Average annual temperatures range from 27°C (81°F) at the coast to 30°C (86°F) in the north. The south has two rainy seasons, from March to July and from October to November; the average annual rainfall on the coast is about 890 mm (about 35 in). It doubles in the mountains a few kilometers inland. The north has one rainy season (April to July) and receives nearly all of its annual precipitation (1,140 mm/45 in) during this period.
Population
4.9 million (UN, 2003)
Area
56,785 sq km
Ethnicity/ Race
Native African: 99%, European and Middle Eastern: 1%
