Sokoto (city)
Nigeria · Africa
關於Sokoto (city)
is a major city located in extreme north-western Nigeria, near the confluence of the Sokoto River and the Rima River. As of 2006, it had a population of over 427,760. Sokoto is the modern-day capital of Sokoto State and was previously the capital of the north-western states. Modern Sokoto is known for trading sheepskins, cattle hides, leather crafts (a significant export), kola nuts and goatskins.
The historic seat of the former Sokoto Caliphate, the city is predominantly Muslim and an important seat of Islamic learning in Nigeria. The Sultan who heads the caliphate is effectively the spiritual leader of Nigerian Muslims.
The name Sokoto (which is the modern/anglicised version of the local name, Sakkwato) is of Arabic origin, representing sooq, 'market' in English. It is also known as Sakkwato, Birnin Shaihu da Bello or "Sokoto, City of Shaihu and Bello" (Shaihu referring to Sheikh Usman dan Fodio, founder of the Sokoto Caliphate, and Bello his son/successor, Sultan Muhammad Bello).
Sokoto has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification BSh). It is located in the dry Sahel, surrounded by sandy savannah and isolated hills....
Overview adapted from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA. Photography via Wikimedia Commons.