imported>Kofi at 16:05, 29 October 2012

2012-10-29T16:05:20Z

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{{Infobox Former Country
|native_name =
|conventional_long_name = Republic of Biafra
|common_name = Biafra
|continent = Africa
|region = Nigeria
|country = Nigeria
|status = [[List of historical unrecognized states|Unrecognized state]]
|era = Cold War
|year_start = 1967
|date_start = 30 May
|year_end = 1970
|date_end = 15 January
|event_end = Rejoins Federal Nigeria
|p1 = Nigeria
|flag_p1 = Flag of Nigeria.svg
|s1 = Nigeria
|flag_s1 = Flag of Nigeria.svg
|national_motto = "Peace, Unity, Freedom"
|national_anthem = ''[[Land of the Rising Sun (national anthem)|Land of the Rising Sun]]''
|image_flag = Flag of Biafra.svg
|image_coat =
|image_map = Biafra map.png
|image_map2 = Biafra_independent_state_map-en.svg
|image_map_caption = {{nowrap|'''Green''': Republic of Biafra. '''Light green''': [[Republic of Benin (1967)|Republic of Benin]], a Biafran [[puppet state]].}}
|image_map2_caption = Republic of Biafra in May 1967
|common_languages = {{nowrap|English (official) [[Igbo language|Igbo / Ibo]] (predominant) [[Efik language|Efik]]{{·}}[[Annang]]{{·}}[[Ibibio language|Ibibio]]{{·}}[[Ekoid languages|Ekoi]]}}
|capital = Enugu
|leader1 = C. Odumegwu Ojukwu
|government_type = Republic
|currency = Biafran pound
|stat_pop1 = 13500000
|stat_area1 = 77306
|stat_year1 = 1967
|footnotes = {{cite book |title=Encyclopedia of the Stateless Nations: S-Z |first=James |last=Minahan |publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group |year=2002 |isbn=0-313-32384-4 |page=762 |url=http://books.google.com/?id=K94wQ9MF2JsC&pg=PA762}}
}}

'''Biafra''', officially the '''Republic of Biafra''', was a [[secession]]ist state in south-eastern [[Nigeria]] that existed from 30 May 1967 to 15 January 1970, taking its name from the [[Bight of Biafra]] (the [[Atlantic Ocean|Atlantic]] bay to its south).<ref>{{cite book |last=Room |first=Adrian |title=Placenames of the World: Origins and Meanings of the Names for 6,600 Countries, Cities, Territories, Natural Features and Historic Sites |year=2006 |publisher= McFarland & Company|isbn= 0-7864-2248-3|page=58}}</ref> The inhabitants were mostly the [[Igbo people]] who led the secession due to economic, ethnic, cultural and religious tensions among the various peoples of Nigeria. The creation of the new country was among the causes of the [[Nigerian Civil War]], also known as the Nigerian-Biafran War.

[[Land of the Rising Sun (national anthem)|Land of the Rising Sun]] was chosen for Biafra's national anthem, and the state was formally recognised by [[Gabon]], [[Haiti]], [[Côte d'Ivoire]], [[Tanzania]] and [[Zambia]]. Other nations which did not give official recognition but which did provide support and assistance to Biafra included [[Israel]], France, [[Portugal]], [[Rhodesia]], [[Republic of South Africa|South Africa]] and the [[Vatican City]].<ref name="Dawodu">{{cite web|url=http://www.dawodu.com/omoigui25.htm|author=Nowa Omoigui|title=Federal Nigerian Army Blunders of the Nigerian Civil War – Part 2|accessdate=15 August 2008}}</ref> Biafra also received aid from non-state actors, including [[Joint Church Aid]], [[Holy Ghost Fathers]] of Ireland, [[Caritas International]], [[MarkPress]] and U.S. [[Catholic Relief Services]].<ref name="Dawodu"/>

After two-and-a-half years of war, during which a million civilians had died in fighting and from famine, Biafran forces agreed to a ceasefire with the [[Nigerian Federal Military Government]] (FMG), and Biafra was reintegrated into Nigeria.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/596712.stm|author=Barnaby Philips|title=Biafra: Thirty years on|accessdate=9 March 2011|work=BBC News|date=13 January 2000}}</ref>

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Biafran - Revision history

imported>Kofi at 16:05, 29 October 2012