Zaria, city, northern Nigeria, in Kaduna State. A road and rail hub in a major cotton-growing area, the city has trades in cotton, peanuts, hides and skins, ginger, beeswax, and durra sorghum and a railroad engineering plant. Industries include cotton ginning, peanut and shea-nut milling, tanning, cottonseed-oil milling, and the manufacture of cigarettes, bicycles, perfumes, and soap. Ahmadu Bello University (1962) and Katsina College of Arts, Science and Technology (1974) are here. Once called Zazzau, the community was founded about AD 1000 as one of the seven Hausa states. It became part of the Songhai Empire in the 16th century, fell to the Fulani in the early 19th century, and was captured by the British in 1901. Population 369,800 (1995 estimate).Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2001
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