Nigeria: Geography

[Chief Source of Information: CIA World Factbook]

Location: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Benin and Cameroon

Map references: Africa

• Detailed Map originally from a University of Texas website.

Area

• total area: 923,770 sq km
• land area: 910,770 sq km
• comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of California

Land boundaries: total 4,047 km, 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

International disputes: demarcation of international boundaries in Lake Chad, the lack of which led to border incidents in the past, is completed and awaits ratification by Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria; dispute with Cameroon over land and maritime boundaries in the vicinity of the Bakasi Peninsula has been referred to the International Court of Justice

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

Natural resources: petroleum, tin, columbite, iron ore, coal, limestone, lead, zinc, natural gas

Land use

• arable land: 31%
• permanent crops: 3%
• meadows and pastures: 23%
• forest and woodland: 15%
• other: 28%
• Irrigated land: 8,650 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment

Current issues: soil degradation; rapid deforestation; desertification; recent droughts in north severely affecting marginal agricultural activities

Natural hazards: periodic droughts

International agreements

party to -- party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection