Identity area
Type of entity
Authorized form of name
Government of Nigeria
Parallel form(s) of name
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
History
The former Kingdom of Benin is situated in SW Nigeria. Ruled by the Oba and by a sophisticated bureaucracy, the African state flourished (14th-17th centuries). Benin sold slaves as well as ivory, pepper, and cloth to Europeans. After a period of decline, it revived in the 19th century with a trade in palm products. The modern Nigerian city of Benin (1987 est. pop. 183,000) served as the capital and was conquered and burned by the British in 1898. Iron work, carved ivory, and bronze busts made in Benin rank with the finest art of Africa.