ Onna

★ Oron

★ Oruk-Anam

★ Ukanafun

★ Udung-Uko

★ Uruan

★ Urue-Offong/Oruko

★ Uyo

People

Akwa Ibom State is made up of a homogeneous group of people believed to have originated from a single ancestral stock. The languages spoken in the state are closely related, the Annang and Ibibio languages are mostly identical with a few dialectical differences. The Oron language has highly distinctive features, while Eket and Ibeno languages are more closely related to each other than to the Ibibio and Annang, and are only partially understandable by speakers of these two languages.
The people are predominantly of the Christian faith although some native African religions are practised by some of the people.
The inhabitants of the state are:

★ Ibibio

★ Annang

★ Oron

★ Ibeno

★ Eket

★ Efik
The Ibibio are the largest group, whilst the Annang, which form the second largest group, speak a language very similar to the Ibibio Language. Oro lays claim to a distinct ethnic nationality and has its people in 5 out of the State's 31 Local Government Areas [LGAs]. Ibeno and Eket [3 LGAs] speak a similar language, and are located at the ocean, contiguous to Oron.
The Ibibio language belongs to the Benue-Congo language family, which forms part of the Niger-Congo group of languages.

Local Government Areas

Akwa lbom State has 31 Local Government Areas: Abak, Eket, Ibiono Ibom,Ika, Etinan, Nsit Atai, Essien-Udim, Ikono, Ikot Abasi, Ikot Ekpene, Itu, Mkpat-Enin, Mbo, Nsit-Ubium, Oron, Esit Eket, Okobo, Nsit Ibom, Etim Ekpo, Onna, Oruk-Anam, Ukanafun, Uyo, Uquo-Ibeno,Uruan, Obot Akara, Ibesikpo Asutan, Uruan, Urue Offong/Oruko and others.
The inhabitants of the state are:
Ibibio ,
Annang,
Oron ,
Ibeno and
Eket

Politics

Politics in Akwa Ibom state is played on a tripod, representing the three dominant ethnic groups comprising the Ibibio, Annang and Oron.
Of these three, the Ibibio remains the dominant and has held sway in the state power equation since its creation. This scenario has led to expressions of marginalisation by the Annangs and Oro people who would want a democratisation of power [or "power shift"] from the dominant Ibibio group. But the most consistent in this quest for power are the Annangs who are in the fore-front of this quest for a change of guard. The dominant political party in the State, the PDP, has fielded an Annang person, Godswill Akpabio, for the 2007 Governorship election.
Recently it has been announced that Godswill Akpabio has won 2007 elections held on April 14 and will be sworn-in on the 29th of May, 2007.

External links

★ akwaibomstate.com: maintained by expatriates from the region, contains various information about the state and its people

★ akwaibomstategov.com: official site of the state government

★ [1]

★ akwaibomstateusa.org: official site of Akwa Ibom state USA Organization
The inhabitants of the state are:
Ibibio
Annang
Oron
Ibeno
Eket