Adamawa

Adamawa, state, northeastern Nigeria. It was administratively created in 1991 from the northeastern half of former Gongola state. Adamawa is bordered on the north and northwest by Borno and Gombe states, on the west and southwest by Taraba state, and on the southeast and east by Cameroon.

The Mandara Mountains lie in the northeastern part of the state along the Cameroon border, and the Shebshi Mountains rise to Mount Dimlang (6,699 feet [2,042 metres]) in the state’s southeastern portion. Adamawa state is largely covered by short-grass savanna and is drained westward by the Benue River and its tributaries, including the Gongola, Taraba, and Pai rivers.

Besides the dominant Fulani, Adamawa is also inhabited by the Mumuye, Higi, Kapsiki, Chamba, Margi (Marghi), Hausa, Kilba, Gude, Wurkum, Jukun, and Bata peoples. All these groups except the trader Hausa population are primarily engaged in farming and herding (cattle, goats, sheep), but fishing is also important along the riverbanks. Peanuts (groundnuts), cotton, sorghum, millet, rice, and corn (maize) are the main crops. Peanuts and cotton are exported, as are cattle, dyed skins, and gum arabic.

Cottage industries include leatherwork, calabash decoration, mat weaving, pottery making, metalwork, canoe carving, and cloth dyeing. Industries are mostly agriculturally based and include a sugar-processing plant near Numan, a timber industry at Yola (the state capital), and a cotton ginnery at Lamurde. The Sukur Cultural Landscape, which consists of a palace, villages, and the remains of an iron industry, was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1999. The state’s road system is limited. Yola, the site of a federal university of technology, is served by an airport, and the Benue River allows for river transport. Pop. (2006) 3,168,101.