WAEC Geography 2023 Theory — Question 5

Model answer

(a) On a sketch map of Nigeria: the Sudan savanna belt should be located and shaded across the northern part of the country; the Tropical rainforest belt should be located and shaded across the southern part of the country; a town within the rainforest belt should be marked, e.g. Ibadan, Benin, Ife or Calabar. (b) Characteristics of the Tropical rainforest in Nigeria: trees with evergreen leaves; hardwood trees; trees with buttress roots; presence of lianas, epiphytes and saprophytes etc.; leaves are broad in nature; mixed species/trees not in pure stand; three layers of canopy; thick blanket/carpet of dead leaves; trees of about 40-60 metres (upper layer). (c) Economic importance of the Tropical rainforest to Nigeria: provision of hardwood for construction; source of timber for export/foreign exchange; provides employment, e.g. lumbermen, forest guards, transporters etc.; hunting of wild animals for food; source of materials for building, e.g. palm branches/leaves etc.; serves as a tourist attraction, e.g. Ogba National Park (Benin); source of medicinal plants; raw materials for industries, e.g. boat building, sawmills, local craft industries etc.