Spatial patterns of aridity and vegetation in West Africa
Source: Sanusi, A. (2026) The map presents West Africa with clear contrasts in relief, vegetation cover, and climatic zones. Two major ecological belts dominate the region; a humid vegetated zone along the southern coast and a semi-arid to arid zone toward the north. These belts broadly follow a south-north gradient controlled by rainfall, temperature, and distance from the Atlantic Ocean. Regional spatial pattern Southern West Africa, especially the coastal and forest belt, is shown in green. This zone extends from Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Guinea through Sierra Leone, Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, and southern Nigeria. It reflects high rainfall, dense forests, wetlands, and productive agricultural land. In contrast, the northern part of the region transitions into yellow and light brown tones, indicating semi-arid conditions. This Sahelian belt stretches from Mauritania and Mali through Burkina Faso and Niger, with limited vegeta...