Imo River

Imo River
Imo Mmiri
Name origin: Named after the Imo Mmiri alusi
Country Nigeria
Source
 - location Okigwe, Imo State
 - coordinates 5°50′56″N 7°14′20″W / 5.84889°N 7.23889°W / 5.84889; -7.23889 [1]
Mouth Atlantic Ocean
 - location Eastern Obolo, Akwa Ibom State
 - elevation 0 ft (0 m)
 - coordinates 4°28′14″N 7°35′38″W / 4.47056°N 7.59389°W / 4.47056; -7.59389Coordinates: 4°28′14″N 7°35′38″W / 4.47056°N 7.59389°W / 4.47056; -7.59389
Length 150 mi (241 km) [2]

The Imo River (Igbo: Imo Mmiri) is in southeastern Nigeria and flows 240 kilometres (150 mi) into the Atlantic Ocean. Its estuary is around 40 kilometres (25 mi) wide,[3] and the river has an annual discharge of 4 cubic kilometres (1.0 cu mi)[4] with 26,000 hectares of wetland.[5] The Imo's tributary Rivers are the Otamiri and Oramirukwa.[6] The Imo was cleared under the British colonial administration of Nigeria in 1907–1908 and 1911; first to Aba and then to Udo near Umuahia.[7]

The deity, or Alusi of the river is the female Imo Mmiri who communities surrounding the river believe to be the owner of the river. Mmiri in Igbo language means water or rain. A festival for the Alusi is held annually between May and July.[8] The Imo River features an 830-metre (2,720 ft) bridge at the crossing between Rivers State and Akwa Ibom.[9]

References

Notes:

  1. ↑ Afigbo, Adiele Eberechukwu (2005). Toyin Falola, ed. Nigerian history, politics and affairs: the collected essays of Adiele Afigbo. Africa World Press. p. 95. ISBN 1-59221-324-3.
  2. ↑ McNally, Rand (1980). Encyclopedia of World Rivers. Rand McNally. p. 14.
  3. ↑ Institut français d'Afrique noire (1976). Bulletin de l'Institut français d'Afrique noire. Niger Delta: IFAN. p. 29.
  4. ↑ Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Land and Water Development Division (1997). Irrigation potential in Africa. Food & Agriculture Org. p. 92. ISBN 92-5-103966-6.
  5. ↑ Russell, Nathan C. (1993). Sustainable Food Production in Sub-Saharan Africa: Constraints and opportunities. IITA. p. 57. ISBN 978-131-096-0.
  6. ↑ Simmers, Ian (1988). NATO, ed. Estimation of natural groundwater recharge. Springer. p. 436. ISBN 90-277-2632-9.
  7. ↑ Chuku, Gloria (2005). Igbo women and economic transformation in southeastern Nigeria, 1900-1960. Routledge. p. 152. ISBN 0-415-97210-8.
  8. ↑ Uzor, Peter Chiehiụra (2004). The traditional African concept of God and the Christian concept of God. Peter Lang. p. 310. ISBN 3-631-52145-6.
  9. ↑ The Report: Nigeria 2010. Oxford Business Group. p. 213. ISBN 1-907065-14-8.


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