Obudu Plateau
Encyclopedia
Obudu Plateau is a montane grassland plateau
found on the Oshie Ridge
of the Sankwala Mountain range
, in Cross River
state,south east of Nigeria
. The plateau is found in Obanliku
local government area
of the Cross river state. The plateau extends beyond Nigeria's south eastern border.
The Sankwala mountain ranges were first explored in 1949 by McCaughley, a Scottish
rancher who camped out in the mountains for a month, before returning with Hugh Jones – a fellow rancher who, in 1951, together with Crawfeild developed a cattle ranch on the plateau known as the Obudu Cattle Ranch
. Although the ranch
has been through troubles since, it has very recently been rehabilitated to its former glory by the Protea
South African Hotel chain.
The Obudu Plateau is spread over an area of over 40 square miles (103.6 km²) and rises to about 5200 ft (1,584 metres) above sea level. The plateau is a giant massif in its own right and its peak reaches a height of about 1716 metres (5,630 ft) above sea level. The plateau is known to be a habitat of rare species of birds.
, one of the two ridges that make up the Sankwala Mountains
in Cross River state of Nigeria (the other being the Sankwala ridge itself from which the mountain range takes its name).
climate, with temperatures going between 26 °C (78.8 °F) to 32 °C (89.6 °F) during the dry season
of November to January.
The rainy season in June to September is colder with temperature lows of between 4 °C (39.2 °F) to 10 °C (50 °F) recorded.
The plateau receives heavy and abundant rainfall during the rainy season. A total of 4,200 millimeters of rainfall is received on the plateau between April to November. Orographic activity is a factor contributing to the heavy rainfall. Clouds coming into southern Nigeria from the Atlantic Ocean drop their moisture content onto the plateau as the barrier of the Sankwala mountains forces the cloud upward and the resulting rapid cooling is followed by heavy rainfall on the plateau.
Plateau
In geology and earth science, a plateau , also called a high plain or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain. A highly eroded plateau is called a dissected plateau...
found on the Oshie Ridge
Oshie Ridge
Oshie Ridge is found in Obanliku Local Government of Cross River State in Nigeria.The ridge is about high above sealevel.Oshie Ridge is one of the two ridges making the Sankwala Mountains with the other ridge known as Sankwala..- The Oshie Plateau :...
of the Sankwala Mountain range
Sankwala Mountains
Sankwala Mountains are mountain ranges in Obanliku Local Government Area of Cross River State in Nigeria.The Sankwala Mountains lie southeast of the town of Obudu,north of the Okwangwo section of Cross River National Park....
, in Cross River
Cross River
Cross River may refer to:In Nigeria*Cross River *Cross River State, in southeastern Nigeria, named after the above river*Cross River languages, a branch of the Benue-Congo languages subgroup of the Niger-Congo languagesIn Canada...
state,south east of Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
. The plateau is found in Obanliku
Obanliku
Obanliku is a Local Government Area of Cross River State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Sankwala.It has an area of 1,057 km² and a population of 110,324 at the 2006 census.The postal code of the area is 552....
local government area
Local Government Areas in Nigeria
||Nigeria has 774 Local Government Areas .Each local government area is administered by a Local Government Council consisting of a chairman who is the Chief Executive of the LGA, and other elected members who are referred to as Councillors....
of the Cross river state. The plateau extends beyond Nigeria's south eastern border.
The Sankwala mountain ranges were first explored in 1949 by McCaughley, a Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
rancher who camped out in the mountains for a month, before returning with Hugh Jones – a fellow rancher who, in 1951, together with Crawfeild developed a cattle ranch on the plateau known as the Obudu Cattle Ranch
Obudu Cattle Ranch
Obudu Cattle Ranch is a ranch on the Obudu Plateau.It was developed in 1951 by Mr. McCaughley, a Scot who first explored the mountain ranges in 1949.He camped on the mountaintop of the Oshie Ridge on the Sankwala Mountains for a month before returning with Mr...
