Nigeria Geography 1997

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: 923,770 sq km
land: 910,770 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
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone : 200 nm
territorial sea: 30 nm

Climate varies; equatorial in south, tropical in center, arid in north

Terrain southern lowlands merge into central hills and plateaus; mountains insoutheast, plains in north

Elevation extremes
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point : Chappal Waddi 2,419 m

Natural resources petroleum, tin, columbite, iron ore, coal, limestone, lead, zinc, naturalgas

Land use
arable land: 33%
permanent crops: 3%
permanent pastures: 44%
forests and woodland: 12%
other : 8% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land 9,570 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards periodic droughts

Environment - current issues soil degradation; rapid deforestation; desertification; recent droughtsin north severely affecting marginal agricultural activities

Environment - international agreements
party to : Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes,Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban,Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Desertification

NOTE: The information regarding Nigeria on this page is re-published from the 1997 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Nigeria Geography 1997 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Nigeria Geography 1997 should be addressed to the CIA.