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Geography of Nigeria

Location:Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Benin and Cameroon
Geographic coordinates:10 00 N, 8 00 E
Map references:Africa
Area:total: 923,768 sq km
land: 910,768 sq km
water: 13,000 sq km
Area - comparative:slightly more than twice the size of California
Land boundaries:total: 4,047 km
border countries: Benin 773 km, Cameroon 1,690 km, Chad 87 km, Niger 1,497 km
Coastline:853 km
Maritime claims:territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climate:varies; equatorial in south, tropical in center, arid in north
Terrain:southern lowlands merge into central hills and plateaus; mountains in southeast, plains in north
Elevation extremes:lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Chappal Waddi 2,419 m
Natural resources:natural gas, petroleum, tin, iron ore, coal, limestone, niobium, lead, zinc, arable land
Land use:arable land: 33.02%
permanent crops: 3.14%
other: 63.84% (2005)
Irrigated land:2,820 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards:periodic droughts; flooding
Environment - current issues:soil degradation; rapid deforestation; urban air and water pollution; desertification; oil pollution - water, air, and soil; has suffered serious damage from oil spills; loss of arable land; rapid urbanization
Environment - international agreements:party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:the Niger enters the country in the northwest and flows southward through tropical rain forests and swamps to its delta in the Gulf of Guinea

Nigeria Quickstats

  • Population: 135,031,164
  • Area: 923,768 sq km
  • Density: 145 /km² (71st)
  • GDP (total): $188.5 billion (47th²)
  • GDP (per capita): $1,188 (165th²)
  • Literacy: 68%

Languages of Nigeria

Useful to know

  • Currency: Nigerian naira (NGN)
  • Dial code: +234

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