Name: ______________________________________  Subject: _______________________ Date: _______

Ivory Coast (Cote d'Ivoire)

Population: 19.624.236 inhabitants

Area: 460 Km2

Coin: Franc CFA

PIB:1.648 $ per capita

Language: French

Name official: République de Côte d'Ivoire.

Capital: Yamoussoukro 416.000 inhabitants (2003)

Other cities: Abidjan 3.337.000 inhabitants; Bouaké 741.100 inhabitants; Daloa 184.300; Korhogo 164.400 (2000).

Government: Parliamentary republic.

Religion: difficult to define, because they are mainly syncretistic practiques and non-Ivorian religions. It is divided into traditional cults, Islam and Christianism.

  In 1983 it was decided that the capital will be Yamoussoukro instead Abidjam. It is placed in the Guinea Gulf, and it was divided into two great natural areas. The South is rainier, and conform a dense tropical jungle. Here, foreign capitals installed large plantations of export products: coffee, cocoa and bananas. In the North there is a granite plateau covered by a savannah where small landowners cultivate shorgum, corn and peanuts.

Nigeria

Population: 151.478.125 inhabitants
Area: 923.770 Km2
Coin: Naira
PIB: 1.128 $ per capita
Language: English
Official name: Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Capital: Abuja 403.000 inhabitants (1999).
Other cities: Lagos 8.733.100; Ibadan 3.587.100; Kano 3.424.100; Ogbomosho 963.300 (2000).
Government: Presidencialist
Religion: the North is mostly Muslim, while the South-East is Christian.

   Geography. The river Niger and its tributary the Bernue have a great importance in the country. The Norther areas, drier because the influence of the harmattan (a dry wind from the Sahara desert) covered a zone of plateau and savannah. Here, cotton and peanuts are grown for its exportation. The central plains, covered by savannah, are sparsely populated. The South area, of rainy lowlands, have dense jungles and concentrates a large part of the population, the largest in Africa. Cocoa and oil palms are cultivated here. The huge Niger Delta divides the coast in two different areas. Oil production and Christianized Ibo population are concentrated at East, near Port Harcourt. The region wanted to be independent with the name Biafra. Industrial activity and Yorba population, partially under the influence of Islam, is found at West, around Lagos and Ibadan.

Ghana

Population: 23.946.817 inhabitants

Area: 238.540 Km2

Coin: Ganahian cedi

PIB: 2.480 $ per capita

Language: English

Official name: Republic of Ghana.

Capital: Accra 1.847.000 inhabitants (2003).

Other cities: Kumasi 906.400 inhabitants; Tamale 259.200; Sekondi-Takoradi 164.400 (2000).

Government: Presidencialist

Religion: Christians 50%, traditional cults 32%, Muslims 13%.

   Geography. The South of Ghana is covered by a dense tropical jungle, partially devastated to allow space for coffee, cocoa, banana and oil palm crops. The savannah is in the North. The rest of the country is a plateau, with some elevations in the frontier with Togo The most important river is the Volta, with its artificial lake formed by the dam of Akossombo. It has a tropical climate, with Summer rains. The underground is rich in gold, diamonds, manganese and bauxite.

   1. Answer with the correct country: Ivory Coast, Nigeria or Ghana.

    2. Other West African countries: