Osun State

The eastern portion of Oyo state was split off to form Osun State in 1991. The states of Kwara and Ondo to the northeast, Ekiti and Ogun to the east, and Oyo to the west and northwest form its borders. The northern portion of Osun state is dominated by the Yoruba Hills. Tropical rain forest covers much of the state, and the Oshun is its most significant river. The Yoruba people make up the majority of the population in Osun state.

Osun, one of Nigeria's 36 states, with a 2016 population estimate of just under 4.7 million, making it the country's ninth-smallest state by land area and the country's nineteenth-most populous. Most of the state is covered in the humid forest ecosystems typical of southern Nigeria, whereas the northern region is characterized by the drier forest-savanna mosaic typical of northern Guinea. The state's namesake, the River Osun, flows south from its northernmost point to its southernmost, constituting part of the southwestern boundary with Oyo State. The Erinle and Oba rivers are also significant; both originate in the north and eventually drain into the Osun near the river's southern terminus. The critically threatened forests along the southern borders with Ondo and Ogun states are home to some of Nigeria's last remaining Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee and African forest elephant, as well as the mona monkey, common kestrel, purple heron, and royal antelope.

The majority of the people living in Osun State are Yoruba, specifically those of the Ibolo, If, Igbomina, Ijesha, and Oyo ethnic groups.

The territory that is now Osun State was divided among several Western Yoruba states before colonization. Some of these states were centered on individual towns, while others were satellites of larger empires like the Oyo. In the Kiriji War, which lasted from 1877 to 1893, Western Yoruba states fought alongside other Eastern Yoruba groups against Eastern Yoruba groups. The conflict ended in a stalemate brokered by the British, and the region was subsequently colonized and incorporated into the British Southern Nigeria Protectorate, which subsequently merged into British Nigeria in 1914. After independence in 1960, the territory that is now Osun was a part of the post-independence Western Region until 1967, when the region was partitioned and the area became a member of the Western State. The western part of the Western State was separated in 1976 to become Oyo State. The eastern part of Oyo State was split off to become Osun State fifteen years later.

Economy

There is a significant agricultural sector to Osun's economy. Yams, cassava (manioc), corn (maize), beans, millet, plantains, cocoa, palm oil and kernels, and fruits are among the most important crops. Brass objects, woven textiles, and wooden carvings are the products of the cottage industry. The capital city of Oshogbo, Nigeria, is home to a thriving textile industry, a food processing factory, and a steel rolling mill. Visit the Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove, a forest with various shrines and artwork honoring the Yoruba deity Osun, the home palaces of Yoruba rulers in Ilesha and Ile-Ife, and the Mbari Arts Centre at Oshogbo (designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2005). Other important economic activities include artisanal mining and livestock herding, as well as services, particularly in metropolitan areas. A number of Nigeria's most recognizable sites can be found in Osun, including the prestigious Obafemi Awolowo University. Ile-If, a historic town and a key early center of political and religious development in Yoruba culture, is where the institution is located. Ila Orangun, Iragbiji, Ikirun, Oke-Ila Orangun, Ijebu-Jesa, Ede, Iwo, Ejigbo, Ibokun, Ode-Omu, Otan Ayegbaju, Ifetedo, Esa-Oke, Ilesa, Okuku, Otan-Ile, and Igbajo were all formerly major kingdom capitals. In addition, Osun State is notable for having the country's second-highest literacy rate.

Culture

In Osun state the yearly traditional festival and citation of the Osun goddess are celebrated along the banks of the river bearing her name into which – according to Yoruba Oratory traditions. Ọsun state Grove, the temple of the yearly rites of the deity  was announced a World Heritage Site in 2005.

Tourism

Osun state is home to a lot of travelling attraction based on it rich history and cultural base of the Yoruba. Osun state is place is a considered a heritage site.