Nigeria, the Land

Patricia Morley is professor emerita of English and Canadian Studies at
Concordia University and an avid outdoor recreationist. She is the
author of several books, including The Mountain Is Moving: Japanese
Women’s Lives, Kurlek and Margaret Laurence: T

Books in The Lands, Peoples, and Cultures Series have a large format,
are printed on glossy paper, are generously illustrated with at least
two color photographs per page, include and index and a glossary, and
present a captivating introduction to peoples and cultures that are
foreign to many Canadian children.

Nigeria, south of the Sahara desert, is introduced as “The Giant of
Africa,” one of the largest and most populous countries of the
continent. It is also a place of incredible beauty, as photographs show.
Some idea of the complexity of Nigeria’s 470 ethnic groups, each with
its own language, beliefs, and customs, is conveyed despite the text’s
brevity.

Short chapters cover weather, major cities, industry, typical crops,
and animal and plant life. The color photography, the work of many
different photographers, is excellent. Subjects such as the baobab tree,
which can survive severe drought and whose leaves are used to make soup,
and the slender-snouted crocodile some four metres long, are well chosen
to captivate young readers. Nigeria, the Culture introduces the
nation’s earliest religious beliefs based on animism and totems. Islam
and Christianity are also covered. These colorful volumes will intrigue
children and lead some students to further study. Highly recommended.