Taraba

Taraba, state, eastern Nigeria. It was created in 1991 from the southwestern half of former Gongola state. Taraba is bordered on the north by Bauchi and Gombe states, on the east by Adamawa state, on the south by Cameroon, and on the west by Benue, Nassarawa, and Plateau states.

Most of the northern part of the state is a wooded savanna region drained by the Benue River and its tributaries. Mountains in the state’s southern portion rise to more than 3,300 feet (1,000 m). The state’s population is engaged in farming and grows cassava (manioc), sorghum, millet, rice, yams, sugarcane, and corn (maize). River fishing and the herding of cattle, goats, and sheep are also economically important. In the southwestern part of the state, rubber trees and oil palms have been introduced, and in the extreme south, the Mambilla Mountain region of the Adamawa Plateau provides a tsetse-free grassy highland area that is highly suitable for cattle raising. Taraba state is inhabited mainly by the Jukum (Jukun) and Mambilla peoples, among whom there are considerable numbers of Christians.

Cottage industries in the state produce leather goods, pottery, metalwork, and dyed cloth. The annual fishing festival at Ibi is a tourist attraction. The state is served by roads running north to Yola, west to Bauchi town, and south to Makurdi town, while the Benue River allows for river transport. Jalingo is the state capital. Gashaka/Gumti National Park, formerly a game reserve, was developed in the 1980s. Pop. (2006) 2,300,736.