WAEC SSCE - Geography - 2011 (Essay)

(a) Outline map of Africa

(b) Importance of hydroelectric power to the economy of African countries

1. It supplies electricity for domestic uses such as lighting, cooking, refrigeration and communication.
2. It provides relatively cheap power for industries, thereby encouraging industrial development.
3. It creates employment opportunities during the construction, operation and maintenance of dams and power stations.
4. It generates revenue for governments through charges paid by electricity consumers and industries.
5. It earns foreign exchange when electricity is exported to neighbouring countries.
6. It promotes the growth of settlements and commercial activities around dam and power-station sites.
7. It provides power for irrigation pumping, mining, rail transport and other economic activities.

(a) Sketch map of Nigeria

The sketch map below shows the required relief features and rivers in their correct relative positions.

(b) Location and size of Nigeria

• Nigeria is situated in West Africa, on the Gulf of Guinea.
• It lies approximately between latitudes 4°N and 14°N, giving a north-south extent of about 10°.
• It lies between longitudes 3°E and 15°E, giving an east-west extent of about 12°.
• It is bounded by the Republic of Benin in the west, Niger Republic in the north, Chad in the north-east, Cameroon in the east, and the Atlantic Ocean in the south.
• Nigeria has a total area of about 923,768 km².
• Its greatest east-west distance is about 1,300 km, while its greatest north-south distance is about 1,100 km.
• It is one of the largest countries in West Africa and is the most populous country in Africa.

(c) Economic importance of highlands in Nigeria

1. Agriculture: The relatively cool conditions on highlands favour the cultivation of crops such as Irish potato, vegetables, fruits and tea. They also provide grazing land for livestock.
2. Source of rivers and hydro-electric power: Highlands are important watershed areas from which many rivers rise. Fast-flowing streams descending steep slopes may be harnessed for hydro-electric power generation.
3. Tourism and recreation: Highland scenery, cool climate, waterfalls and wildlife attract tourists, creating employment and generating revenue.
4. Mineral extraction: Some highland areas contain valuable mineral deposits, such as tin and columbite on the Jos Plateau.
5. Communication and defence: High ground provides suitable sites for communication masts and strategic observation posts.

(a) Sketch map of Nigeria

Key: the shaded area represents the North Central Highlands (Jos Plateau). The Rivers Niger and Benue are shown, with their confluence at Lokoja.

(b) Crops of the North Central Highlands

Export crops:

1. Cotton
2. Groundnut

Food crops:

1. Maize
2. Millet
3. Guinea corn
4. Rice

Other acceptable food crops include yam, beans, tomatoes, onions and Irish potatoes.

(c) Description of the North Central Highlands

(i) Agricultural activities

1. Food crops such as maize, millet, guinea corn, rice, yam and beans are cultivated.
2. Cash crops, especially cotton and groundnut, are grown.
3. The relatively cool conditions on the Jos Plateau favour Irish potatoes, vegetables and some temperate crops.
4. Mixed farming, mixed cropping and crop rotation are widely practised.
5. Cattle, sheep and goats are reared; poultry keeping is also important.
6. Irrigation farming is carried out in river valleys during the dry season.
7. Some farm produce, such as groundnut, cotton, tomatoes and grains, is processed locally.

(ii) Problems of development

1. The rugged and dissected relief makes the construction of roads, railways and other facilities difficult and expensive.
2. Soils are often thin, leached or eroded, while land damaged by tin mining reduces agricultural productivity.
3. Overgrazing and bush burning encourage soil erosion and land degradation.
4. Farming is mainly subsistence-based, with inadequate capital, machinery, improved seeds and storage facilities.
5. Pests, crop diseases and livestock diseases reduce output.
6. Rural-to-urban migration causes shortage of farm labour.
7. Poor transport links and long distances to major markets increase the cost of moving farm produce.
8. Seasonal rainfall, dry-season water shortage and occasional flooding restrict agricultural development in some areas.

(a) Sketch map of Africa

Key: Cameroon Highlands are shown in western Cameroon near the Nigeria-Cameroon border; Fouta Djallon Highlands are shown in Guinea, West Africa. The River Niger, which rises in the Fouta Djallon Highlands, is also shown and named.

(b) Importance of rivers to the economy of Africa

1. They provide inland waterways for transporting people and goods.
2. They are dammed to generate hydro-electric power for homes and industries.
3. They provide fish, which is a source of food, income and employment.
4. They supply water for irrigation, thereby supporting crop production, especially during dry periods.

(c) Problems limiting the use of African rivers

1. The presence of rapids, waterfalls and cataracts interrupts navigation and makes many river sections unsafe for boats.
2. Seasonal fluctuations in water volume cause flooding in the wet season and very shallow channels in the dry season.
3. Silting, sandbanks, floating vegetation and debris obstruct channels and ports, restricting the movement of vessels.

(a) Outline map of Nigeria

Key locations marked on the map:

1. The parallels 5°N and 13°N, and the meridian 8°E.
2. The Maiduguri/Borno area in the north-east, receiving about 600 mm of rainfall annually.
3. The Calabar/Cross River coastal area in the south-east, receiving about 2,000 mm to 3,050 mm of rainfall annually.
4. Maiduguri in the low-rainfall area and Calabar in the high-rainfall area.

(b) Rainfall pattern in Nigeria

1. Rainfall is not uniformly distributed in Nigeria. Its amount generally decreases from the coast northwards into the interior.
2. The coastal belt and the south-east receive the heaviest rainfall, generally over 2,000 mm annually. Parts of the coastal and south-eastern area receive up to about 3,050 mm or more.
3. Rainfall is lowest in the extreme north, especially around the Lake Chad and north-eastern areas, where annual totals may be about 600 mm or less.
4. The duration of the rainy season decreases from south to north. Coastal areas have rain for about 8 to 10 months, whereas the far north has about 3 to 4 rainy months.
5. Southern Nigeria has a double-maximum rainfall regime, with peaks commonly around June and October.
6. A short dry spell, called the August break, occurs between the two southern rainfall maxima.
7. Northern Nigeria has a single rainfall maximum, usually around August or September.
8. There are two main seasons: a rainy season and a dry season. The dry season becomes longer and more severe towards the north.
9. Areas of high relief, such as the Jos Plateau and the eastern highlands, receive more rainfall than surrounding lowlands because uplift of moist air produces relief rainfall.
10. The onset and movement of the rains follow the seasonal migration of the Inter-Tropical Discontinuity (ITD). Rain may begin with thunderstorms and may occasionally be heavy enough to cause flooding.