|Territory||Federal Capital Territory (Nigeria)|
|- Minister||Bala Mohammed|
|- Total||713 km² (275.3 sq mi)|
|- Land||713 km² (275.3 sq mi)|
|- Density
|Territory||Federal Capital Territory (Nigeria)|
|- Minister||Bala Mohammed|
|- Total||713 km² (275.3 sq mi)|
|- Land||713 km² (275.3 sq mi)|
|- Density||1,088.8/km² (2,819.9/sq mi)|
|Time zone||WAT (UTC+1)|
Abuja is both a Federal Capital Territory within the nation of Nigeria and a city within that territory which serves as the nation's capital. Both were created in 1976, while the city was built throughout the 1980s. It officially became Nigeria's capital on December 12, 1991, replacing the role of the previous capital, Lagos.
Abuja was as an entirely purpose-built, planned city. When Nigeria's independence from the United Kingdom necessitated a new capital city, it created not only a city, but a new Federal Capital Territory as well. The Abuja Federal Capital Territory, while smaller than other states within Nigeria, is two and half times the size of Lagos city, the former capital. This territory was formed with the express purpose of supporting Abuja city, encircling it within a womb of nature. It is, therefore, virtually impossible to speak of one as separate from the other.
The site for the new capital was chosen because of its central location, easy accessibility, pleasant climate, low population density, and the availability of land for future expansion. Not only was a city designed, but an entire environment. Abuja is surrounded by abundant hills, highlands, Savannah grassland, and tropical rainforests. However, the unfortunate reality of Abuja is that the idealistic vision of the new city was not backed by solid planning. Less than 20 years after its completion, there are slums and squatters settlements in the midst of beautiful modern buildings and homes, occupied by the more fortunate.
The word "Abuja" refers to both a federal capital territory within the nation of Nigeria and a city within that territory, both created in 1976.
Federal Capital Territory
The territory is north of the confluence of the Niger and Benue Rivers. Bordering the FCT are the states of Kaduna to the northeast, Plateau to the east and south, Kogi to the southwest, and Niger to the west and northwest. It is slightly west of the center of the country. Its area covers 2,824 square miles (7,315 square km).
Abuja's geography, and very character, is defined by the two renowned rock formations around it—the Zuma Rock and the Aso Rock. The Zuma Rock is called the "Gateway to Abuja," as the Federal Capital Territory begins at its base. The Aso Rock, a 400-meter monolith left by water erosion, is located at the head of Abuja city, which extends southward from the rock.
Abuja has a cooler climate and less humidity than is found in Lagos. There are three seasons, including a warm, humid rainy season, from April to October, and a blistering dry season, when daytime temperatures can soar as high as 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit). Between these seasons is a brief interlude of harmattan occasioned by the north-east trade wind, with characteristic dust haze, intensified coldness and dryness. The high altitudes and undulating terrain of the territory act as moderating influence on the weather of the territory. Rainfall in the FCT reflects the territory's location on the windward side of the Jos Plateau and the zone of rising air masses. The annual total rainfall is in the range of 43.3 inches (1100 mm) to 63 inches (1600 mm).
The Federal Capital Territory falls within the Savannah Zone vegetation of the West African sub-region. Patches of rainforest, however, occur in the Gwagwa plains, especially in the gullied train to the south and the rugged south-eastern parts of the territory. These areas of the FCT form one of the surviving occurrences of mature forest vegetation in Nigeria. The dominant vegetation of the Territory is, however, classified into three savannah types.
- The Park or Grassy Savannah: This is approximately