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Difficulty: MediumAgricultural Systems, Crop Production, and Pastoralism in Nigeria

Starting from the southern Atlantic coastline and moving northwards toward the northern border of Nigeria, arrange the following agricultural production belts in their correct latitudinal sequence from south to north.

  1. 1Coastal Belt: Dominated by oil palm, rubber, and swamp rice production under heavy perennial rainfall.
  2. 2High Forest Belt: Dominated by tree cash crops like cocoa and timber alongside root crops.
  3. 3Guinea Savanna (Middle Belt): Dominated by mixed food-crop production including yam, cassava, maize, and sesame.
  4. 4Sudan and Sahel Savanna Belt: Dominated by drought-tolerant grains (millet, sorghum), groundnuts, and cattle pastoralism.

Answer

The correct sequence from south to north is: Coastal Belt (oil palm and rubber) → High Forest Belt (cocoa and timber) → Guinea Savanna / Middle Belt (yam, cassava, and maize) → Sudan and Sahel Savanna Belt (millet, sorghum, groundnut, and cattle pastoralism).
Agricultural production systems in Nigeria are primarily controlled by the south-to-north latitudinal rainfall gradient. Annual rainfall decreases from over 3,000 mm3,000\text{ mm} at the coast to less than 500 mm500\text{ mm} near the northern border. Consequently, agricultural land use progresses from coastal wetland and oil palm production, to rainforest tree-crop farming (cocoa/rubber), through the Middle Belt root-and-grain transition zone, to the northern dry savanna grain and pastoralism belt.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the southernmost coastal agro-ecological zone.
The coastal swamp forest region receives the highest rainfall (>2,500 mm>2,500\text{ mm}) and supports water-loving perennials like oil palm, rubber, and swamp rice.
Rainfall amount and duration decrease progressively from the Atlantic coast inland toward the northern boundary.
2
Determine the intermediate forest crop belt.
Moving inland into the tropical rainforest belt, cocoa and timber plantations predominate.
Cocoa requires high temperatures and moderate-to-high rainfall with a short dry period.
3
Locate the Middle Belt transition zone.
The Guinea Savanna features a single-peak or moderate rainfall regime ideal for grain-tuber mixed farming (yam, cassava, maize).
This region serves as the major food basket separating forest tree-crop zones from northern grain zones.
4
Identify the northernmost agricultural and pastoral belt.
The Sudan and Sahel savannas in the far north support millet, sorghum, groundnuts, and nomadic pastoralism.
Short rainy seasons (3−53-5 months) and low humidity restrict crop production to drought-resistant cereals and favor livestock rearing due to low tsetse fly infestation.

Key Concept

Latitudinal Zonation of Agricultural Systems in Nigeria
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Topics

Agricultural Systems, Crop Production, and Pastoralism in Nigeria

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