Cote D'Ivoire Landscape
Cote D’Ivoire
Cote D’Ivoire, also known as the “Ivory Coast”, is a country in the Western Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean between Ghana and Liberia. It lies on the West African coast on the Gulf of Guinea. It is located on the east by Ghana, on the north by Burkina Faso and Mali, and on the west by Guinea and Liberia. It is slightly larger than the size of New Mexico, outlining a square of 560 kilometers on a side and an area of 322,460 square kilometers. Its name “Ivory Coast” was given by the French traders in the 19th century who set up establishments in search of ivory and slaves, but its official name is Republique de Cote d’Ivoire. Other than a catchy name, the country has many different unique features.
Terrain/ Physical Features Cote D’Ivoire physical feature consists of a flat to a rolling plateau. Its plateau rises up to 1,500 feet above sea level and slopes downward toward the Gulf of Guinea. The country’s highlands are located along the western border, along the Nimba Mountains that reaches more than 5,700 feet. Along its eastern half of the coast are the long, narrow sandbars that are backed by lagoons. The lagoons extend along the Gulf of Guinea from the Ghana border to the Sassandra River. The sandbars which are backed by the lagoons are built by the combination of heavy surf and ocean currents. These sandbars have almost closed the rivers flowing into the gulf causing the lagoons to rise above sea level. This causes frequent flooding during heavy raining
season because there is nowhere for the water to flow out. There are also widened estuaries that extend into ten to twenty kilometers of the inland where large rivers empty into the gulf. This makes sandy soil which in turn supports the coconut palms and coastal shrubs. Besides rolling plateau, lagoons, and sandbars, the rest of the country is mostly made up of low, rocky cliffs. Other features of the country are the forest, the savanna, the four major rivers, and the climate.
The
Cote D’Ivoire, also known as the “Ivory Coast”, is a country in the Western Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean between Ghana and Liberia. It lies on the West African coast on the Gulf of Guinea. It is located on the east by Ghana, on the north by Burkina Faso and Mali, and on the west by Guinea and Liberia. It is slightly larger than the size of New Mexico, outlining a square of 560 kilometers on a side and an area of 322,460 square kilometers. Its name “Ivory Coast” was given by the French traders in the 19th century who set up establishments in search of ivory and slaves, but its official name is Republique de Cote d’Ivoire. Other than a catchy name, the country has many different unique features.
Terrain/ Physical Features Cote D’Ivoire physical feature consists of a flat to a rolling plateau. Its plateau rises up to 1,500 feet above sea level and slopes downward toward the Gulf of Guinea. The country’s highlands are located along the western border, along the Nimba Mountains that reaches more than 5,700 feet. Along its eastern half of the coast are the long, narrow sandbars that are backed by lagoons. The lagoons extend along the Gulf of Guinea from the Ghana border to the Sassandra River. The sandbars which are backed by the lagoons are built by the combination of heavy surf and ocean currents. These sandbars have almost closed the rivers flowing into the gulf causing the lagoons to rise above sea level. This causes frequent flooding during heavy raining
season because there is nowhere for the water to flow out. There are also widened estuaries that extend into ten to twenty kilometers of the inland where large rivers empty into the gulf. This makes sandy soil which in turn supports the coconut palms and coastal shrubs. Besides rolling plateau, lagoons, and sandbars, the rest of the country is mostly made up of low, rocky cliffs. Other features of the country are the forest, the savanna, the four major rivers, and the climate.
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