The Igbo are a major ethnic group of southeastern Nigeria, historically organized in a notably decentralized, village-based political structure without the centralized kingship common among some neighboring groups, governed instead through age-grade associations, title societies and councils of elders. Igbo society places strong emphasis on individual achievement and title-taking as markers of status alongside lineage. The Igbo were central to the Republic of Biafra's 1967-1970 secession and the ensuing civil war, an event that remains a defining and debated point of reference in Igbo political identity.
Facts
Group TypeSourced to the subject's own account Typical RegionSourced to the subject's own accountWest Africa (southeastern Nigeria) 1 Primary LanguageSourced to the subject's own account Subsistence ModeSourced to the subject's own accountHistorically agrarian (yam and cassava cultivation) with a strong tradition of trade and, in the diaspora, entrepreneurship. 1 Disputed
Population Estimateestimated 30 to 45 million 1 Sourced to the subject's own accountAs with other major Nigerian ethnic groups, no official ethnic census exists; cited totals vary considerably by source and methodology. Population Band (category)Sourced to the subject's own account Group Type
Group Type (category)Sourced to the subject's own account Subsistence Mode
Subsistence Mode (category)Sourced to the subject's own account Connections
Associated With
Igbo society traditionally organizes age-mates into formal age-grade (age-set) associations responsible for community labor, defense and governance functions.
In Rule Category
Source Countries and Their Cultures (Encyclopedia of World Cultures, Gale): Igbo - Kinship
Source Countries and Their Cultures (Encyclopedia of World Cultures, Gale): Igbo - Kinship
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Also in Language Atlas: which uses this subject.
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Sources
1. Wikipedia: Igbo
WikipediaIntroductionQuote, Introduction
The Igbo people are an ethnic group whose primary origin is found in modern-day Nigeria, in Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo States, while others can be found in the Niger Delta and along the Cross River.
Britannica: Igbo
Overview sectionQuote, Overview section
The Igbo people, also known as Ibo
Countries and Their Cultures (Encyclopedia of World Cultures, Gale): Igbo - Kinship
Countries and Their Cultures (Encyclopedia of World Cultures, Gale)In Rule Category: Patrilineal Descent, Kin Groups and Descent
Igbo society places strong emphasis on lineage kinship systems, particularly the patrilineage, although some Igbo groups, such as the Ohaffia, have a matrilineal descent system, whereas groups like the Afipko Igbo have a double descent system.
In Rule Category: Matrilineal Descent, Kin Groups and Descent
Igbo society places strong emphasis on lineage kinship systems, particularly the patrilineage, although some Igbo groups, such as the Ohaffia, have a matrilineal descent system, whereas groups like the Afipko Igbo have a double descent system.
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