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Jigawa State

geography Maturity 11-13 Next article →

Jigawa is a state located in the northern part of Nigeria. It sits near the border of the Republic of Niger. To the west, it shares borders with Kano and Katsina states. It also touches Bauchi and Yobe states. The capital city is Dutse, which is the largest city in the state.

Government House Jigawa State
Government House Jigawa State

The state has 27 local government areas. It is a place where many people live and work together.

Dutse Motor Park
Dutse Motor Park

The land in Jigawa has many different shapes and features. You can see undulating land and large sand dunes in some parts. The south has a basement complex of rocks. The northeast has sedimentary rocks from the Chad Formation.

Federal University Dutse
Federal University Dutse

Rivers like the Hadejia, Kafin Hausa, and Iggi flow through the area. The Hadejia-Kafin Hausa River moves from west to east. It flows through the Hadejia-Nguru wetlands and into the Lake Chad Basin. This water helps create large marshlands in the northeast.

Jigawa has a history that goes back a very long time. In the town of Birnin Kudu, there are famous cave paintings. These are called the Dutsen Habude paintings. They date back to the Neolithic period.

Federal University Dutse
Federal University Dutse

The town of Hadejia was once known as Biram. It is famous for being one of the seven true Hausa states. The state itself is newer than the ancient history found there. It was created on 27 August 1991. It was once part of the larger Kano State.

About 3.6 million people live in Jigawa State. Most people are from the Hausa or Fulani backgrounds. Many people also belong to the Kanuri or Badawa groups. Almost everyone, about 99 percent, follows the religion of Islam.

Dutse Central Mosque 3
Dutse Central Mosque 3

The climate is semi-arid, which means it can be quite dry. The average temperature is about 31.23 degrees Celsius. This is a bit warmer than the average temperature in the rest of Nigeria. Many people live in rural areas rather than big cities.

Agriculture is the most important way people earn a living. Over 80 percent of the population works in farming or animal husbandry. They grow many different tropical crops on fertile land.

Date Market
Date Market

People also trade goods at places like the date market. Some people move to nearby Kano State to find work during the dry season. There is also a free trade zone at the town of Maigatari. This zone helps people trade goods across the border with Niger.

Date Market
Date Market
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🖼️ Images & Media (6)
File:Dutse Central Mosque 3.jpg
Dutse Central Mosque 3.jpg
File:Government House Jigawa State.jpg
Government House Jigawa State.jpg
File:Date Market.jpg
Date Market.jpg
File:Federal University Dutse.jpg
Federal University Dutse.jpg
File:Dutse Motor Park.jpg
Dutse Motor Park.jpg
File:A classroom of students (7138907393).jpg
A classroom of students (7138907393).jpg
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