Wouldn't it be amazing to see thousands of people lined up on the banks of the Sokoto River, in the African nation of Nigeria? Those thousands would all be holding calabash gourds and fishing nets. Way more amazing would be to see them, at the sound of a signal, all jump into the river at one time!We're talking maybe 35,000 people jumping into the river!
The startled fish jump about—many of them straight into the nets!
Whoever catches the largest fish wins a prize worth around $8000 U.S. plus a minivan. People catch fish as large as 50 to 80 kilograms (110 to 176 pounds)!
This fishing frenzy is the culmination of a three-day festival. Well, my guess is that the giant fish feast that surely follows is the culmination. But it is the craziness of thousands and thousands of people jumping into a river to catch fish almost barehanded that is especially unique!Learn more about Nigeria...
A to Z Kids Stuff has a page with links about this African nation.
The eHow website features three Nigerian art activities.
Go West Africa offers a PDF with games, a maze, and a recipe—all on the Nigerian theme.
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