Cameroon vs. Nigeria
Geography
| Cameroon | Nigeria | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Central Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria | Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Benin and Cameroon |
| Geographic coordinates | 6 00 N, 12 00 E | 10 00 N, 8 00 E |
| Map references | Africa | Africa |
| Area | total: 475,440 sq km land: 472,710 sq km water: 2,730 sq km | total: 923,768 sq km land: 910,768 sq km water: 13,000 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly larger than California; about four times the size of Pennsylvania | about six times the size of Georgia; slightly more than twice the size of California |
| Land boundaries | total: 5,018 km border countries (6): Central African Republic 901 km, Chad 1116 km, Republic of the Congo 494 km, Equatorial Guinea 183 km, Gabon 349 km, Nigeria 1975 km | total: 4,477 km border countries (4): Benin 809 km, Cameroon 1975 km, Chad 85 km, Niger 1608 km |
| Coastline | 402 km | 853 km |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm | territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation |
| Climate | varies with terrain, from tropical along coast to semiarid and hot in north | varies; equatorial in south, tropical in center, arid in north |
| Terrain | diverse, with coastal plain in southwest, dissected plateau in center, mountains in west, plains in north | southern lowlands merge into central hills and plateaus; mountains in southeast, plains in north |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: Fako on Mont Cameroun 4,045 m lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m mean elevation: 667 m | highest point: Chappal Waddi 2,419 m lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m mean elevation: 380 m |
| Natural resources | petroleum, bauxite, iron ore, timber, hydropower | natural gas, petroleum, tin, iron ore, coal, limestone, niobium, lead, zinc, arable land |
| Land use | agricultural land: 20.6% (2018 est.) arable land: 13.1% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 3.3% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 4.2% (2018 est.) forest: 41.7% (2018 est.) other: 37.7% (2018 est.) | agricultural land: 78% (2018 est.) arable land: 37.3% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 7.4% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 33.3% (2018 est.) forest: 9.5% (2018 est.) other: 12.5% (2018 est.) |
| Irrigated land | 290 sq km (2012) | 2,930 sq km (2012) |
| Natural hazards | volcanic activity with periodic releases of poisonous gases from Lake Nyos and Lake Monoun volcanoes volcanism: Mt. Cameroon (4,095 m), which last erupted in 2000, is the most frequently active volcano in West Africa; lakes in Oku volcanic field have released fatal levels of gas on occasion, killing some 1,700 people in 1986 | periodic droughts; flooding |
| Environment - current issues | waterborne diseases are prevalent; deforestation and overgrazing result in erosion, desertification, and reduced quality of pastureland; poaching; overfishing; overhunting | serious overpopulation and rapid urbanization have led to numerous environmental problems; urban air and water pollution; rapid deforestation; soil degradation; loss of arable land; oil pollution - water, air, and soil have suffered serious damage from oil spills |
| Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Nuclear Test Ban | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Tropical Timber 2006 |
| Geography - note | sometimes referred to as the hinge of Africa because of its central location on the continent and its position at the west-south juncture of the Gulf of Guinea; throughout the country there are areas of thermal springs and indications of current or prior volcanic activity; Mount Cameroon, the highest mountain in Sub-Saharan west Africa, is an active volcano | the Niger River enters the country in the northwest and flows southward through tropical rain forests and swamps to its delta in the Gulf of Guinea |
| Total renewable water resources | 283.15 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) | 286.2 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| Population distribution | population concentrated in the west and north, with the interior of the country sparsely populated as shown in this population distribution map | largest population of any African nation; significant population clusters are scattered throughout the country, with the highest density areas being in the south and southwest as shown in this population distribution map |
Source: CIA Factbook
