About Nigeria

Nigeria, often referred to as the Giant of Africa, is situated in West Africa and lies between longitudes 3 degrees and 14 degrees and latitudes 4 degrees and 140 degrees. It is bordered to the north by the Republics of Niger and Chad. It shares borders to the west with the Republic of Benin, while the Republic of Cameroun shares the eastern borders right down to the shores of the Atlantic Ocean which forms the southern limits of Nigerian Territory. The more than 800 kilometers of coastline confer on our country the potential of a maritime power. Land is in abundance in Nigeria for agricultural, industrial and commercial activities. It has a land mass of 923,768 square kilometers (356,668 square miles). It is about the same size as California, Nevada and Utah combined.

Nigeria is famous for her huge population of more than 230 million people – the largest national population on the African continent. This population is made up of about 374 pure ethnic stocks, making Nigeria one of the most diverse in people and culture. It is the most populous black country in the world. The history of the country goes back to 500 BC when the Nok people were inhabitants. This was towards the ending of the 15th century when European explorers and traders began their lucrative slave trade with the Yoruba and Benin peoples. In 1861 Lagos was colonized by the British and in 1914, the entire country became The Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria. Nigeria became independent in 1960.

Temperature across the country is relatively high with very narrow variations in seasonal and diurnal ranges (22-36t). There are two basic seasons; wet season which lasts from April to October and dry season which lasts from November till March. The dry season commences with harmattan, a dry chilly spell that lasts till February and is associated with lower temperatures, a dusty and hazy atmosphere brought about by the North-Easterly winds blowing from the Arabian peninsula across the Sahara; the second half of the dry season, February to March, is the hottest period of the year when temperatures range from 33 to 38 degrees centigrade. The extremes of the wet season are felt on the southeastern coast where annual rainfall ranges from 381 centimeters along the coast to 64 centimeters or less in the far north while the extremes of the dry season, in aridity and high temperatures, are felt in the north third of the country. In line with the rainfall distribution, a wetter south and a drier northern half, there are two broad vegetation types: Forests and Savanna. There are three variants of each, running as near parallel bands east to west across the country. The terrain ranges from southern coastal swamps to tropical forests, open woodlands, grasslands, and semi-desert in the far north. The highest regions are the Jos Plateau, which is 1,200-2,000 meters above sea level and the mountains along the border with Cameroon.