1. Borders and Location

Nigeria lies in West Africa between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea to the south. It shares borders with Niger, Chad, Cameroon, and Benin, and is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean along its southern coastline. An overview of the country's federal structure is available in Nigeria: Government.

2. Terrain

The country's terrain ranges from mangrove swamps and tropical rainforest in the south to open savanna and semi-arid land in the north. The Jos Plateau rises in the center of the country, and mountainous terrain runs along parts of the eastern border with Cameroon.

3. Rivers

The Niger and Benue rivers are the two major waterways, meeting at Lokoja to form a confluence. The Niger River, from which the country takes its name, flows into the Niger Delta, an oil-rich wetland region central to the petroleum industry described in Economy: Petroleum.

4. Climate

Nigeria has a tropical climate with wet and dry seasons. The south experiences heavier rainfall and higher humidity, while the north is drier and more prone to the harmattan, a dry, dusty wind that blows from the Sahara during the dry season.

5. Regions

Nigeria is commonly divided into six geopolitical zones: North West, North East, North Central, South West, South East, and South South. These regional divisions overlap significantly with the distribution of ethnic groups discussed in Culture: Ethnic Groups.