Abeokuta

Abeokuta (ä"bēōkOO'tu, ăb"–) [key], city (1991 est. pop. 377,000), SW Nigeria. It is the trade center for an agricultural region producing rice, yams, cassava, cotton, fruit, vegetables, and palm products. Manufactures of the city include beer, cement, dyed textiles, and canned foods. There are granite quarries nearby that provide building materials for S Nigeria. Abeokuta was founded in the 1830s by Egba refugees from the Yoruba civil wars.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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