Nigeria lies in Western Africa, part of Africa. The long form of the name is Federal Republic of Nigeria. The capital is Abuja.
Its territory runs to 923,768 km², which ranks it 33rd of the 250 countries and territories in this dataset — just behind Tanzania and just ahead of Venezuela. Put next to a country most people can picture, it is almost exactly the same size as Venezuela.
Some 232.7 million people call it home, placing it 6th of 250 by population — between Pakistan above it and Brazil below. Measured only against its own subregion, it is 4th of 17 in size and 1st in population.
Where Nigeria is and what surrounds it
The coordinates the dataset gives are 10.0° N, 8.0° E, which puts it in the northern hemisphere, roughly 1,113 km from the equator, in what geographers would call tropical latitudes.
Venezuela, Somalia and Panama sit at almost exactly the same latitude on other parts of the globe.
Its land neighbours number 4: Benin, Cameroon, Chad and Niger. The largest of them by area is Chad, while the most populous is Cameroon. Together those neighbours hold about 90.9 million people.
With both a coast and land borders, it has the trade options a landlocked country does not.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Population, density and language
Spread across 923,768 km², that works out at about 252 people per square kilometre, which makes it densely populated. For comparison, the median entry on this list sits near 90 per square kilometre.
People from Nigeria are called Nigerians.
Officially it is monolingual: English. English is one of the widely shared official languages here, listed by 90 other entries including American Samoa, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda and Australia.
Inside Africa it places 1st of 59 by population, and it accounts for 51% of everyone living in Western Africa.
Money, internet and phone codes
It uses the Nigerian naira (₦, NGN). No other entry in this dataset uses it, so the currency is specific to Nigeria.
Abuja is the seat of government and the answer most quizzes are looking for.
The top-level domain is .ng. To phone it from abroad you dial +234. Its ISO codes are ng and NGA, which is what most databases and flag files use.
It holds a seat at the United Nations, one of 193 entries here that do. The other 57 entries are territories, dependencies or observers, which is why totals on this site run to 250 rather than the familiar 195.
Neighbouring countries
Nigeria shares borders with 4 countries:
Fun facts about Nigeria
- Websites based there use the .ng domain.
- It lies about 1,113 km from the equator, in tropical latitudes.
- Its full official name is Federal Republic of Nigeria.
- Its capital city is Abuja.
- Within Western Africa it is the 4th largest of 17.
- English is official here and in 90 other entries worldwide.
- People from Nigeria are known as Nigerians.
Nigeria — frequently asked questions
- What is the capital of Nigeria?
- The capital of Nigeria is Abuja.
- Which countries border Nigeria?
- Nigeria borders 4 countries: Benin, Cameroon, Chad and Niger. Chad is the largest of them by area.
- How big is Nigeria?
- Nigeria covers 923,768 km², ranking 33rd of 250 by land area. That makes it almost exactly the same size as Venezuela.
- What is the population of Nigeria?
- Nigeria has a population of about 232.7 million, which makes it the 6th most populous of the 250 countries and territories listed on this site. Pakistan sits just above it and Brazil just below.
- Where is Nigeria located?
- Nigeria is in Western Africa, part of Africa. Its reference coordinates are 10.0° north and 8.0° east, roughly 1,113 km from the equator in tropical latitudes.
- Is Nigeria a country?
- Yes. Nigeria is a sovereign state and one of the 193 UN members listed on this site.
- What language is spoken in Nigeria?
- The official language of Nigeria is English. It is also official in 90 other entries on this list.
- What currency does Nigeria use?
- Nigeria uses the Nigerian naira, written ₦ (currency code NGN). No other entry in this dataset uses it.
