NIGERIA BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Standard 1

The World in Spatial Terms

Maps and other geographic representations

Reference Maps

• Africa Reference Map
• Nigerian Cities
• Nigerian Cities - black and white
• Cities, roads, railroads, and state boundaries
• Shaded relief, rivers, and lakes
• City map of Kaduna
• City map of Lagos

Political Maps

• Africa Political Map, 1998
• Color map of Africa
• Simple map of Africa
• Political map of the West African Sahel
• Political maps of Nigeria: Early 1990s jurisdictional maps (international, state, and local government boundaries). This includes the 30 states of Nigeria (there are currently 36 states in Nigeria).
• Good 36 state map of Nigeria
• 36 state map of Nigeria
• Pre-colonial African states

Thematic Human Geography

• Ethnic map of Nigeria
• Map of Yorubaland
• Distribution of population clusters
• Population density map of Africa, 1979. This map is out of date, but it has good cartographic design.
• Population density
• The following maps from Shell Oil can serve as a potentially interesting case study on the propaganda of maps and the critical evaluation of cartographic materials. Here is the main Shell map index. For example, examine the bright, cheerful color choices for the following map showing ecological zones of the Niger Rive delta. Also, note the way Shell uses its own colors in its simple reference map of Nigeria and its neighbors. How do these colors affect the viewer’s perceptions of Shell’s activities in Nigeria? Consider this question in light of the environmental degradation and conflict that has occurred in the oil-producing regions of the Niger Delta (see standards 14 and 16 for more information).
• Islam in Africa, 1987
• The diffusion of Islam into West Africa
• Contemporary Map of Islam in Africa
• Historical trade map of Africa
• Interactive maps of Africans and the diaspora
• Land use images from the middle 1970s to the middle 1990s (scroll down to maps). Note the time series maps of vegetation intensity.
• Infrastructure and transportation map

Historical Human Geography

• Ancient map of "Nigeria"
• 1707 Map of Africa (University of Minnesota)
• 1808 Map of Africa, "Africa" from Brookes, R., The General Gazetteer; or Compendious Geographical Dictionary. Eighth Edition. Dublin, 1808.
• 1890 Map of Africa, "Africa" from Americanized Encyclopaedia Britannica Vol. 1, Chicago 1892
• 1913 map of religious geography, "Africa Religions and Missions" from Literary and Historical Atlas of Africa and Australasia, by J.G.Bartholomew 1913.
• Historical maps of West Africa and rainfall map in inches and centimeters (you will need to scroll down)

Physical Maps

• Topographic map (nee to scroll to bottom)
• Digital elevation model for Africa
• West Africa shaded relief map
• Topographical map of Africa (high readability)

Thematic Physical Geography

• Environmental maps index (University of Virginia)
• Precipitation map (mean annual precipitation)
• Natural vegetation of Africa (great readability and colors)
• Vegetation map of Africa
• Tsetse fly regions
• Rainy season months (5 maps)
• Reconstruction of historical vegetation cover in Africa (time-series maps of the continent)
• Forest protection map
• Forest Protection in Nigeria (must select country and submit query)
• Niger River Basin (requires Adobe Acrobat reader)
• Satellite image of the Niger River delta
• Maps and satellite images from the Committee for the National Institute for the Environment

Data Sources

• Central Intelligence Agency World Factbook
• United Nations’ Infonation interactive database (address is for Africa section)
• Basic environmental data and statistics from the World Resources Institute. This site includes good statistics on agriculture land per capita, potable water supply (urban/ rural), forest cover change over last ten years, sanitation service availability (rural/urban), biodiversity, and energy.
• United States Geological Survey Africa Data Dissemination Service
• Main towns and cities index
• Distance between major cities
• World Bank main site. Country level data
• U.S. Department of State’s Geographic Learning Site
• United Nations Population Fund not Nigeria-specific, but deals with some of the broader population issues
• Climatic data for Lagos, Ibadan, and Kano (great for constructing climagraphs)
• United Nations Food and Agriculture FAOSTAT
• Health statistics (extensive) from the United States Agency for International Development
• United Nations Statistics Division - "Population of capital cities and cities of 100,000 or more inhabitants"
• International Energy Agency Nigeria page
• World Health Organization’s "Preliminary Nigeria Briefing Book"
• Water & Environment Data 1990 - 1995, from Mbend