Africa, the second largest continent on Earth, covers 20% of the planet's land surface, encompassing an area of 11,730,000 square miles. The map of Africa depicts its 54 recognized sovereign nations, two disputed states, and nine territories.
The continent is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the southeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north. The Red Sea and the Suez Canal are located in the northeast, along the Sinai Peninsula.
Geographical Features and Climate
Africa is a diverse collection of landforms, including mountains, deserts, rivers, and forests. The African subcontinent displays remarkable climatic contrasts, with wide deserts in the north and mostly green landscapes in the south. The continent's climate is significantly influenced by the equator, which passes through it, leading to intense heat during the summers. Rainfall is irregular and insufficient, contributing to Africa containing one-third of the world's dry lands.
Some of the largest, driest, and most menacing deserts are present in Africa. The Sahara Desert in the north of the continent is the largest desert in the world, occupying an area of 9 million square kilometers.
Major Rivers and Lakes
In contrast to the dry deserts, Africa also has impressive rivers. The Nile River is the longest one in the continent, and is famous in the world for fostering the ancient Egyptian civilization. The Nile, formed by the White and Blue Nile tributaries, flows through 11 countries. Next comes the Congo River, which discharges the highest amount of water among all African rivers. The arid areas are watered by the Niger River, which flows along half of the length of the continent. The Zambezi River passes through six countries, including Zambia and Mozambique.
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Africa's largest lake is Lake Victoria. Other large lakes in Africa are Lake Tanganyika, Lake Malawi, and Lake Chad.
The African Great Lakes are a series of lakes constituting the part of the Rift Valley lakes in and around the East African Rift. The series includes Lake Victoria, the second-largest freshwater lake in the world by area; Lake Tanganyika, the world's second-largest freshwater lake by volume and depth; Lake Malawi, the world's eighth-largest freshwater lake by area; and Lake Turkana, the world's largest permanent desert lake and the world's largest alkaline lake.
Collectively, they contain 31,000 km3 (7,400 cu mi) of water, which is more than either Lake Baikal or the North American Great Lakes. This total constitutes about 25% of the planet's unfrozen surface fresh water.
The highlands are relatively cool, with average temperatures ranging between 17 °C (63 °F) and 19 °C (66 °F) and abundant rainfall. Forests are dominant in the lowlands of the Congo-Zaire Basin, while grasslands and savannas (dry grasslands) are most common in the southern and eastern highlands. Temperatures in the lowlands average about 35 °C (95 °F). Around Lake Turkana, the climate is hot and very dry.
The Western Rift Valley lakes are freshwater and home to an extraordinary number of endemic species. More than 1,500 cichlid fish species live in the lakes, as well as other fish families. The lakes are also important habitats for a number of amphibian species. Nile crocodiles are numerous.
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The Lake Turkana area is home to hundreds of species of birds endemic to Kenya. The flamingo wades in its shallows. The East African rift system also serves as a flyway for migrating birds, bringing in hundreds more. Vegetation ranges from rainforest to savanna grasses. In some lakes, rapidly growing invasive plants, like the surface-choking water hyacinth and shore-clogging papyrus, are problems.
Until 12 million years ago, the bountiful waters of the equatorial plateau either flowed west into the Congo River system or east to the Indian Ocean. This was changed by the formation of the Great Rift Valley. A rift is a weak place in Earth's crust due to the separation of two tectonic plates, often accompanied by a graben, or trough, in which lake water can collect. This rift began when East Africa, impelled by currents in the mantle, began separating from the rest of Africa, moving to the northeast.
Lake Victoria is not actually within the Rift Valley.
Around two to three million years ago, Lake Turkana was larger and the area more fertile, making it a center for early hominids. Richard Leakey led numerous anthropological excavations in the area, which yielded many important discoveries of hominin remains.
The two-million-year-old Skull 1470 was found in 1972. It was originally thought to be Homo habilis, but some anthropologists have assigned it to a new species, Homo rudolfensis, named after the lake (previously known as Lake Rudolf). In 1984, the Turkana Boy, a nearly complete skeleton of a Homo erectus boy was discovered.
