About Nigeria
The map shows Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, a multinational state located in the southeast corner of
West Africa. It is bounded in the south by the Bight of Benin and the Bight of Biafra (Bight of Bonny) in the Gulf of Guinea (Atlantic Ocean). Nigeria borders
Benin in the west,
Cameroon in the east,
Chad in the northeast and
Niger in the north. It shares maritime borders with
Equatorial Guinea,
Ghana, and
São Tomé and Príncipe.
With an
area of 923,768 km², Nigeria is nearly four times the size of the
United Kingdom or slightly more than twice the size of the U.S. state of
California.
With a
population of 224 million ( for 2023), Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa. The capital
Abuja is located in the center of the country.
Lagos is the country's main port, a major African financial center, and the most populous city in sub-Saharan Africa, with an estimated population of 16 to 30 million.
[UN] Nigeria is home to more than 250 ethnic groups, 370 tribes and about 500 distinct languages. The main spoken
languages are English (official), Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, and others. The major ethnic groups in Nigeria are the Yoruba, Hausa, Fulani (Fula) and Igbo. Islam and Christianity are the dominant religions in the country, while traditional indigenous religions are observed by many. The Fulani and the Hausa are almost exclusively Muslim, while the Igbo are almost exclusively Christian.
More about Nigeria
At the confluence of the Niger and Benue Rivers near Lokoja, view from Mt. Patti. The Niger is the third longest river in Africa; two countries are named after it, Niger and Nigeria.
Photo: Dotun55
Nigeria is located entirely in the tropical zone and offers a variety of landscapes, including plains, plateaus, hills, and mountains. In the central region are the highlands of the Jos Plateau, and further east, along the border with Cameroon, are the Shebshi Mountains, whose highest peak is Mount Dimlang, at over 2,400 meters. To the south are the Gotel Mountains in a region known as the Adamawa Plateau; the highest peak there is Chappal Waddi at 2419 m; the mountain is the second-highest in West Africa.
Bioclimatic regions
Four bioclimatic regions determine the weather of the country.
The northernmost part of Nigeria lies within the semi-arid
Sahel, a transition zone between the Sahara Desert to the north and the tropical savannas (Sudanian savanna) and rainforests near the equator (Guinean forest-savanna mosaic). In the southeast, the country lies within the humid
Guineo-Congolian Region, an African equatorial forest zone with two rainy seasons.
Climate
Nigeria has three distinct climate zones: a Sahelian hot and semi-arid climate in the north, a tropical savannah climate in most of the central regions, and a tropical monsoon climate in the southeast of the country, hot and humid most of the year.
Rainforest in Nigeria. The Cross River National Park, to the north of Calabar, is a huge rainforest region with waterfalls, elephants, buffalo and many primate species, including gorillas.
Photo: Rettet den Regenwald e.V. (Rainforest Rescue)
Nigeria is rich in inland water resources; several rivers drain the country. The main rivers are the
Niger, with a length of 4,200 km (2,600 mi.), the third longest river in Africa, and the
Benue, the main tributary of the Niger. The confluence of the two rivers is near the town of Lokoja. From there, the Niger flows south, where it then forms a river delta and subsequently empties into the Atlantic Ocean.
The Niger Delta is a very densely populated region. Lagos, the most populous city in sub-Saharan Africa, is located there. The delta is an oil-rich region exploited by multinational corporations. Their activities have given rise to international concern about the severe pollution of the environment. Due to oil spills, the Niger Delta is one of the most polluted places in the world.
[AI] Nigeria is Africa's second-largest oil and gas producer after
Angola. Nearly 2 million barrels (320,000 m²) per day are produced in the Niger Delta, with an estimated 38 billion barrels in reserves. Oil wealth has made Nigeria the largest economy in Africa.
Administrative Divisions of Nigeria
Nigeria is subdivided into six geo-political zones, thirty-six states and one Federal Capital Territory (Abuja). Each state has a government and a state parliament; the state is headed by a directly elected governor.
