West Africa occupies an area of approximately 8 million km², about one-fifth of Africa. Close to 400 million people live in the region. This region’s landscape is mainly flat with coastal plains in the west and south, especially in Senegal, the southern Ivory Coast, the Niger Delta and the lower valleys of the Volta and Niger rivers. The highest mountain in the region is Mount Bintumani in Sierra Leone, at 1,945 m.
West Africa has five different climate and vegetation zones, which extend like belts from west to east. These bioclimatic zones are known as the Saharan, Sahelian, Sudanian, Guinean, and Guineo-Congolian Regions.
- The Sahara with its flat plateaus and isolated mountains is a vast hot desert that covers much of North Africa to the south of the Mediterranean coastal regions.
- The Sahel is a broad belt of semi-arid tropical savanna about 350 km wide with a short and irregular summer rainy season.
- South of the Sudanian Savanna is the Guinean Region, also known as the Guinean forest-savanna mosaic, a belt of interlaced forests, savannas, and grassland.
- The wet Guineo-Congolian Region is a forest zone with two rainy seasons; it extends from the Atlantic Ocean along the coast of the Gulf of Guinea through the Congo Basin as far as Rwanda and Burundi.
On May 28 1975, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) was founded. The federation of 15 West African nations was formed with the intent to provide self-sufficiency for its member states and as a trading union meant to create a single, large trading bloc through economic cooperation. Member states of ECOWAS are Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cote d’ Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Senegal and Togo.
Nigeria: The Giant of Africa
Nigeria is located in Western Africa next to the Gulf of Guinea to the south. The country is known as the “Giant of Africa” because of its large landmass. Nigeria is unique from other African nations because of its multiethnicity, film industry, and its 725-meter tall monolith outside the capital of Abuja, Zuma Rock. While English is the official language, there are over 500 different languages. Abuja is the capital city of Nigeria.
Read also: West African Nation
Nigeria occupies an area of 923,769 square kilometers (356,669 sq mi), which is one of the largest countries in Africa. The Niger River is the longest in Nigeria, which flows from the northwest southward forming the Niger Delta where eventually it terminates into the Gulf of Guinea. Its landscapes are mostly covered with plains and savannas. But it encompasses a wide mix of deserts, plains, swamps, mountains, and jungles. In general, Nigeria contains plains in the north. In the central region, it transitions to plateaus and hills. Finally, the southern region consists of coastal plains.
But there are also several highland areas in the southeast as well, bordering Cameroon. These include the Cameroon Highlands, Atlantika Mountains, and Gotel Mountains. The Bornu Plains are to the northeast beside Chad. Whereas Sokoto Plains to the northwest with Niger.
States are the first-level administrative unit in Nigeria. Currently, there are 36 states and 1 federal territory. States evolved from the broader regions.
Major Cities in Nigeria:
- Lagos
- Kano
- Abuja (capital)
- Ibadan
- Kaduna
- Port Harcourt
- Aba
- Ogbomosho
- Maiduguri
- Benin City
- Zaria
- Jos
Lagos, Nigeria is Crazy (Largest City in Africa - 25 Million People)
Togo: A Land of Cultural Heritage and Diverse Landscapes
Togo is located in West Africa. It borders Benin, Burkina Faso and Ghana. Togo has a population of 8.6 million people (in 2020); the largest city, chief port, and national capital is Lomé in the southwest of the country. Spoken languages are French (official) and a variety of West African languages. There are about 40 different ethnic groups, and as many distinct languages are spoken. Major ethnic groups are Ewe, Kabye, Temba, and Gurma. About 44% of the population is Christian, with Catholics being the largest denomination. About 36% practice traditional animism (traditional religion).
Togo's natural resources are phosphates (the main source of foreign exchange), limestone, marble, and arable land. It has some deposits of iron, gold, bauxite, chromite, and manganese. Togo is increasingly affected by extreme weather conditions. The country suffers from unpredictable periodic droughts that lead to desertification and flooding due to climate change. Due to the Dahomey Gap and human activities, there is very little rainforest left in Togo, and what is left is severely depleted and fragmented; there is no primary rainforest in Togo.
Read also: Shared Interests of Togo and Nigeria
The plains in the northern third of Togo are in the Sudan Savanna ecoregion, a hot, dry, forested savanna with shrubs and trees and tall elephant grass. In the center of the country, the plains are interrupted by a low mountain range that stretches from the region around Niamtougou in the northeast through central Togo and along the border between Togo and Ghana to Kpalimé in the southwest. There, near the border with Ghana and southeast of Kpalimé, is the highest point in Togo, Mount Agou, formerly known as Baumann Peak, a single forested mountain that rises from the plain to 986 meters.
The southern quarter of Togo lies within the Guinean forest-savanna mosaic, a belt-like zone of interwoven forests, savannas, and grasslands that extends from southern Senegal to eastern Nigeria and covers large areas of the southern West African nations. The landscape of the low-lying coastal plain on the Gulf of Guinea is characterized by sandy beaches, palm plantations, tidal flats, marshlands and extensive lagoons, of which Lake Togo is the largest. The Mono is the main river in eastern Togo. In the southeast, it forms part of the border between Togo and Benin before flowing into the Bay of Benin (Atlantic Ocean). Lac de Nangbéto is a reservoir on the Mono River. is Lake Togo (French: Lac Togo), a lagoon between Lomé and Aného, separated from the Bay of Benin by a narrow coastal strip.
Togo is served by Lomé-Tokoin Airport (IATA code: LFW); it is Togo's primary international airport. The railway in the country, built in colonial times, is since years out of service. Except for two sections, the state railway network was shut down in 1999. The autonomous Port of Lomè is a major transportation hub.
Major Cities in Togo:
- Lomé (capital)
Koutammakou in northeastern Togo is known as the Land of the Batammariba. The cultural landscape was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2004. The highlights of the living landscape are the mud tower houses, the traditional settlements of the Batammariba. The buildings are grouped in villages, with ceremonial sites, springs, sacred stones and places for initiation ceremonies.
Read also: The Meaning Behind Togo's Flag
Popular articles:
tags: #Nigeria