. Although the ranch
Ranch
A ranch is an area of landscape, including various structures, given primarily to the practice of ranching, the practice of raising grazing livestock such as cattle or sheep for meat or wool. The word most often applies to livestock-raising operations in the western United States and Canada, though...
has been through troubles since, it has very recently been rehabilitated to its former glory by the Protea
Protea
Protea is both the botanical name and the English common name of a genus of flowering plants, sometimes also called sugarbushes.-Etymology:...
South African Hotel chain.
The Obudu Plateau is spread over an area of over 40 square miles (103.6 km²) and rises to about 5200 ft (1,584 metres) above sea level. The plateau is a giant massif in its own right and its peak reaches a height of about 1716 metres (5,630 ft) above sea level. The plateau is known to be a habitat of rare species of birds.
Location
Obudu Plateau is found on the Oshie RidgeOshie Ridge
Oshie Ridge is found in Obanliku Local Government of Cross River State in Nigeria.The ridge is about high above sealevel.Oshie Ridge is one of the two ridges making the Sankwala Mountains with the other ridge known as Sankwala..- The Oshie Plateau :...
, one of the two ridges that make up the Sankwala Mountains
Sankwala Mountains
Sankwala Mountains are mountain ranges in Obanliku Local Government Area of Cross River State in Nigeria.The Sankwala Mountains lie southeast of the town of Obudu,north of the Okwangwo section of Cross River National Park....
in Cross River state of Nigeria (the other being the Sankwala ridge itself from which the mountain range takes its name).
Climate
The climate on the Obudu Plateau is comparatively cold.The plateau experiences a semi-temperateTemperate
In geography, temperate or tepid latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. The changes in these regions between summer and winter are generally relatively moderate, rather than extreme hot or cold...
climate, with temperatures going between 26 °C (78.8 °F) to 32 °C (89.6 °F) during the dry season
Dry season
The dry season is a term commonly used when describing the weather in the tropics. The weather in the tropics is dominated by the tropical rain belt, which oscillates from the northern to the southern tropics over the course of the year...
of November to January.
The rainy season in June to September is colder with temperature lows of between 4 °C (39.2 °F) to 10 °C (50 °F) recorded.
The plateau receives heavy and abundant rainfall during the rainy season. A total of 4,200 millimeters of rainfall is received on the plateau between April to November. Orographic activity is a factor contributing to the heavy rainfall. Clouds coming into southern Nigeria from the Atlantic Ocean drop their moisture content onto the plateau as the barrier of the Sankwala mountains forces the cloud upward and the resulting rapid cooling is followed by heavy rainfall on the plateau.
Attractions
- The Plateau is home to a cattle ranch popularly known as the Obudu Cattle RanchObudu Cattle RanchObudu Cattle Ranch is a ranch on the Obudu Plateau.It was developed in 1951 by Mr. McCaughley, a Scot who first explored the mountain ranges in 1949.He camped on the mountaintop of the Oshie Ridge on the Sankwala Mountains for a month before returning with Mr...
.The ranch is approximately 65 km from ObuduObuduObudu is a Local Government Area in Cross River State, Nigeria, a hotspot in Nigeria's tourism.The area features a tourist resort, the Obudu Cattle Ranch, which also hosts an annual race in the hilly surroundings – the Obudu Ranch International Mountain Race.The town of Obudu is downstream from the...
town, in the north eastern part of Cross River State.. - The plateau has a tourist lodge, built at an altitude of about 1600 metres above sea level.
- A cable carCable carA cable car is any of a variety of transportation systems relying on cables to pull vehicles along or lower them at a steady rate, or a vehicle on these systems.-Aerial lift:Aerial lifts where the vehicle is suspended in the air from a cable:...
transport network takes visitors from the foot of the mountain to the top of the plateau. - An airstrip is located at the foot of the plateau for visitors reaching the plateau by air from other parts of the world.