The Bight of Biafra (known as the Bight of Bonny in Nigeria) is a
bight
The word is derived from Old English ''byht'' (“bend, angle, corner; bay, bight”). In modern English, bight may refer to:
* Bight (geography), recess of a coast, bay, or other curved feature
* Bight (knot), a curved section, slack part, or loo ...
off the West
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
n coast, in the easternmost part of the
Gulf of Guinea
The Gulf of Guinea is the northeasternmost part of the tropical Atlantic Ocean from Cape Lopez in Gabon, north and west to Cape Palmas in Liberia. The intersection of the Equator and Prime Meridian (zero degrees latitude and longitude) is in the ...
.
Geography
The Bight of Biafra, or Mafra (named after the town
Mafra
Mafra is a Czech media group that publishes printed and internet media, headquartered in Prague, Czech Republic. It is a subsidiary of Agrofert holding conglomerate owned by trust of Andrej Babiš, the former Prime Minister of the Czech Repu ...
in southern Portugal), between Capes Formosa and
Lopez, is the most eastern part of the
Gulf of Guinea
The Gulf of Guinea is the northeasternmost part of the tropical Atlantic Ocean from Cape Lopez in Gabon, north and west to Cape Palmas in Liberia. The intersection of the Equator and Prime Meridian (zero degrees latitude and longitude) is in the ...
; it contains the islands
Bioko
Bioko (; historically Fernando Po; bvb, Ëtulá Ëria) is an island off the west coast of Africa and the northernmost part of Equatorial Guinea. Its population was 335,048 at the 2015 census and it covers an area of . The island is located of ...
quatorial Guinea São Tomé and Príncipe
São Tomé and Príncipe (; pt, São Tomé e Príncipe (); English: " Saint Thomas and Prince"), officially the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe ( pt, República Democrática de São Tomé e Príncipe), is a Portuguese-speaking i ...
. The name Biafra – as indicating the country – fell into disuse in the later part of the 19th century
![1710 moll](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/70/1710_moll.jpg)
A 1710 map indicates that the region known as "Biafra" (
Biafra
Biafra, officially the Republic of Biafra, was a partially recognised secessionist state in West Africa that declared independence from Nigeria and existed from 1967 until 1970. Its territory consisted of the predominantly Igbo-populated form ...
) was located in present-day
Cameroon
Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west-central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the C ...
.
The Bight of Biafra extends east from the
River Delta
A river delta is a landform shaped like a triangle, created by deposition (geology), deposition of sediment that is carried by a river and enters slower-moving or stagnant water. This occurs where a river enters an ocean, sea, estuary, lake, res ...
of the
Niger
)
, official_languages =
, languages_type = National languages[Cape Lopez
Cape Lopez () is a headland on the coast of Gabon, west central Africa. The westernmost point of Gabon, it separates the Gulf of Guinea from the South Atlantic Ocean. Cape Lopez is the northernmost point of a low, wooded island between two mouths ...](_blank)
in Gabon. Besides the
Niger River
The Niger River ( ; ) is the main river of West Africa, extending about . Its drainage basin is in area. Its source is in the Guinea Highlands in south-eastern Guinea near the Sierra Leone border. It runs in a crescent shape through ...
, other rivers reaching the bay are the
Cross River,
Calabar River
The Calabar River in Cross River State, Nigeria flows from the north past the city of Calabar, joining the larger Cross River about to the south. The river at Calabar forms a natural harbor deep enough for vessels with a draft of .
The Calabar ...
,
Ndian
Ndian is a department of Southwest Region in Cameroon. It is located in the humid tropical rainforest zone about southeast of Yaoundé, the capital.
History
Ndian division was formed in 1975 from parts of Kumba and Victoria divisions and is ...
,
Wouri,
Sanaga,
Nyong River
The Nyong (formerly german: Yong) is a river in Cameroon. The river flows approximately to empty into the Gulf of Guinea.
Course
The Nyong originates east of the town of Abong-Mbang, where the northern rain forest feeds it. The river's lengt ...
,
Ntem,
Mbia
MBIA Inc. is an American financial services company. It was founded in 1973 as the Municipal Bond Insurance Association. It is headquartered in Purchase, New York, and as of January 1, 2015 had approximately 180 employees. MBIA is the largest bo ...
,
Mbini
Mbini is a town in Río Muni, Equatorial Guinea, lying at the mouth of the Benito River. ''Mbini'' is the Ndowe
This article is about the demographics, demographic features of the population of Equatorial Guinea, including population density, E ...
,
Muni and
Komo River
The Komo is a river of Equatorial Guinea and Gabon. It flows for .
