Currency
The west African CFA franc denoted by the ISO 4217 code XOF is the official currency of Côte d'Ivoire. The franc is nominally subdivided into 100 centimes. It is also the currency of seven other independent west African states: Benin, Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo.
Language
The official language is French, but there are 60 native dialects as well. The most widely spoken is Dioula. Other native languages include Hamdunga, Loftus Africanus, Gigala, Oloofid, and Ulam. But one cannot survive without French for longer time duration. And business travelers need French on their tongue to close any small deal.
Climate
Rainfall is heavy, particularly in the low coastal region. The rainy season is from May to October. In the south, climate is equatorial, thus very humid. The rain season lasts from May to November with an interruption in July and August. The rest of the year, the atmosphere remains clammy, the sky is often veiled and there are occasionally rainfalls, but temperatures are constant (29 to 32°C). In northern Cote d'Ivoire, the climate is more tropical, with a rather intense rain season from May to September. The best moment to travel is from November to March, when the sky is blue, the atmosphere is dry and nights are cooler. In January and February, the harmattan, a sandy wind coming from Sahara, may be violent.
Electricity
Electrical sockets (outlets) in the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire are one of the two European standard electrical socket types: The "Type C" Europlug and the "Type E" and "Type F" Schuko. If your appliance's plug doesn't match the shape of these sockets, you will need a travel plug adapter in order to plug in. Travel plug adapters simply change the shape of your appliance's plug to match whatever type of socket you need to plug into. If it's crucial to be able to plug in no matter what, bring an adapter for all three types.
