Where is Nigeria in the World?

Nigeria, or the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country located on the continent of Africa. As part of the western coastline of Africa, Nigeria is well known for its plateaus, highlands, and rivers. The country’s location causes a very humid and dry environment, though the climate becomes colder as you travel further south towards the coastline.

GPS Coordinates of Nigeria

Nigeria has a latitude of 9.0820° N and a longitude of 8.6753° E. These coordinates place Nigeria in both the northern and the eastern hemispheres.

Both land and water surround Nigeria. To the north, Nigeria shares a border with Niger. Benin lies to the west of Nigeria, while Cameroon is to the east and Chad is to the northeast. The Atlantic Ocean borders Nigeria in the south, as does the Gulf of Guinea.

Nigeria's Most Extreme Points

Nigeria’s most extreme points refer to the furthest distance the country extends to in all four cardinal directions: north, south, east, and west. The northernmost point is along the shared border between Nigeria and Niger. This point is found just outside of Chadawa, which is a small town in the state, Sokoto. To the south, Nigeria’s most extreme point is along the country’s coast. The exact location is a little further south of the city of Egeregere, Bayelsa.

In the east, Nigeria extends as far as Borno State. Just outside of Munyego, the easternmost point is along the border separating Nigeria and Cameroon. To the west, Nigeria’s furthest point is on the country’s border with Benin. The westernmost point is east of Jabata, in the state of Oyo in Benin.

Relationship Between Population Size and Total Area in Nigeria

As a country made up of thirty-six individual states, Nigeria takes up 356,669 square miles of land and water combined. Nigeria’s total area places the west African nation as the 32nd largest country in the world. Approximately 1.4% of Nigeria’s square mileage is water, leaving 98.6% of Nigeria that is comprised of land. In rough estimates, Nigeria is about 4,993.37 square miles of water and 351,675.63 square miles of land areas.

The population of Nigeria is an estimated 198,117,937 people. By dividing the population by the total area, Nigeria’s population density amounts to approximately 555.47, or 556, people per square mile.