Geography Nigeria is located on the Gulf of Guinea in West Africa and is roughly twice the size of California. Its neighboring nations are Benin, Niger, Cameroon, and Chad. Nigeria is found in the tropics and has two different seasons, the Dry season and Rainy season. The major rivers passing through Nigeria are the Niger, the third largest river in Africa and the Benue, which flows into the Niger River. The Niger Delta sometimes called the Oil Rivers, due to the past production of palm oil. South Africa is the southern tip of Africa, which includes two islands of the southeast tip of Cape Town, Prince Edward and Marion. South Africa is roughly twice the size of Texas. It borders Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia. There are two major rivers in South Africa, the Limpopo, a stretch of which is shared with Zimbabwe, and the Orange which flows into the Vaal. The Orange River flows from east to west across the central landscape, emptying into the Atlantic Ocean at the Namibian border (Safrica.info). South Africa is different from Nigeria in that it actually has another country within its borders, Lesotho. It is in the Drakensberg Mountains where South Africa obtains water from the snowcapped peaks of the landlocked nation. Also, South Africa has three capitals, while Nigeria has one, Abuja. Bloemfontein is the capital of the judiciary, Cape Town is the legislative capital, and Pretoria is the administrative capital, as well as the formal capital of the country.
South Africa is divided into three major geographic regions, the African Plateau in the country's interior. These lands are covered with rolling grasslands, called highveld and tree-dotted plains called bushveld. “It forms a portion of the Kalahari Basin and is semiarid and sparsely populated. It slopes gradually in the north and west but rises to 6,500 feet (2,000 m) in the east” (Geography.about). The second region is the Great Escarpment. Its terrain varies but its highest peaks are in the Drakensberg Mountains along the border with Lesotho. The third region is the narrow, fertile valleys along the coastal plains. Nigeria is characterized by swamps and mangrove forests in the south; hardwood forests inland and the plateau and Granite Mountains in the north. The coast is composed of narrow lowland of sandy beaches, mangrove swamps, lagoons, and interconnected rivers. Coastal plains are found in both the southwest and the southeast. Mountains are also located in the southwest, in the region between the western coastal plains and the upper Niger Basin. “The western wedge between Abeokuta and Ibadan and the Niger Basin reaches elevations of 600 meters or more, while the extensive northern savanna region, stretching from Kontagora to Gombe and east to the border, includes extensive areas with elevations of more than 1,200 meters or more at its center. The mountainous zone along the middle part of the eastern border, the Cameroon Highlands, includes the country's highest point (2,042 meters)” (Countrystudies).
Climate
Nigeria is found in the tropics and has four different climate types, the Tropical Savanna Climate, Sahel Climate, Alpine Climate and the Tropical Rainforest Climate. There are two seasons in Nigeria, the Dry season and the Rainy season. Tropical Maritime Airmass, also known as the trade winds are the reason for the rainy season, while the Continental Airmass, Harmattan is responsible for the dry season. The coastal areas experience two rainy seasons between May to June, and later in October, while the north has a long dry spell running from October to April (Guide for Africa). Nigeria generally climate is humid sub-tropical, but varies across the country. Along the coast temperatures top 32 degrees Celsius, humidity being a factor. In inland areas, the wet season extends from April to October and the dry season runs from November to March. Temperatures during the dry season can reach 40 degrees; hot days and cold nights. June is a month of heavy rainfall in the south; and the dusty harmattan winds blow between December and January. South Africa like Nigeria has a variation of climates through the nation. It is primarily known as a subtropical warm and sunny country. It is moderated by ocean on three sides of the country and the altitude of the interior plateau. It is very dry, with an average annual rainfall of about 464mm. While the Western Cape gets most of its rainfall in winter, the rest of the country is mostly a summer-rainfall region (Safrica.info).

Environmental Concerns: There are numerous environmental concerns in Nigeria and South Africa such as, soil erosion, rapid deforestation, urban air and water pollution. Nigeria has concerns with desertification, and oil pollution - water, air, and soil. Nigeria has also suffered serious damage from oil spills and loss of arable land (CIA). The rapid urbanization is a growing concern, caused by the increased growth rate in the population. Environmental conditions in cities in both nations have gradually deteriorated due to the rapid growth of the cities and the social services and infrastructures have been unable to keep pace with the rate of growth. Insufficient storm drains, dumping of refuse in drainage lines and construction of homes close to and even on the natural water channels have shown to be accountable in that order for the increasing floods in the urban centers. “Environment problems associated with the increasing growth of urban slums including overcrowding in squalid housing conditions, poor quality or unavailability of basic infrastructures and social services, such as water and sewage facilities and even lack of access route” (Nest, 1992). Environmental concerns in South Africa include lack of important arterial rivers or lakes requires extensive water conservation and control measures, growth in water usage outpacing supply, pollution of rivers from agricultural runoff and urban discharge, air pollution resulting in acid rain, soil erosion and desertification. Three hundred to four hundred million tons of soil per year are lost. The country's limited water resources have been impaired by mineralization, eutrophication, and acidic mine drainage. South Africa has 44.8 cubic kilometers of renewable water resources, with 72% used for farming and 11% for industrial activity. The country's cities produce about 4.2 million tons of solid waste per year. Air pollution in urban areas stems primarily from coal burning and motor vehicle exhausts.
Environmental conservation: Preservation of wildlife is a priority in Nigeria and South Africa. The most famous reserve in South Africa is Kruger National Park located in the north and borders Mozambique. This park is home to lions, leopards, giraffes, elephants and hippopotamus. Another notable park is Tembe Elephant Park, one of the largest and most popular national elephant reserves in South Africa. The Park attracts a large number of tourists for it’s an ideal spot for wildlife expedition and nature safari. South Africa has more reserves with roughly 9,000 privately-owned reserves sprawled throughout the country. Nigeria’s most famous reserve is Yankari Game Reserve, found in the northeast. This reserve is home to over 50 species such as, lions, elephants, baboons, antelopes and buffaloes. The Cross River National Park has the last remaining rain forest in Nigeria (Guide of Africa). There are two separate sections to the park, Okwangwo and Oban which are threatened by illegal logging and poaching. The government is trying to attract more tourists and calls it “The Pride of Nigeria.”

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