Is France bigger than Nigeria? [A detailed comparison]

France

France which is officially referred to as the French Republic or Republic Francaise is a country located majorly in the northwestern part of Europe. However, France has some territories which are under its control. They include: Martinique, Guadeloupe, French Guiana, and Corse. These territories ballons the size of France from 551,000 sq. km to 640, 679sq km.

Some of these territories have the same legal status as the main France.  France has been adjudged as one of the most important countries in the western world due to its rich culture and history.

Map of France

France has a significant influence on international issues, with its former colonies in different parts of the world, where the French government is still exerting some forms of influence.

Paris the capital of France is one of the world’s most important cities, with an estimated number of tourists visiting the city per year to be at 15 million.

Nigeria

Nigeria which is known officially as the Federal Republic of Nigeria has its political capital in Abuja and economic capital in Lagos. Nigeria is the most populous nation in Africa and has also been ranked as the most populous black nation on earth with an estimated population of over 200 million people.

Map of Nigeria showing other border countries

Geographically, Nigeria is located between the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south and the Sahel to the North. Nigeria borders the Niger Republic to the North, the Republic of Chad to the Northeast, Cameroon to the East, and the Republic of Benin to the West.

Side by Side Comparison of Nigeria and France

Nigeria(L) and France(R)

France has an approximate land mass of 640,679 km2, this includes its territories outside.  Nigeria on the other hand has a total landmass of 923,756 km2. Based on these figures, Nigeria is 1.4 times or 67% larger than the French Republic.

How many Nigeria can fit into France

Based on the total land mass of both countries,  and by observation from the superimposed image above, we can  fit in 1.4 France into Nigeria.

Population Demographics of France as compared to Nigeria

According to the World Bank, the French republic is estimated to have a total population of about 67.8 million people as of 2020. When compared with that of Nigeria which is 214million, we can say Nigeria is 2 times larger than France based on population.

For Nigeria, the population dynamics are entirely different. Ranked as the most populous country in Africa and the largest black nation. The World Bank projects Nigeria’s Population to be about 206million with an annual growth rate of 5 million as of 2020.

GDP of France

Despite the effects of the Covid 19 pandemic, the French economy has faired considerably well especially when compared with that of other western countries. According to the World Bank, the GDP of France as of 2020 stood as 2.603 trillion USD with an annual growth rate of 10%. The main contributors to the French economy include:  agriculture: 1.7%,  services: 78.8% , industry: 19.5%.

GDP of Nigeria

Nigeria has been ranked as the biggest economy in Africa. Although the Covid19 Pandemic has affected all its economic sectors, including Oil which is the economic mainstay, Nigeria’s GDP grew by 0.51% in the first quarter of 2021 according to the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics 2021 report.

As of 2021, Nigeria has a GDP of 432.3 billion USD, therefore, therefore GDP of France is about 5 times larger than that of Nigeria.

5 Facts about France

1. France is the largest country in the European Union by land size: Covering a total area of about 500,000 km2, the French Republic is the largest country in the European Union by land size.
2. French was once the official language of England: Do you know that French was once the official language of England from 1066 to 1362. The norma conquest captured and occupied England in 1062, therefore, imposing the French language as the official language of communication.
3. The military camouflage was first used by the French army: Do you know that the popular military camouflage used by most militaries in the world today was first used by the French army in 1915 during the first world war.
4. France has the highest winners of the Nobel prize in Literature: With at least 15 people from France winning the Nobel prize in literature since the commencements of the award in 1901, France has had many of its citizens win Nobel prizes due to their outstanding works in the literary world.
5. Tour de France began 100 years ago: the world’s most popular and by far the largest cycle race which is hosted in France began on July 01, 1963.

5 Facts about Nigeria

1. Nigeria is the most corrupt country on Earth: Despite being the African giant and a shining light of the African dream, Nigeria is faced with endemic corruption in both the public and private sectors.
2. Kaduna Nzeogwu was a proud northerner: The mastermind of the first military coup in 1966 has bragged about being a proud northerner on several occasions. Having been born and raised in the north, he chose the name “Kaduna” to emphasize his love for northern Nigeria.
3. In 1977, Nigeria officially took its first loan from the newly created World Bank.
4. Nigeria has one of the lowest human development indexes ranking 166/177 as of 2020.
5. Nigeria is home to Music stars such as Fela Kuti, Davido, Burna Boy, Wizkid, and 100s of other artists. The Nigerian music industry is the second largest after that of the United States.

Abbey

Abbey Johnson has a Masters degree as an engineer and has over 3 years of teaching and research experience. He is happiest when on a bike and is also interested in electric energy and computer Science.