LAND AND RESOURCES

LAND AND RESOURCES

Nigeria covers an area of 923,768 sq km (356,669 sq mi). At its
greatest expanse, it measures about 1,200 km (about 750 mi) from east to west
and about 1,050 km (about 650 mi) from north to south. Nigeria is
bounded by Cameroon to the east, Chad to the northeast, Niger to the north,
Benin to the west,
and the Gulf of Guinea on the Atlantic Ocean to the south.he country’s
topography ranges from lowlands along the coast and in the lower Niger
Valley to high plateaus in the north and mountains along the eastern
border. Much of the country is laced with productive rivers. The Nigerian
ecology varies from tropical forest in the south to dry savanna in the
far north, yielding a diverse mix of plant and animal life. Human
population and development pose serious threats to both the ecology and the
human environment.


TOPOGRAPHIC REGION

The broad, mostly level valleys of the Niger and Benue rivers form
Nigeria’s largest physical region. The Niger enters the country from the
northwest, the Benue from the northeast; they join at the city of Lokoja
in the south central region and continue south, where they empty into
the Atlantic at the Niger Delta. Together, they form the shape of a Y.
Population densities and agricultural development are generally lower in
the Niger and Benue valleys than in other areas.


Nigerian Savanna
A volcanic outcropping rises in the savanna of central Nigeria.
Encarta Encyclopedia
Panos Pictures/Bruce Paton


North of the Niger Valley are the high plains of Hausaland, an area of
relatively level topography averaging about 800 m (about 2,500 ft)
above sea level, with isolated granite outcroppings. The Jos Plateau,
located close to Nigeria’s geographic center, rises steeply above the
surrounding plains to an average elevation of about 1,300 m (about 4,200 ft).
To the northeast, the plains of Hausaland grade into the basin of Lake
Chad; the area is characterized by somewhat lower elevations, level
terrain, and sandy soils. To the northwest, the high plains descend into
the Sokoto lowland.


Kano, Nigeria
One of the largest cities in Nigeria, Kano is located in the dry, hot
northern part of the country. Many of Kano’s buildings are constructed
of mud


Southwest of the Niger Valley (on the left side of the Y) lies the
comparatively rugged terrain of the Yoruba highlands. Between the highlands
and the ocean runs a coastal plain averaging 80 km (50 mi) in width
from the border of Benin to the Niger Delta. The delta, which lies at the
base of the Y and separates the southwestern coast from the
southeastern coast, is 36,000 sq km (14,000 sq mi) of low-lying, swampy terrain
and multiple channels through which the waters of the great river empty
into the ocean. Several of the delta’s channels and some of the inshore
lagoons can be navigated.

Southeastern coastal Nigeria (to the right of the Y) consists of low
sedimentary plains that are essentially an extension of the southwestern
coastal plains. In all, the Atlantic coastline extends for 853 km (530
mi). It is marked by a series of sandbars, backed by lagoons of
brackish water that support the growth of mangroves. Large parts of Africa’s
Bight of Benin and Bight of Biafra fall along the coast. Because of the
Guinea Current, which transports and deposits large amounts of sand,
the coastline is quite straight and has few good natural harbors. The
harbors that do exist must be constantly dredged to remove deposited sand.

Inland from the southeastern coast are progressively higher regions. In
some areas, such as the Udi Hills northwest of Enugu, escarpments have
been formed by dipping rock strata. Farther east, along Nigeria’s
border with Cameroon, lie the eastern highlands, made of several distinct
ranges and plateaus, including the Mandara Mountains, the Shebeshi
Mountains, the Alantika Mountains, and the Mambila Mountains. In the
Shebeshi is Dimlang (Vogel Peak), which at 2,042 m (6,699 ft) is Nigeria’s
highest point.