Geography:
Africa

Our early ancestors first appeared in Africa more than 200,000 years ago. Today, 15% of the world’s population are African, and about 50% of Africans are under the age of 20.

Africa consists of over 50 independent countries, and hundreds of tribal groups and different cultures and languages. Today, more and more people are leaving their homelands and moving from rural areas to towns and cities to find work, better education and healthcare. People also move to escape civil wars, droughts and famines. The population is growing rapidly and predictions say that, by 2050, it will be more than 2 billion.

Africa is the world’s second largest continent. Most of Africa is a high plateau, covered with deserts, tropical rainforest and dry grassland – the savannah. Africa is the hottest continent on Earth and 60% of the land is drylands or deserts. There are also a few mountain ranges.

Today, large areas of forest have been cleared for farming and timber. Deforestation and climate change are damaging water supplies and local eco-systems. Africa loses more than 4 million hectares of forest every year and, in many areas, the soil is getting poorer and poorer.

The mountains of Ethiopia are divided by the Great Rift Valley – the largest crack in the Earth’s surface. It was formed millions of years ago and it is 6,400 kilometres long. It goes from Syria in the north, through the Red Sea, Ethiopia and East Africa to Mozambique. In Kenya, the walls of the valley are 1,250 metres high. Scientists believe that, one day, the land to the east of the Rift Valley will break away from Africa and become a new continent.

Africa is the world’s poorest continent. Poverty, illiteracy, malnutrition, and lack of water affect many of its people. But Africa has rich natural resources. The metal in your phone, the coffee that you drink and the chocolate that you eat probably come from Africa.

Mining is an important industry. There are diamonds, iron, copper and many rare metals and, in South Africa, gold mines. There are rich supplies of oil in Nigeria and, in northern Africa, oil and natural gas.

On the Mediterranean coast, oranges, lemons, dates and grapes are grown and, on the west coast, coffee, cocoa and nuts. In Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania farming is the most important occupation, and the main crops are coffee, tea, maize, vegetables and cotton. Africans are trying to grow more of their own food, but climate change is affecting agriculture and fishing in many regions.

The wildlife and beautiful scenery of Africa are also important resources. In Kenya, for example, tourism is the main industry. But many species of birds and animals have become endangered because of farming and hunting, and some species have been lost forever.

Facts and figures

Population: 1.1 billion
Area: 30,335,000 sq km
Largest country: Algeria
Most populated country: Nigeria
Largest city: Lagos (21 million)
Highest mountain: Kilimanjaro (5,896 m)
Longest river: The Nile (6,670 km)
Largest lake: Lake Victoria (69,400 sq km)
Main deserts: The Sahara, the Kalahari, the Namib.