Nigerian cities
One of the gates and remains of the old city wall in Kano, Nigeria's second-largest city and the capital of Kano State.
Photo: DipoTayo
The largest/most populated cities in Nigeria are:
Lagos, the former capital (until 1991), is Nigeria's largest city, a major financial hub and the country's economic center. The mega-city is also home to several informal settlements:
Somolu, a quarter of Lagos with shack housing and a youth crime problem;
Ajegunle, a rough mega-ghetto and slum; and
Makoko, the largest floating slum in the world.
Kano, the capital of Kano State, is situated in the savanna region south of the Sahel; it is Nigeria's second-largest city with an estimated population of 4 million. Until the 20th century, the city played an important role in the Trans-Saharan trade.
Ibadan, Nigeria's third largest city, is the capital of Oyo State. It is a major transport hub and a center for trade located two hours drive north of Lagos.
Benin City is the capital of Edo State. It was the center of the
Kingdom of Benin, which flourished from the 13th to the 19th century. The urban settlement was the seat of the
Oba, the ruler of the Edo people, who lived and still reside almost exclusively in the Nigerian
State of Edo.
Port Harcourt is the capital and largest city of Rivers Stat, located in the Niger Delta. The port city was founded in 1912 by the British to export coal they had discovered near Enugu in 1909. Today, it is the fifth most populous Nigerian city, with an estimated population of 3.5 million.
Jos, also known as "J-Town," is the administrative capital and the largest city of Plateau State, located on the
Jos Plateau near the geographical center of the country. Near the city is
Jos Wildlife Park, a large zoological garden and park and a major tourist attraction.
Nigeria's International Airports
Akanu Ibiam International Airport,
Enugu (
IATA code: ENU);
Anambra International Cargo Airport,
Onitsha (IATA code: ANA);
Ilorin International Airport,
Ilorin (IATA code: ILR);
Kaduna International Airport,
Kaduna (IATA code: KAD);
Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport,
Kano (IATA code: KAN);
Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport,
Abuja (IATA code: ABV);
Port Harcourt International Airport,
Port Harcourt (IATA code: PHC);
Sadiq Abubakar III International Airport,
Sokoto (IATA code: SKO).
The map shows the location of the following Nigerian cities and towns:
Aba, Abakaliki, Abeokuta, Abong, Abuja, Ado-Ekiti, Akure, Anka, Asaba, Auchi, Awka, Azare, Baga, Bajoga, Bama, Baro, Bauchi, Benin City, Bida, Biliri, Birnin Kebbi, Biu, Bonny, Calabar, Chibok, Damasak, Damaturu, Damboa, Daura, Dikwa, Dogari Tiv, Dutse, Enugu, Funtua, Gamboru, Ganye, Gashua, Gboko, Geidam, Gembu, Gombe, Gombi, Gumel, Gusau, Hadejia, Ibadan, Ibi, Igboho, Ijebu Ode, Ikeja, Ikom, Ilaro, Illela, Ilorin, Iseyin, Itakpe, Iwo, Jakusko, Jalingo, Jimeta, Jos, Kabba, Kaduna, Kajama, Kamba, Kanfanchan, KanoIfe, Kari, Katsina, Kaura Namoda, Kisi, Koko, Kontagora, Lafia, Lagos, Lokaja, Maiduguri, Makurdi, Minna, Mokwa, Mubi, Nguru, Numan, Ogbomosho, Ogoja, Oko Erin, Ondo, Ore, Oron, Osogbo, Otukpo, Owerri, Owo, Oyo, Port Harcourt, Potiskum, Rijau, Sapele, Shaki, Sokoto, Takum, Umuahia, Uyo, Wamba, Warri, Wawa, Wudil, Wukari, Wurno, Yelwa, Yenagoa, Yola, Zaria, and Zuru.
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