Map of the Gulf of Guinea showing the Bight of Benin.

The Bight of Benin is a bight (a type of bay) on the western African coast that extends eastward for about 400 miles (640 km) from Cape St. In Geography, bight has two meanings A bight can be simply a bend or curve in any geographical feature&mdashusually a bend or curve in the line between land Paul to the Nun outlet of the Niger River. The Niger River (ˈnaɪdʒɚ NYE-jer) is the principal River of western Africa, extending about 4180 km (2600 miles To the east it is continued by the Bight of Bonny (formerly Bight of Biafra). The Bight of Bonny (also known as the Bight of Biafra) is a bight off the West African coast in the easternmost part (beyond the Bight of Benin to the West The bight is part of the Gulf of Guinea. The Gulf of Guinea is the part of the Atlantic Ocean southwest of Africa.

On December 25, 2003, UTA Flight 141 crashed in the Bight. Events 274 - Roman Emperor Aurelian Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. UTA Flight 141 was a charter flight operated by Union des Transports Aériens de Guinée.

Cultural references

The Bight of Benin is known for its fearsome tides and has a long association with slavery. Characteristics A tide is a repeated cycle of sea level changes in the following stages Over several hours the water rises or advances up a beach in the flood As a social-economic system slavery is a legal institution under which a Person (called "a slave" is compelled to work for another

An old rhyme says Beware, beware the Bight of the Benin, for few come out though many go in. A variation goes Beware beware, the Bight of Benin: one comes out, where fifty went in! This is said to be a slavery jingle about the risk of disease in the Bight. A third version of the couplet is "Beware and take care of the Bight of Benin. For one as comes out, there's ten as goes in. "

The author Philip McCutchan has written a book titled "Beware, beware the Bight of Benin. "

A short story by Elizabeth Coatsworth, "The Forgotten Island" (1942), deals with a treasure from Benin. The short story is a literary genre of Fictional Prose Narrative that tends to be more concise and to the point than longer works of fiction such Elizabeth Jane Coatsworth (1893-1986 was an American author of children's fiction and poetry The rhyme is also mentioned.

In Patrick O'Brian's novel The Commodore (1996), Dr. Patrick O'Brian, CBE ( 12 December 1914 &ndash 2 January 2000; born as Richard Patrick Russ) was an English The Commodore (1995 is a further historical novel entry in the Aubrey-Maturin series of naval stories by Patrick O'Brian. Maturin recites the rhyme when he learned of his ship's destination. Commodore Aburey checks him, telling him it is bad luck to say that out loud on the way in.

In 2007, a collection of short stories entitled The Bight of Benin: Short Fiction by Kelly J. Morris was published by AtacoraPress. com. The stories are set in Ghana, Togo, Benin and Nigeria.

History

On 1 February 1852 the British established the Bight of Benin British protectorate, under the authority of Consuls of the Bight of Benin:

On 6 August 1861 the Bight of Biafra protectorate (see there for their common further history) and Bight of Benin protectorate were joined as a united British protectorate, ultimately to be merged into Nigeria

References

• WorldStatesmen- Southern Nigeria