Interesting Nigeria Facts
Nigeria is a coastal country located in Western Africa where it is bordered by Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Niger and the Gulf of Guinea. It spans across 923,768 km2 of land. The estimated overall population of Nigeria is more than 190,886,311.
Find out interesting Nigeria facts and information about this African country with our fact file for kids. Explore important facts about the size, climate, currency, flag, continent, people, culture, geography, landscape, landmarks, population, location and language of Nigeria.
Discover Africa with our interesting Nigeria facts for kids based on questions such as: What continent is Nigeria in? What is Nigeria famous for? What is the geography of Nigeria like? What is the capital city of Nigeria? What is the main language of Nigeria?
Nigeria Fact File: Continent: Africa * Country Name(s): Nigeria, Federal Republic of Nigeria * Location: Western Africa * Bordering: Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Niger and the Gulf of Guinea * Capital City: Abuja * Size: 923,768 km2 * Estimated Population: over 190,886,311 * Currency: Nigerian naira (NGN) * Language(s): English * Country Code: +234
Interesting Nigeria Facts for Kids
Interesting Facts for Kids 1: Size & location facts
Nigeria is located on the continent of Africa, where it has a coastal position and is bordered by Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Niger and the Gulf of Guinea. There are seven continents in the world: Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Europe, Antarctica, Australia (Oceania). Africa is the world's second largest continent, spanning a total area of 30,370,000 km2. Africa has 54 countries, and forms 20.4% of the world's landmass. Nigeria is a coastal country that stretches across a total area of approximately 923,768 km2. It is Africa's fourteenth largest country by area.
Interesting Facts for Kids 2: Population facts
The population of this African country is in excess of 190,886,311 people. The majority of Nigeria's inhabitants reside in Lagos which is the country's most populous city. Nigeria has the seventh highest population in the world and the highest population in Africa, its overall population density is approximately 172 people per sq km. The estimated population of Africa is approximately 1,186,178,000 inhabitants, making it the continent with the second largest population in the world. The continents in order of population, starting with highest population first, are: Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Europe, Australia (Oceania Region) and Antarctica. The total population of the entire world is in excess of 7.6 billion people.
Interesting Facts for Kids 3: Capital & major cities
The capital of Nigeria is Abuja. The names of other major cities located in this country are Lagos, Ibadan, Kaduna, Port Harcourt and Benin City.
Interesting Facts for Kids 4: Country borders
The following border information provides details on the length of Nigeria's borders:
Coastline 853 km, Benin 809 km, Cameroon 1,975 km, Chad 85 km, Niger 1,608 km.
Interesting Facts for Kids 5: Climate and geography facts
The climate in Nigeria varies across its regions; central areas generally experience tropical conditions, northern areas are more arid and southern areas are equatorial. The geography of Nigeria is formed by areas of flatland in the north, central areas of high elevation and hills, mountain regions in the southeast, swamps and areas of tropical rainforest. West Africa's principal river, the Niger River, flows through numerous countries before reaching Nigeria and then emptying into its delta in the Gulf of Guinea. The lowest point of Nigeria is the Atlantic Ocean at 0m, and the highest point of elevation is Chappal Waddi at 2,419m.
Interesting Facts for Kids 6: Natural Resources of Nigeria
Natural resources can be described as materials and substances found naturally occurring on Earth. Natural resources are very important across the world, and can be exploited for economic gain. The level of resources that occur naturally in an individual country are influenced by varying factors such as the geography, climate and location of that country. Some countries are very rich in natural resources, where as others have limited to none. Countries that have particularly rich resources include Russia, The United States, Saudi Arabia and Canada. Three of the primary uses of natural resources are food, transport and construction. The following examples provide information on the everyday uses of natural resources: Fish occurs naturally in many bodies of water and can be caught for food consumption. Crude oils can be refined into various fuels in order to power vehicles/cars. Wood/timber can be extracted from forests and used to construct houses and furniture. The natural resources found in Nigeria include natural gas, petroleum, tin, iron ore, coal, limestone, niobium, zinc, lead, and arable land suitable for growing crops.
Interesting Facts for Kids 7: Language facts
The official language of Nigeria is English. Other languages that are spoken in this country include Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba and Fulani. More than 500 indigenous languages are spoken across Nigeria.
Interesting Facts for Kids 8: Religion facts
The main religion of Nigeria is Muslim at approximately 50% of the population. People belonging to the Islamic religion worship Allah. In the English language, the word Allah refers to God in Islam. Those belonging to the religion of Islam believe in one god. Most of Nigeria’s population are Muslim and follow the practices of Islam. Around 40% are Christian and 10% belong to indigenous religions.
Interesting Facts for Kids 9: Symbols of Nigeria
Every country has its own unique culture, history and identity. Flags, symbols, emblems, mottos, songs, anthems and colors are used by countries worldwide to represent national pride and identity. These national symbols are created through the unique history of a nation and can portray both hardship and prosperity, embodying freedom, strength and unity. Flags, emblems, colors, songs and mottos reflect the past, present and future aspirations of a country, and create an important image to the rest of the world. National symbols can represent a combination of things that are important to a country such as birds, animals, plants, geographical features, tools of agriculture, crops, and tools of war. Here are some important facts on the symbols, songs and colors of Nigeria:
National symbol(s): eagle
National colors: green and white
National Anthem/Song: Arise Oh Compatriots, Nigeria's Call Obey
National Holiday(s): Independence Day 1 October (1960)
National Motto(s): Unity and Faith, Peace and Progress