It rises in Equatorial Guinea in the southwestern part of the Woleu-Ntem plateau. However much of its watershed is in the territory of Gabon. The largest tributary of the River ...
.
The main islands in the Bay are
Bioko
Bioko (; historically Fernando Po; bvb, Ëtulá Ëria) is an island off the west coast of Africa and the northernmost part of Equatorial Guinea. Its population was 335,048 at the 2015 census and it covers an area of . The island is located of ...
and
Príncipe
Príncipe is the smaller, northern major island of the country of São Tomé and Príncipe lying off the west coast of Africa in the Gulf of Guinea. It has an area of (including offshore islets) and a population of 7,324 at the 2012 Census; ; other important islands are
Ilhéu Bom Bom
Ilhéu Bom Bom is an island in the Gulf of Guinea. The islet is located near the north coast of the island of Príncipe, one of the main islands of São Tomé and Príncipe and is almost completely forested. Its population is 15 (2008 est.). There ...
,
Ilhéu Caroço
Ilhéu Caroço is an uninhabited islet in the Gulf of Guinea, part of São Tomé and Príncipe. The islet is located southeast of the island of Príncipe
Príncipe is the smaller, northern major island of the country of São Tomé and Prínc ...
,
Elobey Grande
Elobey Grande, or Great Elobey, is an island of Equatorial Guinea, lying at the mouth of the Mitémélé River. It is sparsely inhabited. Elobey Chico is a smaller island offshore, now uninhabited but once the colonial capital of the Río Muni. ...
and
Elobey Chico
Elobey Chico, or Little Elobey, is a small island off the coast of Equatorial Guinea, lying near the mouth of the Mitémélé River. The island is now uninhabited but was once the ''de facto'' colonial capital of the Spanish territory of Río ...
. Countries located at the Bight of Bonny are
Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
(eastern coast),
Cameroon
Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west-central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the C ...
,
Equatorial Guinea
Equatorial Guinea ( es, Guinea Ecuatorial; french: Guinée équatoriale; pt, Guiné Equatorial), officially the Republic of Equatorial Guinea ( es, link=no, República de Guinea Ecuatorial, french: link=no, République de Guinée équatoria ...
(
Bioko Island
Bioko (; historically Fernando Po; bvb, Ëtulá Ëria) is an island off the west coast of Africa and the northernmost part of Equatorial Guinea. Its population was 335,048 at the 2015 census and it covers an area of . The island is located of ...
and
Río Muni
Río Muni (called ''Mbini'' in Fang) is the Continental Region (called ''Región Continental'' in Spanish) of Equatorial Guinea, and comprises the mainland geographical region, covering . The name is derived from the Muni River, along which ...
), and
Gabon
Gabon (; ; snq, Ngabu), officially the Gabonese Republic (french: République gabonaise), is a country on the west coast of Central Africa. Located on the equator, it is bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north ...
(northern coast).
History
Travel via the Bight of Biafra is estimated to account for 13% (1.6 million) of the total number of enslaved people exported from the Western African coast. The
Bight of Benin to the west is estimated to account for 17% while Central Africa to the south is estimated to account for up to 48%.
By the middle of the eighteenth century,
Bonny had emerged as the major slave trading port on the Bight of Biafra outpacing the earlier dominant slave ports at
Elem Kalabari (also known then as New Calabar) and
Old Calabar
Old or OLD may refer to:
Places
* Old, Baranya, Hungary
* Old, Northamptonshire, England
*Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD)
*OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, M ...
. These 3 ports together accounted for over 90% of the slave trade emanating from the Bight of Biafra.
Between 1525 and 1859, Britain accounted for over two-thirds of slaves exported from the Bight of Biafra to the
New World
The term ''New World'' is often used to mean the majority of Earth's Western Hemisphere, specifically the Americas."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: Oxford University Press, p. 3 ...
.
In 1777, Portugal transferred control of
Fernando Po and
Annobón
Annobón ( es, Provincia de Annobón; pt, Ano-Bom), and formerly as ''Anno Bom'' and ''Annabona'', is a province (smallest province in both area and population) of Equatorial Guinea consisting of the island of Annobón, formerly also Pigalu a ...
to Spanish suzerainty thus introducing Spain into the early colonial history of the Bight of Biafra.
In 1807, the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
made illegal the international trade in slaves, and the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
was deployed to forcibly prevent slavers from the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
,
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
,
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
,
Holland
Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former province on the western coast of the Netherlands. From the 10th to the 16th c ...
,
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Maurit ...
and
Arabia
The Arabian Peninsula, (; ar, شِبْهُ الْجَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّة, , "Arabian Peninsula" or , , "Island of the Arabs") or Arabia, is a peninsula of Western Asia, situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian Plate. ...
from plying their trade.
On 30 June 1849, Britain established its military influence over the Bight of Biafra by building a naval base and consulate on the island of
Fernando Po, under the authority of the British
Consul
Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states throug ...
s of the Bight of Benin:
*May 1852—1853
Louis Fraser Louis Fraser (1819 – c. 1883) was a British Zoology, zoologist and collector. In his early years, Fraser was curator of the Museum of the Zoological Society of London.
Little is known about Fraser's early life. He was born in 1819 or 1820 and mar ...
*1853—April 1859
Benjamin Campbell
*April 1859—1860 George Brand
*1860—January 1861 Henry Hand
*January—May 1861 Henry Grant Foote
*May—6 August 1861
William McCoskry
William McCoskry was a British merchant who served as Consul at Lagos, then as acting Governor of Lagos Colony.
Lagos trader
McCoskry reached Lagos in early 1852, soon after the Oba Kosoko was expelled. He had already represented the British fir ...
(acting)
On 6 August 1861, the Bight of Biafra and the neighboring
Bight of Benin (under its own British consuls) became a united British consulate, again under British consuls:
*1861—December 1864
Richard Francis Burton
Sir Richard Francis Burton (; 19 March 1821 – 20 October 1890) was a British explorer, writer, orientalist scholar,and soldier. He was famed for his travels and explorations in Asia, Africa, and the Americas, as well as his extraordinary kn ...
*December 1864—1873 Charles Livingstone
*1873—1878 George Hartley
*1878—13 September 1879 David Hopkins
*13 September 1879—5 June 1885 Edward Hyde Hewett.
In 1967, the
Eastern Region of Nigeria
The Eastern Region was an administrative region in Nigeria, dating back originally from the division of the colony Southern Nigeria in 1954. Its first capital was Calabar. The capital was later moved to Enugu and the second capital was Umuahia. T ...
seceded from the Nigerian State and adopted the name of its coastline, the adjoining Bight of Biafra, becoming the newly independent
Republic of Biafra
Biafra, officially the Republic of Biafra, was a partially recognised secessionist state in West Africa that declared independence from Nigeria and existed from 1967 until 1970. Its territory consisted of the predominantly Igbo-populated form ...
. This independence was short-lived as the new state lost the ensuing
Nigerian Civil War
The Nigerian Civil War (6 July 1967 – 15 January 1970), also known as the Nigerian–Biafran War or the Biafran War, was a civil war fought between Nigeria and the Republic of Biafra, a secessionist state which had declared its independence f ...
. In 1975, by decree, the Nigerian government changed the name of the Bight of Biafra to the Bight of Bonny.
Slave traders
*
Daniel Backhouse
*
George Case
*
William Boats
William Boats (1716-1794) was a Liverpool slave trader. Boats was responsible for 157 slave voyages, over half of his slaves were sent from the Bight of Biafra to Jamaica.
Slave trading and privateering
Boats had shares in at least 156 Guineaman ...
*
William Davenport
*
John Shaw
*
Samuel Shaw
Pulsations
In 1962,
Jack Oliver, a geologist at
Columbia University
Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
, first noticed the earth had a "pulse" also known in geology lingo as a "
microseism
In seismology, a microseism is defined as a faint earth tremor caused by natural phenomena. Sometimes referred to as a "hum", it should not be confused with the anomalous acoustic phenomenon of the same name. The term is most commonly used to ref ...
". This discovery was put on the shelves and re-examined briefly in 1980 by Gary Holcomb and then fully examined in 2005 by graduate student Greg Benson at the
University of Colorado
The University of Colorado (CU) is a system of public universities in Colorado. It consists of four institutions: University of Colorado Boulder, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, University of Colorado Denver, and the University of Co ...
.
Later results revealed that the earth pulses every 26 seconds, but nobody is exactly sure why. Theories range from waves hitting the continental shelf to volcanic activity.
By using triangulation, they were able to locate the source of the pulse in the Bight of Bonny.
References
External links
Worldstatesmen
{{Authority control
Bays of the Atlantic Ocean
Gulf of Guinea
Biafra
Regions of Africa
Bodies of water of Cameroon
Bodies of water of Equatorial Guinea
Bodies of water of Gabon
Bodies of water of Nigeria
Cameroon–Equatorial Guinea border
Cameroon–Nigeria border
Equatorial Guinea–Gabon border
Equatorial Guinea–São Tomé and Príncipe border
Gabon–São Tomé and Príncipe border
Nigeria–São Tomé and Príncipe border
Equatorial Guinea–Nigeria border
Bights (geography)