Physical Geography

Most of Cōte d'Ivoire consists of a flat to rolling plateau that slopes gently southward to the Gulf of Guinea and rarely attains heights of more than 1,500 feet (460 m) above sea level. The only significant uplands occur along the western border, where the Nimba Mountains reach more than 5,700 feet (1,740 m). Long, narrow sandbars, backed by lagoons, fringe the eastern half of the coast. The rest is marked by low, rocky cliffs. The Cavally, Sassandra, Bandama, and Komoé rivers drain virtually all of Cōte d'Ivoire except the extreme northwest, which lies in the Niger River basin, and the extreme northeast, which is drained by the Volta River. Dams on the Bandama and Sassandra rivers provide hydroelectric power.

Cōte d'Ivoire has a tropical climate, marked by relatively high temperatures the year round and alternating wet and dry seasons. In the south, temperatures average between 75° and 85° F. (24° and 29° C.), and rainfall totals as much as 80 inches (2,000 mm) a year. There are two rainy seasons, one from early May until mid-July, the other in October and November. In the north, temperatures vary more widely, with daily averages ranging from 60° to 100° F. (16° to 38° C.), and rainfall gradually decreases to about 50 inches (1,270 mm) a year, concentrated in a single rainy season, from May through September.

Tropical forests cover much of the southern half of Cōte d'Ivoire. In the north they give way to open woodlands and savannas.