The Kalabari is a tribe of the Ijaw people of Rivers state living in d Niger Delta region of Nigeria. They migrated from the Benin fringes of Ijaw land and became a large kingdom of about 76 communities / settlements including Buguma, Bakana, Tombia, ke, Soku, Bille, Bukuma, Oproama, Degema, Abalama and others.
The people were originally fishermen before the coming of the Portugese to the West African coastline. The Kalabari like most coastline tribes were wealthy as a result of interactions with Europeans.
The kalabaris share similar culture/language 2 d Okrikas, Bonny, Opobo, Bayelsa Ijaws (Nembe in particular as the language is almost the same), Delta Ijaws,Ondo Ijaws and some parts of Edo state. It was discovered that in the 1980s, that a nearly extinct Berbice Dutch/KALABARI language was spoken in Central America.
Guyana to be precise. The kalabaris do bear European names (Briggs, Horsfall, Jack, Harry, West, Braide etc) due 2 their inter- racial relations with their slave masters. Kalabari, Opobo and Bonny were d first to trade with d whites in Rivers state alongside Okrika and Andoni. Many of them do have light skin due to European mixtures.
They engaged in overland trade with the Portugese in the 1400s, later Dutch, then British who arrived by sea for trade and missionary work. They also traded clothes from India. Since the early 1800s, The Europeans noted that the Kalabaris refused to trade their goods on credit. Their industrial prowess coupled with their lovable demeanor has won the admiration from surrounding communities of the Niger delta.
The Kalabari constitute one of the largest ethnic groups in Rivers State with 3 LGAs and they are the largest Ijaws in terms of population in the state. They constitute almost a million (90% of people based in Akulga, Asalga and Degema are indigenes, so the 2006 population census results states..(AKULGA:156,006 , ASALGA:220,110 , DEGEMA:249,773)..626000 altogether excluding the population of kalabaris based in Phalga LGA, Obioakpor LGA, LGAs in the state, indigenes outside Rivers State and diaspora.. Majority of Kalabari people stay at the PHALGA (Portharcourt old township, Borokiri, marine base, Dline, Diobu, Iwofe, Aggrey, Eagle island etc.) axis of Port Harcourt.
D Kalabaris are highly educated and have the love for western education. They are known to have a high concentration of Professors by, Lawyers and Doctors in Nigeria.. Because of their civilized and generally peaceful behaviour, the Kalabaris were called English men in d past.
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