RELIEF IN NIGERIA

RELIEF IN NIGERIA



Relief refers to the surface feature of the land above the sea level. It relief of Nigeria can be grouped into 2 classes which are low lands and highlands.
LOWLANDS
It refers to the area below sea level.

AREA OF LOWLANDS IN NIGERIA

1. Coastal plain: Found in the southern part of the country. It contains sedimentary rocks of alluvial deposit.
2. Niger Benue plain/low kand: Found in the middle belt it contains sedimentary rocks of limestone, sandstone and shale.
3. Sokoto plain: found in the north-west of the country. It contains limestone and sandstone.
4. Chad plains: Found in the northeast of the country. It contains sandstone and day.

Importance of Lowland Areas.

i. It can be used for settlement
ii. It serves as a source of minerals e.g Crude Oil
iii. It is used for agricultural purpose
iv. It can be used for communication i.e Road construction, railway. Can also be built or constructed in lowland areas.
v. For grazing
vi. Rivers found in lowlands can provide Job Opportunity e.g Fish

Disadvantages

i. The areas are liable to flooding.
ii. A communication network is difficult as a result of heavy rainfall

HIGH LANDS

It refers to areas that are 300m above sea level.

Areas of Highlandland in Nigeria

1. The Northcentral highland:- It is the centre of northern Nigeria around Kano, Kaduna, Bauchi, Jigawa and Plateau e.t.c

Jos Plateau (about 1500m) is found in distant highland and it is a great hydrological centre of watershed with radical pattern of drainage in which river like river hadeja, Kaduna, Gana, Gongola etc take their source.
The highest point of Jos plateau is Shere Hill with over 1650m above the sea level.

2. The Western Highland; The western highland or uplands are found in the eastern part of Nigeria around Ondo, Oyo State, Kwara State and Osun State.

Importance hills in this area include Idanre Hills (50m above the sea level) Apata hill in Ado Ekiti 400 - 1000m above the sea level, Ekpeme hill in Edo State (350M - 600M) above the sea level and Kurukuru hills (500m above the sea level).
Some of the important rivers take the source from these highland river Ogun, river Osun, River Osse, River Owena e.t.c

The Eastern Land
This are found in the border between Nigeria and Cameroon. They represent the highest zone in Nigeria among the mountains are
i. Mandara (1200 -n1300m above the sea level)
ii. Biu Plateau (1000 -1500 above the sea level)
iii. Atlantika and Shebshi hills (1600 - 2000M above the sea level)
iv. Obudu and Oban hills (1200m above the sea level)
This area has a river like River Ngoda, River Goma etc.

The Eastern

This is found within the eastern region of Nigeria especially around Enugu and Nsukka. The major highland in this area is the Udi - Nsukka and Udi hills (300 - 600m) above the sea level.
River Anambra, River Imo, River Cross have the from the scape land.
Major Rock type in this highland are;

1. North Central, western highland Shebsi, Mandara mountain, Atlantic and Obudu and Obtain hill are made up of Igneous and metamorphic rocks.
2. Jos plateau is made of volcanic rocks
3. Udi hills are made up of sedimentary rocks

IMPORTANCE OF HIGHLAND

1. They serve as a source of mineral eg Tin in Jos Plateau, coal in udi hill
2. Highland help in the formation of Orographic or Relief Rainfall
3. Some Highlands serves as a defence
4. Transhumance is carried out in the high land region
5. Some highlands serves as tourist centre e.g Idanre hill and Obudu hill
6. They serve as a source of rivers.
7. Some mountain serves as windbreakers.

Disadvantages of Highlands

1. They prevent communication
2. They also prevent human habitation
3. Mountain or highland promote soil erosion
4. Mountain occupies good land which can be used for different purposes

CONCLUSION


In general, the topography of Nigeria consists of plains in the north and south interrupted by plateaus and hills in the centre of the country. The Sokoto Plains lie in the northwestern corner of the country, while the Borno Plains in the northeastern corner extend as far as the Lake Chad Basin. The Lake Chad basin and the coastal areas, including the Niger River delta and the western parts of the Sokoto region in the far northwest, are underlain by soft, geologically young sedimentary rocks. Gently undulating plains, which become waterlogged during the rainy season, are found in these areas. The characteristic landforms of the plateaus are high plains with broad, shallow valleys dotted with numerous hills or isolated mountains, called inselbergs; the underlying rocks are crystalline, although sandstones appear in river areas. The Jos Plateau rises almost in the centre of the country; it consists of extensive lava surfaces dotted with numerous extinct volcanoes. Other eroded surfaces, such as the Udi-Nsukka escarpment (see Udi-Nsukka Plateau), rise abruptly above the plains at elevations of at least 1,000 feet (300 metres). The most mountainous area is along the southeastern border with Cameroon, where the Cameroon Highlands rise to the highest points in the country, Chappal Waddi (7,936 feet [2,419 metres]) in the Gotel Mountains and Mount Dimlang (6,699 feet [2,042 metres]) in the Shebshi Mountains.