Jos, city in the middle belt of Nigeria and capital of Plateau State. Located near the center of the Jos Plateau, Jos is about 1250 m (about 4100 ft) above sea level on the Delimi River. With average monthly temperatures ranging between 21° and 25° C (69° and 77° F), Jos is considerably cooler than other cities in Nigeria and serves as a cool highland resort in a setting of scenic beauty. Jos is the center of tin and columbite mining and smelting in Nigeria. Other industries include steel rolling, burlap spinning and weaving, food and beer production, chemical manufacture, furniture manufacture, and printing. Jos is located at the terminus of a spur (first built in 1915) of the railway from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri and at a highway junction linking the city to Bauchi and Zaria. An airport also serves the city. The University of Jos was founded here in 1975. The UNESCO School for Museum Technicians is also here. The city is the seat of a Roman Catholic bishop. Points of interest include an open-air museum of traditional architecture and the Jos Museum, which displays artifacts of the Nok culture.
In the early 1900s Jos was built by the British at the site of the preexisting village of Geash. Tin mining began in the area in about 1907, and developed rapidly following the completion of a railroad to Jos in 1914. Jos also grew as a resort town, attracting tourists to its cool climate. The city has attracted migrants from Nigeria's many ethnic groups. Population (1995 estimate) 201,200.
