WHY BAUCHI STATE IS CALLED PEARL OF TOURISM

The reason why Bauchi state is called the Pearl of Tourism is because of its beautiful lush geographical vegetation.

Geographical Introduction.
Bauchi State (Pearl Of Tourism) is a State in northern Nigeria with a population of 4,653,066 People and occupies a total land area of 49,119 km² representing about 5.3% of Nigeria’s total land mass and is located between latitudes 9° 3' and 12° 3' north and longitudes 8° 50' and 11° east. The state is bordered by seven states, Kano and
Jigawa to the north, Taraba and Plateau to the south, Gombe and Yobe to the east and Kaduna to the west. Bauchi state is one of the states in the northern part of Nigeria that span two distinctive vegetation zones, namely, the Sudan savannah and the Sahel savannah. The Sudan savannah type of vegetation covers the southern part of
the state. Here, the vegetation gets richer and richer towards the south, especially along water sources or rivers, but generally the vegetation is less uniform and grasses are shorter than what grows even farther south, that is, in the forest zone of the middle belt. The Sahel type of the savannah, which is also known as the semi-desert vegetation, becomes manifest from the middle of the state as one moves from the state's south to its north. This type of vegetation comprises isolated stands of
thorny shrubs. On the other hand, the southwestern part of the state is mountainous as a result of the continuation of the Jos Plateau, while the northern part is generally sandy. The vegetation types as described above are conditioned by the climatic factors, which in turn determine the amount of rainfall received in the area. For instance, the rainfall in Bauchi state ranges between 1300 mm per annum in the south and only 700 mm per annum in the extreme north. This pattern is because in the West Africa sub-region, rains generally come from the south as they are carried by the southwesterlies. There is therefore a progressive dryness towards the north, culminating in the desert condition in the far north. So also is the case in Bauchi state.
Consequently, rains start earlier in the southern part of the state, where rain is heaviest and lasts longer. Here the rains start in April with the highest record amount of 1300 mm per annum. In contrast, the northern part of the state receives the rains late, usually around June or July, and records the highest amount of 700 mm per annum.
In the same vein, the weather experienced in the south and the north varies considerably. While it is humidly hot during the early part of the rainy season in the south, the hot, dry and dusty weather lingers up north. In addition to rainfall, Bauchi state is watered by a number of rivers. They include the Gongola and Jama'are rivers.
The Gongola River crosses Bauchi state in
Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area in the south and in Kirfi and Alkaleri Local Government Areas in the eastern part of the state, while the Jama’are River cuts across a number of Local Government Areas in the northern part of the state. Moreover, a substantial part of the Hadeja-Jama'are River basin lies in Bauchi state, which along with various fadama (floodplain) areas in the state provides suitable land for agricultural activities. These are further supported by the number of dams meant for irrigation and other purposes. These include the Gubi and Tilde-Fulani dams. There also lakes such as the Maladumba Lake in Misau Local
Government Area that further provide the
necessary conditions to support agriculture


DATA
Bauchi State is divided into 20 Local Government
Areas (LGAs). They are:

SOUTHERN REGION:

LGA AREA POPULATION CAPITAL

Bauchi. 493,810. Bauchi

T/Balewa. 219,988. T/Balewa

Dass. 89,943. Dass

Toro. 350,404. Toro

Bogoro. 84,215. Bogoro

Ningi. 387,192. Ningi

Warji. 114,720. Warji

Ganjuwa. 280,468. Kafin Madaki

Kirfi. 147,618. Kirfi

Alkaleri. 329,424. Alkaleri

 totals: 2,497,782 (Million)


NORTHEN REGION:

LGA AREA POPULATION CAPITAL

Darazo. 251,597. Darazo

Misau. 263,487. Misau

Giade. 156,969. Giade

Shira. 234,014. Yana

Jama'are. 117,883. Jama'are

Katagum. 295,970. Azare

Itas/Gadau. 229,996. Itas

Zaki. 191,457. Katagum

Gamawa. 286,388. Gamawa

Damban. 150,922. Damban

 totals: 2,178,683 (Million)


        
                      Article By: Suleiman Gamawa