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Nigeria

 
     
    • Location: 
      Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Benin and Cameroon 
     
    • Map references: 
      Africa 
     
    • 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 - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection