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OpenCage @opencagedata.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

12/ That's it for our look at the #geoweirdness of Nigeria 🇳🇬, what did we miss? If you enjoyed this thread please share it (so critical here in the fediverse) and have a look at the many others linked over on our blog: blog.opencagedata.com/geothreads If you likes this you might enjoy:

Screenshot from the OpenCage blog listing all our #geoweirdness threads

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OpenCage @opencagedata.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

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OpenCage @opencagedata.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

11/ We close by addressing (pun intended) a long-running point of confusion: In the same way that Australia 🇦🇺 is an entirely different country than Austria 🇦🇹 (yes, it's true, trust us), so too Nigeria 🇳🇬 is a separate nation than Niger 🇳🇪 (though the two do share a border).

Map showing both Nigeria and Niger - separate countries.

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OpenCage @opencagedata.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

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OpenCage @opencagedata.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

It’s estimated that 250,000 residents will live on the new patch of land. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eko_Atlantic #geoweirdness

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OpenCage @opencagedata.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

It’s estimated that 250,000 residents will live on the new patch of land. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eko_Atlantic #geoweirdness

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OpenCage @opencagedata.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

10/ Also on the coast, the fast-growing megalopolis Lagos is fighting the ocean by building new land.

Map showing the newly reclaimed land in the context of the State of Lagos

By Jamie Tubers - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=47078257

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OpenCage @opencagedata.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

10/ Also on the coast, the fast-growing megalopolis Lagos is fighting the ocean by building new land.

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OpenCage @opencagedata.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

In nighttime satellite images, those flares burn brighter than nearby cities like Port Harcourt, even though only about half the country has reliable access to electricity. science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observ…

science.nasa.gov

Niger River Delta by Night - NASA Science

Gas flares outshine cities in the Niger River Delta of West Africa.

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OpenCage @opencagedata.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

9/ Speaking of oil, Nigeria 🇳🇬 has more gas flares than any country except Russia 🇷🇺, and around ten percent of the world's flares sit in the Niger Delta alone.

Sat image showing the light of cities and gas flares on the Nigerian coast

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OpenCage @opencagedata.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

science.nasa.gov

Niger River Delta by Night - NASA Science

Gas flares outshine cities in the Niger River Delta of West Africa.

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OpenCage @opencagedata.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

9/ Speaking of oil, Nigeria 🇳🇬 has more gas flares than any country except Russia 🇷🇺, and around ten percent of the world's flares sit in the Niger Delta alone.

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OpenCage @opencagedata.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

8/ The oil-rich Bakassi Peninsula sat at the centre of a 🇳🇬 Nigeria / 🇨🇲Cameroon border dispute for decades, nearly triggering war multiple times. The ICJ ruled in Cameroon's favour in 2002, but Nigeria didn't actually hand over administration until 2008, under a 🇺🇳 UN-brokered agreement.

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OpenCage @opencagedata.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

7/ The 🇹🇩 Chad / 🇳🇬 Nigeria border used to run entirely through open water in Lake Chad.

Map showing the site of Lake Chad - Chad / Nigeria border

zoomed in map of the Chad Nigeria border

Historic map of the Chad NIgeria border

By US DOS - https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=1nPDqvXyX_0C&pg=PA11-IA24&dq=International+Boundary+Study+No.+90+%E2%80%93+Chad+Nigeria+Boundary&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjo-4_Gn5_nAhUSE8AKHXf6C9kQ6AEIKTAA#v=onepage&q&f=true, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=94219799

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OpenCage @opencagedata.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

it is estimated that over 2 million civilians died in the brutal war that followed en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biafra

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OpenCage @opencagedata.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Came… However, English speakers in the territory are now trying to break away from Cameroon and create a new country known as Ambazonia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambazonia #geoweirdness

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OpenCage @opencagedata.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

4/ The use of English is a reminder that Nigeria 🇳🇬 was a British 🇬🇧colony en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonial_Nige… Nigeria became independent on 1 October 1960 in 1961 the territory of Southern Cameroons split off from Nigeria to join Cameroon 🇨🇲

Flag and government ensign of the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria

By Fry1989 eh? - This vector image includes elements that have been taken or adapted from this file:, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=74752528

Territory (colored red) within Cameroon claimed by separatists, corresponding to the country's Northwest Region and Southwest Region

