# Geography of Nigeria

> Nigeria covers 923,768 km² on West Africa's Gulf of Guinea coast, bordered by Benin, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon. Its terrain rises from southern coastal mangroves and rainforest through a central belt of hills and plateaus to semi-arid plains in the far north, drained throughout by the Niger and Benue rivers, which meet at Lokoja. Elevation peaks at 2,419 m on Chappal Waddi.

**Category:** Geography & Environment · **Updated:** 2026-07-26 19:36:35 · **Canonical:** https://nigeriastuff.org/a/geography-of-nigeria

## Key facts
- **Total area:** 923,768 km² (910,768 km² land; 13,000 km² water)
- **Coastline:** 853 km
- **Land borders:** Benin 809 km; Niger 1,608 km; Chad 85 km; Cameroon 1,975 km
- **Highest point:** Chappal Waddi, 2,419 m (Mambilla Plateau, near the Cameroon border)
- **Major rivers:** Niger and Benue, confluence at Lokoja, Kogi State
- **Vegetation belts, south to north:** Mangrove/rainforest, derived and Guinea savanna, Sudan and Sahel savanna
- **Navigable inland waterways:** c. 10,000 km (NIWA)
- **Capital / largest city:** Abuja / Lagos

## Sources
- Nigeria — Geography Profile (CIA World Factbook data) — IndexMundi, reproducing CIA World Factbook (https://www.indexmundi.com/nigeria/geography_profile.html)
- Forestry Outlook Study for Africa (FOSA) — Country Report: Nigeria — Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (https://www.fao.org/4/ab592e/AB592E02.htm)
- National Inland Waterways Authority — home page — National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Nigeria (https://niwa.gov.ng/)
- Niger River — EBSCO Research Starters (https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/geography-and-cartography/niger-river)
- Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, Kogi, Anambra, Delta, Bayelsa may experience flooding — Agency — Punch Newspapers (https://punchng.com/kebbi-niger-kwara-kogi-anambra-delta-bayelsa-may-experience-flooding-agency/)
- Ogoni women restore mangroves and livelihoods in oil-rich Niger Delta — Mongabay (https://news.mongabay.com/2025/01/ogoni-women-restore-mangroves-and-livelihoods-in-oil-rich-niger-delta/)

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