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Calabar
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Calabar, Nigeria | |
| Coordinates: | |
|---|---|
| province | Cross River |
| Government | |
| - Governor | Donald Duke |
| Area | |
| - City | 604 km² (233.2 sq mi) |
| - Land | 604 km² (233.2 sq mi) |
| Population (2005) | |
| - Urban | 470,000 |
| - Metro | 1,200,000 |
| estimated | |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) |
| - Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+1) |
| Website: http://www.crossriverstate.com | |
Calabar is a city in south eastern Nigeria. The City is watered by the Calabar and Great Qua rivers and creeks of the Cross River (from its inland Delta). It is the capital of Cross River State and has an estimated population of about 1.2 million residents.
The city, which has been inhabited for 2000 years, has been known to European Sailors as far back as the 15th century and was recognised as an international sea port since the 16th century. Calabar was a major slave trade port from the late 17th to 19th centuries.
The city once served as the seat of Government of the Niger Coast Protectorate, Southern Protectorate and Oil River Protectorate (effectively the headquarters of modern day Nigeria). Due to her early role in international trade and colonial administration, Calabar hosts the earliest Military barracks, the first presbyterian church (Church of Scotland Mission) in 1846, the first monorail and the first modern road network in Nigeria. The city also boasts of the first public (General) Hospital in Nigeria – St. Margaret Hospital, the oldest post office and one of the first two botanical gardens in the country.
As a social centre the city boasts of the first social club in Nigeria – The Africa Club – and also hosted the first competitive football, cricket and field hockey games in Nigeria. Among the city's firsts include the first Roman Catholic Mass (held at 19 Boco Street, Calabar - 1903) and the oldest secondary school (Hope Waddell Training Institute - 1895) in eastern Nigeria. The School later produced the first Nigerian President Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe. Prominent figures in the history of Calabar include King Archibong III - the first king in southern Nigeria to be crowned with regalia sent by Queen Victoria of England in 1878. Others include Professor Eyo Ita - the first Nigerian Professor, Sir Louis Edet - First Nigerian Inspector General of Police, Mrs. Margaret Ekpo - first woman Special member in Nigeria's Eastern House of Chiefs and later Eastern House of Assembly, Hogan Kid Bassey - first Nigeria's World Boxing Champion and Etubom Oyo Orok Oyo - premier football administrator, first and only Nigerian so far to be elected into Executive Committee of FIFA (1980 – 1988) and the first African to be made an Honorary Vice president of Confederation of African Football (CAF) (from 1988 for life).
Modern Calabar is reputed to be the cleanest city and number one tourist destination in Nigeria. The city has a good road network and it is second to Abuja when it comes to beauty and planning. Unlike other African cities there are very few hawkers and the residents are disciplined which makes the city so hospitable. All major roads in the city have trees neatly planted by the left and right hand side of the roads with side works. The city boasts of an International Museum, a Botanical Garden, a Free Trade Zone/Port, an International Airport and Seaport, an integrated sports stadium complex, a cultural centre, one of the most prominent universities in the country[citation needed] the University of Calabar, a slave history park and several historical and cultural landmarks. The city, christened Canaan City, is clean and has well laid out streets that are adorned by trees and flowers on both sides. It also boasts of several standard hotels, resorts and amusement parks. The city hopes to commission Africa's Premier Business resort, Tinapa City, in 2006. The former Liberian warlord Charles Ghankay Taylor lived in the old colonial palace in the city under an agreement which led to the end of his country's civil war before fleeing extradition to Liberia in March 2006.
Calabar is also the Headquarters of the Eastern Naval Command. The City has a new model school, Nigerian Navy Secondary School, situated in a serene part of Akpabuyo, about 10 minutes drive from the Airport. This new school complements favourably the existing Nigerian Navy Primary School and Naval Officers Wives Association Primary School both situated at Ikot Ansa Calabar to provide quality education.
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In Calabar, there are numerous shopping centers. In the Nigerian Yellow Pages, one can find list of all such shopping centers or any other business establishment where one can get things required for daily living.
Tinapa City Resort is a newly constructed tourist village with a 80,000m2 shopping mall. Also, present in the facility is a state of the art entertainment strip with a casino of international standard, five restaurants, a cinema complex with cinemas ranging from 104 to 340 seats each, a games arcade and ten-pin bowling alley. A fisherman's village, leisure land and water world facilities are present with a movie studios under construction.
Calabar city is under going several infrastructural developments which hope to make it the tourism hot spot in the Western and central African region. A Monorail is being constructed to link the Tinapa City Resort to the to be built New Calabar International Airport. Several other Ultra Modern Shopping malls such as, the Big Qua Mall, are being planned to urbanize the city. Calabar is also undergoing a beautification project which will make it emerge as West and Central Africa's most beautiful city.