Warri became a more important port city during the late 19th century, when it became a centre for the palm oil trade and other major items such as rubber, palm products, cocoa, groundnuts, hides, and skins. Subsequently, it served as the base for Portuguese and Dutch slave traders. The city's history dates back to the 15th century when it was visited by Portuguese missionaries. The city has a modern seaport which serves as the cargo transit point between the Niger River and the Atlantic Ocean for import and export. Warri sits on the bank of River Warri which joined River Forcados and River Escravos through Jones Creek in the lower Niger Delta Region. In this new region called Southern Nigeria, the old Lagos Colony became the Western Province, and the former Southern Nigerian Protectorate was split into a Central Province with capital at Warri and an Eastern Province with capital at Calabar. The Lagos and Protectorate of Southern Nigeria were formally united as Colony and Protectorate of Southern Nigeria on 28 February 1906 and Walter Egerton was appointed as the Governor of new Colony and Protectorate of Southern Nigeria, holding office until 1912. It was once a provincial capital to British rule. The current Olu of Warri is Ogiame Atuwatse III, who was crowned on 21 August 2021. The city is known nationwide for its unique Pidgin English. Its inhabitants are predominantly Christians of different denominations, and some practice a mixture of African traditional religions like most of Southern Nigeria. The city is originally inhabited and occupied by the Urhobo, Itsekiri and Ijaw people. It is a commercial capital city of Delta State, with a population of over 311,970 people according to the 2006 national population census figures. Warri city is one of the major hubs of petroleum activities and businesses in southern Nigeria. Its boundary in the Northeast was Sapele with Forçados River in the South-east and Jameson Creek in the South-west which later changed to Delta Province. The name " Warri Province" was once applicable to the part of an area now called Delta State under the Colony and Protectorate of Southern Nigeria. Osubi which is in Okpe L.G.A and houses an airport that serves the city. It shares boundaries with Sapele, Uvwie, and Udu. It served as the colonial capital of the then Warri Province. The city of Warri is an oil hub within South-South Nigeria and houses an annex of the Delta State Government House. 95% Christianity, 3% Traditional African religions, 2% Islam
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