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Difficulty: EasyVegetation Zones and Distribution in Nigeria

When traveling from the coastal region of southern Nigeria toward the northern border with Niger Republic, which sequence correctly lists the vegetation zones encountered in order?

  1. Mangrove swamp, Tropical rain forest, Guinea savanna, Sudan savanna, Sahel savannaAnswer
  2. B
    Sahel savanna, Sudan savanna, Guinea savanna, Tropical rain forest, Mangrove swamp
  3. C
    Mangrove swamp, Guinea savanna, Tropical rain forest, Sudan savanna, Sahel savanna
  4. D
    Tropical rain forest, Mangrove swamp, Sudan savanna, Guinea savanna, Sahel savanna

Answer

Mangrove swamp, Tropical rain forest, Guinea savanna, Sudan savanna, Sahel savanna
Nigeria's vegetation belts are governed by a south-to-north rainfall gradient. The high-rainfall coastal area supports Mangrove swamps, succeeded inland by Tropical rain forest, followed progressively by drier grassland belts: Guinea savanna, Sudan savanna, and finally Sahel savanna near the northern border.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the primary climatic control on Nigerian vegetation distribution
Annual precipitation and duration of the rainy season decrease steadily along a latitudinal gradient from south to north.
The maritime tropical air mass provides the highest moisture along the southern coast, which weakens progressively inland toward the northern border.
2
Trace the resulting vegetation belts from the southern coast to the far north
The sequence moves from coastal Mangrove swamp → Tropical rain forest → Guinea savanna (middle belt) → Sudan savanna → Sahel savanna (extreme north).
This progression directly corresponds to the decreasing moisture gradient across Nigeria.

Key Concept

South-to-North Latitudinal Vegetation Zonation in Nigeria
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Topics

Vegetation Zones and Distribution in Nigeria

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