Ethnicity and Nationalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Ethnicity and Nationalism - Essay Example The definition of a nation is distinct from that of a country because it assumes that there is a cultural and historical bond between the people inhabiting a delineated territory. Not only must the citizens of a nation be bound together in terms of government and territory, but they must be united as one because of their cultural links. Nigeria can clearly be defined as a country, however the fragmentation of its culture, especially in recent history, calls its status as a nation into question. The Federal Republic of Nigeria is located in Western Africa, bordering Benin, Chad, Cameroon and Niger. Its capital city is called Abuja; although its historic capital is Benin City, once called Edo during the years of the Kingdom of Benin. The country is located on the Atlantic Ocean and has benefited from this placement in terms of international trade; currently Nigeria boasts the highest population in all of Africa at more than 140 million people, and it has been hailed by economists as being one of the fastest growing economies in the world (Foreign and Commonwealth Office 2007). In the near future it stands to reason that Nigeria will stand out from other African countries as one of the most successful in terms of trade and finance. Niger Nigeria is comprised of 36 individual states, plus the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) which houses Abuja. See Figure 1 for a map and names of all Nigerian states. The FCT was created from former Niger, Nasarawa and Koji territories, and is located in the centre of the country (Falola 1999, pp.1-5). The environment is varied and encompasses savannah, rainforest and deserts; the country is home to what is believed to be the largest and most diverse selection of butterflies in the world, and the native Drill Monkey is only found wild in Nigeria and Cameroon. The Delta region of the country is used for oil drilling, an industry that is of particular importance to the Nigerian economy. The official language of Nigeria is English, however traditional languages like Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo are publicly recognised and regularly used by many citizens. History Nigeria is located in an ancient part of the world as far as human history is concerned, and archaeological evidence suggests that the area has been inhabited by people since at least 9000 BC. From its early cultural beginnings, the area that now encompasses Nigeria developed one of the most influential and powerful empires in Africa and the world: the Kingdom of Benin. From the 15th to the 19th century, the land which is now the Federal Republic of Nigeria as well as surrounding countries was all incorporated into the Kingdom of Benin, a vast kingdom that held influence over a large part of the African continent and whose cultural traditions still echo in that part of the world today. It was under the rule of the Kingdom of Benin that the modern Nigerian state evolved into one of the most economically viable African countries during the 16th and 17th centuries; this was due largely to the European slave trade and the fact that the Kingdom of Benin was both forceful and powerful in its dealings with neighbouring nations. As European countries

Cultural Identity Interview Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Cultural Identity Interview - Essay Example Peter says that Bulgarians are the Caucasian type, almost all of them are ethnic Bulgarians, but also there are minority groups like Turks and Roma populations. According to Peter, many Southern regions in Bulgaria are heavily populated by people who have Turkish ethnicity, in some villages even only Turkish is spoken. A double check with the Wikipedia (2006) shows that Turks amount to 9.4% of the population. The other Bulgarian minority are Gypsies. Peter shares that Gypsies in general are the poorest among all Bulgarians and are not at all integrated in the dominant Bulgarian culture. - Languages Peter’s native language is Bulgarian, and this is the only official language, although there are other languages minorities speak, like Turkish, Roman, or Macedonian. The Bulgarian language belongs to the group of Slavic languages (Wikipedia, 2006). In the United States Peter speaks English, especially at work. He has little accent and in my opinion he has no difficulties in communication in English. Still, he says, â€Å"In the US there are many other languages that can be of use for you. I would say that US is a bilingual country, because Spanish language is also very popular, even sometimes is it widely spoken†. He uses Bulgarian every day at home or when talking to his friends via the Internet. He adds that he is also trying to improve his Spanish, and Russian, because both languages are useful for him at his work as a guard at a local mall. Peter has learnt English and Spanish at his secondary school. This partially explains why he knows Russian and is eager to improve his speaking abilities in the language. Religion Peter is an Orthodox Christian. He says that most people in Bulgaria belong to the Orthodox Church. Further investigation into the Orthodox religion proves that the Bulgarian Orthodox Church belongs to the Eastern Orthodox Church (Wikipedia, 2006), but minority groups have other religions, like Islam, adopted mostly by the Turkish population; some Protestants and Roman Catholics (less than 1,5% together, according to Wikipedia, 2006). When talking about religion, Peter mentions that Bulgarians in general are not very religious. He says, this varies from region to region, but the communist period that ended in 1989 did not tolerate religious beliefs, partly because of the high influence the Church used to have, and because its financial strength that threatened the status quo. Today, the Southern and Western regions of the country are more religious than the Northern and Eastern regions. Also, where Turkish population is predominant, there are villages with no Christian churches, and it is a normal thing, he says, for any village to have a church. Food Peter mentions a variety of national favorite foods - foods containing various meat types, potatoes, rice and different types of vegetables. It seems bread is something Bulgarians do not miss at the table. Peter says that fruit and vegetables are much cheaper in Bulgaria, than they are in the United States, and are much tastier, having fewer conservatives. According to Peter, the Bulgarian cuisine today is heavily influenced by the Arab cuisine and is closer to