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Introduction to Côte d'Ivore
created on:
2001-07-28
Côte d'Ivoire lies on the West African coast on the Gulf of Guinea. Its outline is roughly that of a square 560 kilometers on a side, with an area of 322,462 square kilometers. It is bounded on the east by Ghana, on the north by Burkina Faso and Mali, and on the west by Guinea and Liberia. The entire southern border is Gulf of Guinea coastline.
The nation consists of a large plateau rising gradually from sea level to almost 500 meters altitude in the north. Vegetation changes from lagoon and semitropical growth in the south to savanna grassland and scrub in the north. Mountain ranges extend along the western border and a few peaks dot the northeast corner. Four major river systems flow southward forming parallel drainage basins. Cutting across these basins are three geographic regions roughly parallel to the coast--the lagoon region, the forest region, and the savanna region..
The lagoon region (zone lagunaire) is a narrow coastal belt extending along the Gulf of Guinea from the Ghana border to the mouth of the Sassandra River. It consists of a strip of low, sandy islands and sandbars built by the combined action of heavy surf and ocean currents. A broad belt of dense forest covers nearly one-third of the country, extending north of the lagoon region in the east and reaching down to the coastline in the west between the Sassandra River and the mouth of the Cavally River. From the border with Ghana west to the Sassandra River, the gently rolling relief of the forest region is broken by small hills. The northern half of the nation is generally characterized as savanna--a large plateau consisting primarily of rolling hills, low-lying vegetation, and scattered trees. Vegetation varies from woodlands to grasslands and occasional patches of dry scrub in the far north..
The climate is generally warm and humid and is, overall, transitional from equatorial to tropical. Seasons are more clearly distinguishable by rainfall and wind direction than by temperature. Continental and maritime air masses, following the apparent movement of the sun from north to south, determine the cycle of the seasons that is associated with heat and cold farther from the equator.
If you are interested in African history, music or art, Côte d'Ivoire is the place to be. Also the country has beautiful mountains and fishing villages which you can visit.
For many years Côte d'Ivoire was the jewel of West Africa, with its strong economy which attracted thousands of workers from neighbouring countries. Despite its beauty, at this moment most of the country is not in government control and is effectively in rebel hands. So if you have plans to visit Côte d'Ivoire, first make sure you get the latest information to see which parts are safe to travel.
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