Jos
Jos /ˈdʒoʊs/ is a city in the North-Central region of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The city has a population of about 900,000 residents based on the 2006 census. Popularly called "J-Town", it is the administrative capital and largest city of Plateau State. The city is situated on the Jos Plateau which is embedded in the Guinea Savannah of North-Central Nigeria. It connects most of the North-Eastern capitals to the Federal Capital Territory Abuja by road. Driving in and out of Jos, traffic encounters very steep sloppy bends and breathtaking mountainous sceneries typical of the plateau landform. The name of the state (Plateau State) was coined from its affiliation to this landform.
Jos | |
|---|---|
| Jos and Bukuru Metropolis | |
Hill in the northeastern part of Jos | |
| Nickname: J-Town | |
Jos Location in Nigeria | |
| Coordinates: 09°55′00″N 08°53′25″E | |
| Country | Nigeria |
| State | Plateau State |
| Government | |
| • Type | Traditional Monarchy (Jos Joint Traditional Council of Chiefs) |
| • Gbong Gwom Jos (Head of Jos Joint Traditional Council of Chiefs [Riyom, Barkin Ladi, Jos-South, Jos-North] & Plateau State Traditional Council of Chiefs, concurrently) | Jacob Gyang Buba (incumbent) |
| Elevation | 1,220 m (4,000 ft) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 622,802 |
| • Rank | 6th |
| GDP (PPP, 2015 int. Dollar) | |
| • Year | 2023 |
| • Total | $6.3 billion |
| • Per capita | $6,500 |
| Time zone | GMT+1 |
| Climate | Aw |
During British colonial rule, Jos became an important centre for tin mining when the colonialists discovered huge deposits of cassiterite the main ore for the metal. It is also the trading hub of the state as commercial activities are steadily increasing.