Cote d'ivoire (Ivory Coast)

The Republic of the Ivory Coast, on the south coast of the western bulge of Africa, is bordered to the north by Mali and Burkina Faso, to the east by Ghana, to the south the Gulf of Guinea of the Atlantic Ocean and to the west by Liberia and Guinea. It has a population of 17,654,843.

Location

The Ivory Coast is the westernmost country bordering on the Gulf of Guinea.

Geography

The Ivory Coast's geographic make-up is fairly simple. From a coastal lowland, including many fine beaches, the terrain gradually rises to a smooth forest plateau in the central region and then to upland savannas in the north. Rainfall is heavy, particularly in the low coastal region; the rainy season is from May to October. Most of the inhabitants live along the sandy coastal region; apart from the capital area, the forested interior is sparsely populated.

Capital

Yamoussoukro

Climate

Tropical along coast, semiarid in far north; three seasons - warm and dry (November to March), hot and dry (March to May), hot and wet (June to October)

Language

National or official language is French, and African languages (Diaula esp)

Monetary Unit

CFA franc

Largest Cities

Bouake, Daloa, Abidjan

Principal rivers

Bandama, Cavally, Comoe and Sassandra

Places to Visit

Abidjan, Bouake, Conakry, Kankan, Kindia

Air Ports

Abidjan International Airport, Abengourou, Felix Houphouet-Boigny, Aboisso, Bocanda, Bondoukou, Tehini, Boundiali, Dibi, Dabou, Daloa, Dimbokro Ville, Ferkessedougou, Nero-Mer, Guiglo, Katiola, Korhogo, Ouango Fitini, San Pedro, Sassandra, Seguela, Tabou, Mahana, Yamoussoukro