Plateau (state)
| Plateau | |
|---|---|
| State | |
| Nickname(s): Home of Peace and Tourism | |
 Location of Plateau State in Nigeria |
|
| Coordinates: 9°10′N 9°45′E / 9.167°N 9.750°ECoordinates: 9°10′N 9°45′E / 9.167°N 9.750°E | |
| Country |
 Nigeria
|
| Date created | 3 February 1976 |
| Capital | Jos |
| Government | |
| • Governor | Simon Bako Lalong (APC) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 30,913 km2 (11,936 sq mi) |
| Area rank | 12 of 36 |
| Population (2006) | |
| • Total | 3,178,712 |
| • Rank | 26 of 36 |
| • Density | 100/km2 (270/sq mi) |
| GDP (PPP) | |
| • Year | 2007 |
| • Total | $5.15 billion |
| • Per capita | $1,587 |
| Time zone | WAT (UTC+01) |
| ISO 3166 code | NG-PL |
| Website | plateaustate.gov.ng |
Plateau is the twelfth largest state of Nigeria, and is located approximately in the center of the country. It is geographically unique in Nigeria because its boundaries surround the Jos Plateau, having the entire plateau in its central and northern part. The capital is Jos.
Plateau State is celebrated as "The Home of Peace and Tourism", an image that has been fractured in recent years by Muslim-Christian clashes in the state. Plateau State gets its name from the Jos Plateau. It has a population of around 3.5 million people.
Plateau State is located in Nigeria’s middle belt. With an area of 26,899 square kilometres, the State has an estimated population of about three million people. It is located between latitude 08°24'N and longitude 008°32' and 010°38' east. The state is named after the picturesque Jos Plateau, a mountainous area in the north of the state with captivating rock formations. Bare rocks are scattered across the grasslands, which cover the plateau. The altitude ranges from around 1,200 meters (about 4000 feet) to a peak of 1,829 metres above sea level in the Shere Hills range near Jos. Years of tin mining have also left the area strewn with deep gorges and lakes.
Though situated in the tropical zone, a higher altitude means that Plateau State has a near temperate climate with an average temperature of between 18 and 22 °C. Harmattan winds cause the coldest weather between December and February. The warmest temperatures usually occur in the dry season months of March and April. The mean annual rainfall varies 131.75 cm (52 in) in the southern part to 146 cm (57 in) on the Plateau. The highest rainfall is recorded during the wet season months of July and August. The average lower temperatures Plateau State has led to a reduced incidence of some tropical diseases such as malaria. The Jos Plateau, makes it the source of many rivers in northern Nigeria including the Kaduna, Gongola, Hadejia and Yobe rivers.
The Jos Plateau is thought to be an area of younger granite which was intruded through an area of older granite rock, making up the surrounding states. These "younger" granites are thought to be about 160 million years old. This creates the unusual scenery of the Jos Plateau. There are numerous hillocks with gentle slopes emerging from the ground like mushrooms scattered with huge boulders. Also volcanic activity 50 million years ago created numerous volcanoes and vast basaltic plateaus created from lava flows. This also produces regions of mainly narrow and deep valleys and pediments (surfaces made smooth by erosion) from the middle of rounded hills with sheer rock faces. The phases of volcanic activities involved in the formation of Plateau State have made it one of the mineral rich states in the country.Tin is still mined and processed on the plateau.
...
Wikipedia