By Mikrobølgeovn - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=70045669

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OpenCage @opencagedata.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigerian_Pidg… Search on popular social media (youtube, tiktok) for #naija to have a listen (sadly doesnt seem to be much 🇳🇬 Nigerian presence in the fediverse) #geoweirdness

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OpenCage @opencagedata.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

3/ Those 250 ethnic groups speak over 500 languages. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_… The official language is English, but most commonly spoken as lingua franca across the country is "Naija" the English-based creole language, used as a second language by over 100 million people

Language map of Nigeria

By Hel-hama - Own work based on: Nigeria linguistic 1979.jpg, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25241065

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OpenCage @opencagedata.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Its largest city, Lagos, is the sixth most populous in the world. (estimated between 17-21M). en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lagos More than 250 ethnic groups live within its borders, though three make up the majority: Hausa in the north, Yoruba in the southwest, and Igbo in the southeast.

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OpenCage @opencagedata.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

2/ First let's cover the basics about Nigeria 🇳🇬 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigeria Nigeria is home to over ~235 million people, making it the most populous country in Africa. And it is growing rapidly

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OpenCage @opencagedata.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

🎉 Today is the big day! In a few short hours 🇳🇬 Nigeria's new digital postcode system goes live! See: postcode.gov.ng Which is reason enough for us to make the African nation the subject of this week's #geoweirdness thread! 1/

screenshot of the NIPost website with countdown to the launch of digital postcodes

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OpenCage @opencagedata.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

39/ 🏁🏁🏁🏁 Time is up!!! The game is over. We will count up the final score #fridaygeotrivia

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OpenCage @opencagedata.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

36/ ⏰ Two Minute warning before we declare the game over #fridaygeotrivia

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OpenCage @opencagedata.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

35/ Point to @ccferrie for Macao 🇲🇴 and Hong Kong 🇭🇰 #fridaygeotrivia

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OpenCage @opencagedata.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

15/ absolute tsunami 🌊 of answers coming in. Be patient, we are working through them 🙏 #fridaygeotrivia

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OpenCage @opencagedata.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

8/ Point! to @ccferrie for Bahrain 🇧🇭 and Qatar 🇶🇦 #Fridaygeotrivia

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OpenCage @opencagedata.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

• Only one answer per toot • You must include the hashtag #fridaygeotrivia and the emoji flag of the countries Full details on the blog: blog.opencagedata.com/post/geotrivi… We will post answers in this thread as they arrive 1/

blog.opencagedata.com

Geotrivia - September 2026 - Visual neighbours

Blog > Monthly Geo Trivia questions

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OpenCage @opencagedata.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

🚨 It's time for #fridaygeotrivia 🚨 The Sept 2026 question: Name country pairs that share a maritime border but no land border, separated by less than 50 km of water at their closest point, ie countries that can see each other. For example Singapore 🇸🇬 and Indonesia 🇮🇩. As always:

Map showing Singapore across the water from Indonesia

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OpenCage @opencagedata.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

⏰ Just over an hour to go until #fridaygeotrivia - see you here, then!

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OpenCage @opencagedata.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Some more pics of our team offsite last week in London / at the Prime Meridian. blog.opencagedata.com/post/back-to-…

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OpenCage @opencagedata.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

We hope to see you here on the 25th

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OpenCage @opencagedata.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Planning your week? Next Friday (🗓️ 25th) is the final Friday of the month, which, of course, means we will play #fridaygeotrivia As usual: 17:00 Berlin 🇩🇪 time / 4pm London 🇬🇧 / 11am New York 🇺🇸 Full details on the blog: blog.opencagedata.com/post/geotrivi…

blog.opencagedata.com

Geotrivia - September 2026

Blog > Monthly Geo Trivia questions

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OpenCage @opencagedata.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Today we‘re off the keyboard on a team expedition down the Thames in London 🇬🇧to visit the Prime Meridian in Greenwich before Geomob London this evening

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OpenCage @opencagedata.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

8/ That wraps up our look at the geographic oddities of the South Atlantic 🌊 What did we miss? If you enjoyed this #geoweirdness thread please share it (so critical here in the fediverse) and have a look at the many others linked over on our blog: blog.opencagedata.com/geothreads

Screenshot of the OpenCage blog page listing all the #geoweirdness threads

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