Theory question 106
Nigeria: Physical SettingThe table below gives the climatic data for two different stations A & B, in Nigeria. Use the data to answer the questions that follow.
Station A (altitude 360 m, latitude 13°N): Rainfall (cm) J 0.0 F 0.0 M 0.0 A 1.0 M 4.8 J 9.1 J 15.5 A 24.9 S 14.5 O 1.5 N 1.5 D 0.0; Temperature (°C) 24 28 32 33 32 29 27 26 28 31 29 26
Station B (altitude 225 m, latitude 7°N): Rainfall (cm) 1.0 2.3 8.9 13.7 15.0 18.8 16.0 8.4 17.8 15.5 4.6 1.0; Temperature (°C) 27 29 29 28 27 26 24 23 25 25 26 27
(i) Identify the climatic belt to which each station belongs (ii) Outline the main climatic characteristics of each station (iii) In what ways will the agricultural practices in the two stations differ?
Show the model answer
(i) A – tropical continental (Sudan/savanna) climate of northern Nigeria; B – tropical hinterland/sub-equatorial (wet-and-dry with double maxima) climate of southern Nigeria
(ii) A: total rainfall about 73 cm; rain only May-October with a single peak in August; dry season of 6-7 months; temperatures 24-33°C, range 9°C, hottest in April before the rains. B: total about 123 cm; rain in every month with two peaks (June and September) and a 'little dry season' in August; short dry season (December-February); temperatures 23-29°C, range 6°C, coolest in the rainy months
(iii) A: one short growing season – annual grains and legumes (millet, sorghum, groundnut, cotton, cowpea); one harvest a year; irrigation/fadama farming in the dry season; cattle rearing important; drought risk. B: long growing season with two crops of maize a year; tree crops (cocoa, oil palm, kola) and root crops (yam, cassava); little cattle because of tsetse; more weeding and leaching problems
Add up the rainfall to compare totals.