Gombe, usually referred to as Gombe State to distinguish it from the city of Gombe, is located in the northeastern part of Nigeria, is one of the country’s 36 states; its capital is Gombe. The boundaries of the state roughly correspond to those of the Tangale-Waja Chiefdom and Gombe Emirate, a traditional state.
The State, nicknamed the Jewel of Excellence, was formed in October 1996 from part of the old Bauchi State by the Abacha military government. Its location in the north eastern zone, right within the expansive savannah, allows the state to share common borders with the states of Borno, Yobe, Taraba, Adamawa and Bauchi. The state has an area of 20,265 km² and a population of around 2,365,000 people as of 2006. Gombe has two distinct climates, the dry season (November–March) and the rainy season (April–October) with an average rainfall of 850mm. The State is headed by the Executive Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo and also has 24 State House Assembly members. Gombe has 11 Local Government Areas and 14 Emirates /chiefdoms. It has 3 Senators and 6 Members in the National Assembly.