**2. Location and physical characteristics of Kano**

Kano is located between latitudes 10° 30′ to 12° 38' North and longitudes 7° 45′ to 9° 29′ east [23] and has an altitude of approximately 484 meters (about 1588 feet) above sea level. Kano covers approximately 20,131 square kilometers of landmass,

*Understanding the Challenges of 21st Century Urbanization in Northern Nigeria's Largest City… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.109400*

**Figure 1.** *Location of Kano in the northern region of Nigeria.*

consisting of approximately 1,754,200 hectares of agricultural land, over 92,250,81 hectares of grazing, and forest vegetation [24]. The city is situated centrally in Nigeria's Northern region (**Figure 1**), about 900 kilometers from the edge of the Sahara desert, and approximately 1140 kilometers away from the Atlantic Ocean within the Sudano-Sahelian Ecological Zone (SSEZ) of Nigeria [25]. It is bordered to its North by the Niger Republic, to its South-west by Kaduna State, to its west by Katsina State, and to its east by Jigawa State and Bauchi State. Based on Koppen's climatic classification established over a century ago, Kano is characterized by a wet and dry climate, usually referred to as Tropical wet and dry savannah and coded as Aw. The seasonal changes of Kano occur between the wet and dry tropical air masses, also known as the Inter-Tropical Discontinuity (ITD), resulting in two distinctive seasons referred to as the wet and dry seasons [26].

Kano's climatic features depict those of the West African savannah region, with the wet season usually beginning in June and ending in September and the dry season beginning in October and ending in May of the subsequent year. Rainfall data collected from the International Crop Research Institutes of the Semi-Arid Tropical Regions (ICRISAT) shows that the Mean annual rainfall of Kano ranges from a little below 800 mm in the city's extreme North to over 1000 mm in the city's extreme south. Latitudinal and continental factors determine the amount of rainfall in the city, which usually lasts for three to five months. The mean temperature of Kano ranges between 26–33°C, with the city having three seasonal types based on its temperature. The first is the cold and dry season, which is usually experienced between November and March. During this period, Harmattan winds usually prevail, with the city having a mean monthly temperature ranging between 21–23°C and a diurnal range of 12–14°C. Subsequently, the dry and hot season is experienced from March to May. During this period, the mean monthly temperature usually exceeds 30°C, with a daily range of about 20°C. The third season which is the wet season is generally warm. It has a mean monthly temperature of 26°C and a diurnal range of about 10–13°C in September [27]. Kano's vegetation can be classified as Sahel, Sudan, or Guinea savannah due to its natural surroundings and human activities [28]. The city has dry guinea vegetation in its southern parts, while other parts of the city have the Sahel and Sudan vegetation. The fertile agricultural land of Kano supports numerous food and cash crops that include groundnuts, wheat, rice, millet, sorghum, cowpeas, and vegetables.

As a result, Kano is one of the most prominent agricultural centers in Nigeria as well as a principal commercial and industrial city in Northern Nigeria and has continuously attracted much populace to the city. The city is connected by road, rail, and air to all parts of Nigeria and other countries.
