The capital city of
Nigeria, located in the
Federal Capital Territory (Nigeria's version of the United States' "
District of Columbia"). Located in Central
Nigeria, Abuja is home to the
Nigerian Capital building, the Federal Secretariat (the building housing most of the
ministries),
Zuma Rock, the
Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation headquarters, and the National
Mosque. Most of the federal buildings are located in the central area, known as the "
Three Arms Zone".
The most commonly spoken language in Abuja is
Hausa. Named after the tribe of the same name,
Hausa is descended from
Arabic. Approximately 50% of Abuja residents are
Muslim, and 50% are
Christian. Contrary to what
CNN will have you believe, most
Christian and Muslim
Nigerians live together peacefully, respecting each others' religions.
Abuja was constructed in 1991 as the new capital city for
Nigeria. It was built from scratch using a
master plan, and named after a small village which used to stand within the current
city limits. Abuja is very
picturesque. The combination of its unique
architecture and mountainous setting make for a beautiful
cityscape.