Calabar

Understand

thumb|Duke Town, Calabar Calabar is one of the oldest trading centers in Nigeria. The city is set on a natural hill overlooking the Calabar River. Calabar had been inhabited by the Efik speaking people since at least the 17th century and became a center for slave trade at the dawn of the trade.

After the abolition of the trans-Atlantic slave trade in the 19th century, the city became a major port for palm oil trade and other export and import commodities to and from the hinterlands. Calabar's economy unlike other neighbouring city-states in the Niger-Delta area for most of the 19th century was based on palm plantations, akin to those in the Americas.

With the coming of colonialism, between the late 19th and early 20th centuries it became one of the biggest colonial administrative centers and capital of the Niger Coast Protectorate, later called the Southern Nigeria Protectorate (1900-1914).

Calabar is now the capital of Cross River State of Nigeria. The city is a major center of tourism in Nigeria. The Calabar Carnival is the largest street cultural festival in Africa. The carnival holds in December annually and attracts thousands of visitors and guests from all parts of the world. In a nearby municipality called Bakassi, there was a territorial dispute between Nigeria and Cameroon in 1981 based on colonial appropriations that almost caused the two countries to go to war. But Bakassi was eventually and reluctantly handed over by Nigeria to Cameroon in the end.

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Get around

The local authorities have made a great effort to make the streets safe by enlarging them, removing potholes, and adding stripes between lanes. Local taxis are not advisable as the cars are very old and quite often the drivers are not particularly experienced. As long as you are careful Calabar is quite safe.

See

There is a lot of colonial architecture in the older parts of Calabar that are around Henshaw Town, Duke Town and the waterfront areas.

Do

thumb|Lake located within Tinapa Resort thumb|Nigerian dancer at Calabar Carnival Calabar Carnival, known as "Africa's Biggest Street Party" held every year through the month of December and attracts thousands within and beyond Nigeria. The festival includes music performances from both local and international artists, a boat regatta, fashion shows, Christmas Village, traditional dances and the annual Ekpe Festival.