Côte d’Ivoire

Côte d’Ivoire extends from a lagoon-lined Gulf of Guinea coast through humid forest zones to interior savannas in the north. Rainfall and humidity are highest in the south and decrease toward the drier interior. Vernacular construction uses earth and laterite, timber, bamboo, palm and thatch in varying combinations; generous eaves, pitched roofs, shaded compounds and ventilated spaces respond to heavy rain and tropical heat.