[bey-nwey] 
| a river in W Africa, flowing Wfrom Cameroon to the Niger River in Nigeria. 870 mi. (1400 km). |
| Be·nue also Be·nué (bān'wā) A river of western Africa rising in Cameroon and flowing about 1,078 km (670 mi) to the Niger River in central Nigeria. |
Benue
state, east-central Nigeria. A wooded savanna region, it is bounded on the south by Cross River and Enugu states, on the west by Kogi state, and on the north and east by Plateau and Taraba states. The Benue River defines the western half of Benue's northern boundary; to the southeast it has a common border of less than 25 miles (40 km) with Cameroon, where the Mokamoun River rises in the mountains of that country. The area is inhabited by the Tiv (the largest ethnic group in the state), the Idoma, and a number of smaller groups; all are mainly agricultural peoples, cultivating sesame seed, soybeans, shea nuts, cotton, yams, corn (maize), and rice as cash crops. Yams, sorghum, millet, peanuts (groundnuts), and cassava are raised as staple foods.
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