8 Geographic Facts About NIGERIA You Did Not Know

Nigeria is a country located on the western coast of Africa. Nigeria has a diverse geography, ranging from arid to humid equatorial climates. However, Nigeria’s most diverse feature is its people. Hundreds of languages are spoken in the country, including Yoruba, Igbo, Fula, Hausa, Edo, Ibibio, Tiv, and English. The country has abundant natural resources, notably large deposits of petroleum and natural gas. The British colonized Nigeria in the late 19th century through to 1960 when Nigeria became independent, but it’s still part of the commonwealth The country is also a member of the African Union. The country covers a total area of around 923,769 km². The coast of Nigeria is found in the Gulf of Guinea, which is in the northeastern part of the Atlantic Ocean. The name “Nigeria” is said to originate from the name Niger derived from Niger, The Niger and Benue Rivers are the largest rivers in Nigeria; they join and empty into the large Niger Delta.
Most Populated country in Africa. Nigeria holds the number one spot for the most populated country on the African continent with 201 million people. It is only followed by Ethiopia. Nigeria became Africa’s largest economy in 2013/14. In April 2014 — looking back at the previous financial year — the statistics bureau of Nigeria confirmed the rebasing of the Nigerian economy's gross domestic product (GDP) to $509.9 billion. Nigeria is located on the West Coast of Africa. It shares borders by land with other countries like Cameroon and Chad in the east, Niger in the north, and Benin in the west.
African country with the Largest diaspora population. Nigerians can be found almost in any country of the world on all 6 continents. Nigerians are known to be Go-getters and very good hard workers.
Multi-Ethnic Country. Nigeria is a diverse multiethnic country with more than 520 spoken languages. While English is the official language, Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo are also major languages in the country.
Abuja is the capital of Nigeria. Lagos, is the largest Nigerian city with a population of more than 21 million people, making it one of the most populated cities in the world and has been dubbed "Africa's Big Apple," in reference to New York City.
Home to Africa's Richest man (Aliko Dangote). Nigeria is home to Aliko Dangote, the richest man in Africa. Dangote's business interests in agriculture, banking, cement, manufacturing, salt, and sugar have earned his net worth of more than $12 billion. and the richest woman in the world is also a Nigerian, Folorunso Alakija.
The film industry in Nigeria, Nollywood, is the second-largest feature film producer in the world. after Bollywood (India’s Movie Industry). Averagely, the Nigerian film industry makes more than 1,000 movies yearly.
Wole Soyinka was the first African to win the Nobel Prize for Literature, which he won in 1986, and he is also a prominent social critic and political activist.
Like in other African countries, some Nigerians consider the left hand to be unclean and use it to be a sign of disrespect. Those that believe this do not eat, shake hands, or receive items with their left hand.
The Jos Plateau Indigobird, a small reddish-brown bird, is found nowhere else on the planet but in Plateau state, Nigeria.
Social Media is very popular in Nigeria. it’s interesting. About 75% of the total population uses social media on a regular basis. majority use a smartphone rather than a computer or laptop.
The Eagle is the Nigerian national animal. One of the largest lakes in Nigeria is the natural Oguta Lake.
The designer of the famous car, Chevrolet Volt, Jelani Aliyu, is a super talented Nigerian from Sokoto State.
The World’s fastest supercomputer was designed by a world-renowned inventor and scientist, Philip Emeagwali, a full-blown Nigerian whose patency was awarded in 2015.
Nigeria has over 250 ethnic groups, the three largest of which are the Hausa-Fulani, Yoruba, and Igbo.
Nigeria won its first Olympic gold medal in 1996. Nigeria’s most successful Olympic outing was the 1996 Olympics, with the men’s football team winning Gold, and Chioma Ajunwa also winning a Gold medal in the women’s long jump event.
Christianity and Islam dominate in Nigeria. While there are a number of different religions practiced in Nigeria, the majority of the population is either Christian or Muslim.
Nigeria has the largest mangrove forest in Africa and the fifth largest in the world with the Niger Delta region covering about 801, 774 hectares in 2017.
Nearly 95% of Nigeria’s rainforest has been destroyed. It’s also one of the last refuges for one of the world’s rare primates, the drill monkey.
There are likely as few as three thousand drills left in the wild.
With a height of 2.42 km above sea level, Chappal Waddi, standing at 2,419 m (7,936 ft) isn’t just the highest point in Nigeria, it also makes it the 3rd tallest peak in Africa.