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Middle Belt
Geographical region in central Nigeria / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Middle Belt (also spelt Middle-Belt) or Central Nigeria is a term used in human geography to designate a belt region stretching across central Nigeria longitudinally and forming a transition zone between Northern and Southern Nigeria. It is composed of the southern half of the defunct Northern Region of Nigeria,[3] now comprising mostly the North Central and parts of the North East and North West geopolitical zones, and is characterised by its lack of a clear majority ethnic group. It is also the location of Nigeria's Federal Capital Territory.
Middle Belt Region Central Nigeria | |
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Some nations of the Middle Belt of Nigeria. | |
Motto: Our Land, Our People, Our Heritage | |
Largest city | Abuja |
Official languages | English |
Major indigenous languages |
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Ethnic groups | |
Religion | Christianity Islam Traditional Religion |
Demonym(s) | Middle-Belter |
The eminence of manifold minority groups, to some degree, constitutes an ethno-linguistic barrier in the country and draws a separation between the principally Muslim North and the mainly Christian south.[4] The region is a convergence of these cultural domains and maintains a tremendous degree of ethno-linguistic diversity. Afro-Asiatic, Nilo-Saharan, and Niger–Congo languages are all spoken, which are three of the primary African language families.[5] In the 1920s, it was described by Melzian (1928:496) as the "Middle Zone".[6]
Some scholars argue that rather than a simple geographic definition, the Middle Belt represents a religious and cultural amalgamation of non-Hausa Christians.[7][further explanation needed]