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Fishing-primarily of tilapia species but also of Nile perch-provides the main livelihood for people in the region. With four Great Lakes on its borders, Uganda ranks as one of the world's largest producers of freshwater fish.
The economies of the Great Lakes region states have different structures and are at various stages of development.
Exploring The Great Rift Valley: A Journey Through Time
Major Lakes in Africa
| Lake | Location | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Victoria | East Africa | Largest lake in Africa, second-largest freshwater lake in the world by area. |
| Lake Tanganyika | Central Africa | Second-largest freshwater lake in the world by volume and depth. |
| Lake Malawi | Southeast Africa | Eighth-largest freshwater lake by area, known for its diverse fish species. |
| Lake Turkana | Kenya | Largest permanent desert lake and largest alkaline lake in the world. |
Mountains
The Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain-range in Africa. This dormant volcano range is 19,341 feet above sea-level at its highest point and can be easily pinpointed on the map of Africa. Residing mostly in Tanzania, it has three volcanic cones: Shira, Mawenzi, and Kibo. Mount Kenya features the highest peak in the country, and the second-highest in all of the continent. This stratovolcano almost touches the equator, and is estimated to the 3 million-years-old.
Historical Significance
Frequently referred to as the “cradle of civilization,” African continent is the world’s oldest landmass. About 97% of the continent’s land has been virtually the same for the past 300 million years. Between five and ten million years ago, an African hominid called the Australopithecines started to walk upright. This set-in motion a long evolutionary path towards what became approximately 200,000 years ago, the modern Homo Sapiens. Flash forward another 50,000 years, and a group of Homo Sapiens started to move out of North Africa and into the Middle East.
Africa has been home to some of the greatest civilizations in human history. One of the most important was the Kingdom of Sheba. The Kingdom was located in modern-day Yemen. The foundation of the Kingdom of Sheba lay in an ideal location along a key trade route. In the period around 1,000 BC, caravans of traders would undertake journeys from the area around modern-day Oman, to the Mediterranean. As they did so, they passed through Marib, which at that time was an abundant oasis. It was also one of the only two sources of frankincense (aromatic resin). The people of the Kingdom were known as the Sabeans. They ruled the region between the tenth to the sixth century BC.
From the 7th century AD onwards, the area around Mozambique to Tanzania, the two states clearly represented on the map of Africa, were home to a number of highly successful city states. The rulers of these city states were the Swahili Sultans. The Swahili Sultans eventually fell victim to infighting, and ambitious viziers and emirs sought to take power from the ruling family. In a weakened state, the Swahili Sultans were very vulnerable, when in the 16th century they came in contact with the Portuguese.
During the 19th century, the various African kingdoms started to come in contact with Europe. The European continent is partly shown on the Africa Map. This was when the colonization of Africa saw a marked increase, and slaves from various African regions were taken to work in colonies and plantations overseas, for instance, in the Americas. But most of the European control was along the coasts. The people of Africa served in both the World Wars.
Following the Second World War, the European powers grew weak and the colonies in Africa began to demand freedom. A strong catalyst in this was India's successful struggle for independence. But even after the many nations saw freedom, greater challenges awaited them in the form of famines, civil wars, diseases, and political instability.
Landmarks
Victoria Falls: These majestic waterfalls span Zambia and Zimbabwe and are known as the 'Jewel of Africa'.
Pyramids of Giza: Located in Egypt, the Pyramid of King Cheops were built around 2650 BC.
The Great Sphinx, Egypt: Another ancient masterpiece located in Egypt, the Sphinx is the body of a lion and the head of a human.
Masai Mara National Reserve: Pristine beauty, acres of greenery, and abundant wildlife greet the visitors as they enter the Masai Mara National Reserve, southwest of Kenya.
The Serengeti National Park: Located in Tanzania, Serengeti National Park is famous for its annual migration of over 1.5 million white-bearded wildebeest. It is also home to 250,000 zebras and an untold number of Nile crocodile.
Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania: The tallest peak on the continent, Mount Kilimanjaro encompasses multiple climate zones. A towering adventure for anyone.
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