Getting To Know The Nigerian Climate!

The climate of a territory is related to the geographical features and in order to get informed regarding the climate of a nation, it is important first take into consideration the general geographical characteristics.
General geographical information about Nigeria. In the case of Nigeria, the following general geographical information is provided:

. Total area: 923.768 km2;
. Location: West of Africa, in the Gulf of Guinea;
. Borders: Benin, Niger, Char and Cameroon with which Nigeria also shares approximately 4.000 km;
. Divisions: Nigeria is divided into 36 states and one Federal Capital Territory;
. Highest point of Nigeria: Chappal Waddi - 2.419 meters;
. Rivers: Niger and Benue;
. Niger Delta - one of the largest world's river deltas and the perfect location for Central African Mangroves.

These are the main aspects that all interested people should know about Nigeria and its geographical positioning. However, for those people who are planning to visit or move to Nigeria it is also important to get more information regarding the climate and the weather.

Nigerian Climate

When it comes to the Nigerian climate, the nation enjoys a varied landscape mainly formed by tropical rainforest in the south with an annual rainfall rate between 1.524 and 2.032 mm. However, in the southwest and southeast area of Nigeria the predominant landscape if formed by the coastal plains also known as mangrove swamps. In the north of the nation the predominant landscape is represented by the rain forests.
Likewise, the whole area between the far south and north of Nigeria is formed of savannah where the annual rainfall reaches 1.524 mm. Furthermore, it is important to mention the fact that Nigeria offers a perfect combination between the tropical and semi-tropical climate. In this way, the agriculture is one of the principal activities in Nigeria, as this nation is effectively managing its available resources when it comes to food crops and fisheries. In this way, Nigeria is also able to export food crops, as well as petroleum.

Nigerian Weather

Due to the tropical climate, in Nigeria it is always warm but there are mainly two seasons: the dry season and the wet season. Having this in mind, the wet season lasts from April to October while June is considered as being the wettest month of the year, especially on the east coast of Nigeria. Due to the southern wind during this period of the year, the weather is cloudier and rainier. In this period the temperature is below 300C.
Still, from November until March the weather becomes drier while the temperatures rise slowly. In addition, the dry season is also affected by Sahara's hot Harmattan wind that contributes to the high temperature during the day. In this period, the temperature during midday can exceed 380C, but during the night the temperature is decreasing up to 120C.

These being said, the Nigerian climate and weather are important factors for the development of agriculture as well as the petroleum industry. In other words, the climate of Nigeria contributes to the economic development of the nation, while the tropical climate and wonderful landscape guarantee unique experiences either as a tourist or an inhabitant.

Atinuke Saletti - editor and writer of African and Nigerian culture and societies. A contributor for Naija Face (http://NaijaForum.net).

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