Bauchi State occupies a total land area of 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,
Jigawa to the north,
Taraba for 54 km and
Plateau for to the south,
Gombe for to the east,
Yobe for to the north-east,
Kaduna to the west for , and
Kano for to the north-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 savannah, also known as
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 per annum in the south and only 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 south-westerlies. 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 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 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 are also lakes such as the
Maladumba Lake in
Misau Local Government Area that further provide the necessary conditions to support agriculture.
Climate Bauchi has an oppressive wet season while the dry season is partly cloudy, and it is hot year-round. Over the year, the temperature also varies. Like every other state in Nigeria, Bauchi state has not been spared in devastating effects of climate change. On 11 July 2022, the acting Director-general of the Bauchi State Emergency Management Agency (BASEMA), Mr Bala Lame, said "No fewer than 100 houses and several farmlands have been destroyed by devastating floods in Darazo LGA of the state". This he attributed to flooding after three days of persistent rainfall in the area. The average annual temperature ranges from 57 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit, with occasional exceptions when it falls below 51 or rises over 104. The greatest time of year to visit Bauchi for warm-weather activities, according to the tourist score, is from early December to early February. From 28 February to 10 May is the hot season, which lasts 2.5 months and has an average daily high temperature of over 96 °F. Averaging a high of 99 °F and a low of 74 °F, April is the hottest month of the year in Bauchi. From 15 July to 1 October, the cool season, which has an average daily high temperature below 86 °F, lasts for 2.6 months. With an average low of 58 °F and high of 90 °F, January is the coldest month of the year in Bauchi. == Air pollution ==