Territory held by Great Britain under Mandate is hatched in Red. Stanford’s Geogl. Estabt., London.

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NIGERIA-NORTHERN PROVINCES

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS—Until 1914 the Northern Provinces of Nigeria were separately administered under the designation of Northern Nigeria, and were the largest as well as the most recent of our West African Colonies. They lie between 7° 3′ and 13° 54′ north latitude, and 2° 50′ and 14° 5′ east longitude, and are bounded on the north by the French Sudan, on the east by the Kameruns and on the west by Dahomey and French Guinea. The Southern Provinces of Nigeria almost completely adjoin the southern boundary.

The estimate of the populations and areas of the thirteen provinces given below is taken from the Colonial Office Report No. 821 for 1913:—

Area, sq. miles.Population.
Sokoto32,6001,300,000
Kano29,5003,500,000
Bornu33,600700,000
Central[5]23,700700,000
Zaria13,320402,000
Niger[5]16,770400,000
Kontagora27,800122,000
Ilorin6,500200,000
Muri28,700700,000
Nassarawa16,710600,000
Yola11,600300,000
Kabba8,200140,000
Bassa6,700205,000
255,7009,269,000

The total population is thus nearly double that of the estimation of 1907-8. For convenience the Northern Provinces may in places still be referred to in this work by the old title of Northern Nigeria.

As will be seen below there is less variation in the rainfall of the different provinces than is found elsewhere in West Africa. The averages of the following centres for as many years as are available until 1913 are given for comparison:—

Av. inches. Av. inches.
Naraguta50·28Knepp40·80
Ilorin49·75Yola38·64
Kontagora47·77Kano33·65
Zaria46·59Maifoni27·85
Baro46·56Sokoto24·86
Lokoja45·77Kataguni19·87
Zungeru41·67Geidam15·14