[6] Formed on 27 May 1967, when it was split from the former Eastern Region, Rivers State borders include Imo and Anambra to the north, Abia and Akwa Ibom to the east, and Bayelsa and Delta to the west.The State capital, Port Harcourt, is a metropolis that is considered to be the commercial center of the Nigerian oil industry.

These include Ikwerre, Ekpeye, Igbo, Ijaw (Udekama-Degema, Okrika, Ibani, Kalabari, Ogbia) and Ogoni.

[14] In 1900, the region was merged with the chartered territories of the Royal Niger Company to form the colony of Southern Nigeria.

During the constitutional conference that year, the country's nationhood was affirmed while an agreement was reached on some measures to mitigate the fears of the ethnic minorities in the area.

In February 1966, Isaac Boro, Sam Owonaro and Nottingham Dick alongside their supporters proclaimed a "Delta People's Republic".

[19] The inland part of the state consists of tropical rainforest, and towards the coast, the typical Niger Delta environment features many mangrove swamps.

[citation needed] Rainfall is generally seasonal, variable, as well as heavy, and occurs between March and October through November.

As a lower Niger floodplain, it contains a greater silt and clay foundation and is more susceptible to perennial inundation by river floods.

The drier upland region of Rivers State covers 61% of landmass while the riverine areas, with a relief range of 2m to 5m, take up 39%.

Due to its geographical location, Rivers State has always played an important role in the natural history of Nigeria, having been found to host a vast array of wildlife and plants.

Some of the upland forested areas have seen disruption from human activity, impacting negatively on the biodiversity and ecological functions of natural habitats.

In most places, the dominant vegetation usually consists of Elaeis guineensis which has the highest productivity amongst all recognized oleaginous crops.

There are two storeys that can be distinguished from outside the forest, the emergents include Symphonia globulifera, Cleistopholis patens, Uapaca spp., Musanga cecropioides, Hallea ledermannii, Terminalia spp., Anthostema aubryanum, Tectona grandis and Elaeis guineensis.

The understory is composed mainly of Calamus deeratus, Alchornea cordifolia, Monodora tenuifolia, Harungana madagascariensis, Strophanthus preussii, Rauvolfia vomitoria and Raphia spp.

By dry season, a large cushion of litter cover the floor because of increase in abscission rate of some plants such as Musanga cecropioides, Hallea ledermannii, Calamus deeratus, Gmelina arborea, Raphia spp.

One of the world's Ramsar Convention-listed wetlands, Upper Orashi Forest, is a 252 km2 (97 sq mi) protected area in Ahoada West.

The forest has an area of 219 km (136 mi) within which mammals like red-bellied monkey and yellow-backed duiker are found along with raffia palms and some woody broadleaved species such as Symphonia globulifera and Ficus spp.

Port Harcourt and Obio-Akpor had the highest number of inhabitants of any local government area, while Ogu–Bolo and Omuma had the lowest.

The earliest known settled communities in what is now Rivers State include the Riverine Ijaw; Ogoni, Ikwerre people and other Igboid groups on the mainland.

[28] Today, over 26 distinct groups are recognized by the Rivers State government, each with its own language, lifestyle, and cultural heritage.

In 2021, the state ranked 2nd nationwide with a gross domestic product (GDP) of $51.529 billion and a per capita income of $5,949 (PPP).

[31] Prior to the discovery of oil in commercial quantity in 1951, Agriculture was the primary occupation of the people of Rivers State.

In a sample survey carried out by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, about 40% of the rural inhabitants were committed to farming in 1983.

Other crops grown for food include vegetables, melon, pineapples, mango, pepper, banana and plantain.

Up to now, energy production has been insufficient to meet demand, resulting in frequent power outages, slow manufacturing and low business performance.

[33] The 1067 mm Cape Gauge Eastern Railway Line north from Port Harcourt to Aba in Abia State, built 1913–16, restored 2009–15.

In some cases, a governor may be replaced or removed for example, through death, impeachment or if an election is annulled by a competent court of law or by a two-thirds majority of the House of Assembly.

The incumbent governor is Siminalayi Fubara a member of the People Democratic Party, who heads the council of Rivers State.

There are about 26 serving judges in the High Court of Justice, which comprises 10 Judicial Divisions including Port Harcourt, Ahoada, Degema, Nchia, Bori, Omoku, Isiokpo, Okrika, Okehi, and Oyigbo.

Since the advent of the Fourth Republic in 1999, the People's Democratic Party has usually held a majority in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.