NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Geography of Africa

Africa is a continent comprised of 61 political territories (including 53 countries), representing the largest of the three great southward projections from the main mass of Earth's surface. It includes, within its remarkably regular outline, an area of 30,368,609 km² (11,725,385 mi²), including adjacent islands. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 407 pixel Image in higher resolution (2759 Ã— 1404 pixel, file size: 55 KB, MIME type: image/png) this is a boring map of africa!!!!!!!!!!!! World map depicting Africa; map adapted from PDF world map at CIA World Fact Book File... Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ... Animated, colour-coded map showing the various continents. ... A map of UN member states and their dependent territories as recognized by the UN. Regions excluded: Antarctica (regulated by the Antarctic Treaty System), Vatican City (the Holy See is a UN observer), the Palestinian territories (Palestine, represented by the Palestine Liberation Organization, is a UN observer), and Western Sahara... This article is about Earth as a planet. ... Square kilometre (U.S. spelling: square kilometer), symbol kmÂ², is a decimal multiple of SI unit of surface area square metre, one of the SI derived units. ... A square mile is an English unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile (â‰ˆ1,609 m) in length. ...

Separated from Europe by the Mediterranean Sea and from much of Asia by the Red Sea, Africa is joined to Asia at its northeast extremity by the Isthmus of Suez (which is transected by the Suez Canal), 130 km (80 miles) wide. For geopolitical purposes, the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt – east of the Suez Canal – is often considered part of Africa. From the most northerly point, Ras ben Sakka in Tunisia, in 37°21′ N, to the most southerly point, Cape Agulhas in South Africa, 34°51′15″ S, is a distance approximately of 8,000 km (5,000 miles); from Cape Verde, 17°33′22″ W, the westernmost point, to Ras Hafun in Somalia, 51°27′52″ E, the most easterly projection, is a distance (also approximately) of 7,400 km (4,600 miles). The length of coast-line is 26,000 km (16,100 miles) and the absence of deep indentations of the shore is shown by the fact that Europe, which covers only 10,400,000 km² (4,010,000 square miles), has a coastline of 32,000 km (19,800 miles). For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... Composite satellite image of the Mediterranean Sea. ... For other uses, see Asia (disambiguation). ... Location of the Red Sea The Red Sea is an inlet of the Indian Ocean between Africa and Asia. ... For other uses, see Suez (disambiguation). ... Geopolitics is the study which analyses geography, history and social science with reference to international politics. ... Sinai Peninsula, Gulf of Suez (west), Gulf of Aqaba (east) from Space Shuttle STS-40 For other uses of the word Sinai, please see: Sinai (disambiguation). ... Ras ben Sakka is the northernmost point of the African continent, located in Tunisia. ... A marker at Cape Agulhas indicates the official dividing line between the Atlantic and Indian oceans. ... To help compare orders of magnitude of different surface areas here is a list of areas between 1 million kmÂ² and 10 million kmÂ². See also areas of other orders of magnitude. ...

The main structural lines of the continent show both the east-to-west direction characteristic, at least in the eastern hemisphere, of the more northern parts of the world, and the north-to-south direction seen in the southern peninsulas. Africa is thus composed of two segments at right angles, the northern running from east to west, the southern from north to south, the subordinate lines corresponding in the main to these two directions. A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ...

Main Geographical Features

The average elevation of the continent approximates closely to 600 m (2,000 ft) above sea level, roughly near to the mean elevation of both North and South America, but considerably less than that of Asia, 950 m (3,117 ft). In contrast with other continents, it is marked by the comparatively small area of either very high or very low ground, lands under 180 m (600 ft) occupying an unusually small part of the surface; while not only are the highest elevations inferior to those of Asia or South America, but the area of land over 3,000 m (10,000 ft) is also quite insignificant, being represented almost entirely by individual peaks and mountain ranges. Moderately elevated tablelands are thus the characteristic feature of the continent, though the surface of these is broken by higher peaks and ridges. (So prevalent are these isolated peaks and ridges that a specialised term [Inselberg-landschaft] has been adopted in Germany to describe this kind of country, thought to be in great part the result of wind action.) Download high resolution version (741x800, 113 KB) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Download high resolution version (741x800, 113 KB) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... North America North America is a continent[1] in the Earths northern hemisphere and (chiefly) western hemisphere. ... South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ... For other uses, see Asia (disambiguation). ...

As a general rule, the higher tablelands lie to the east and south, while a progressive diminution in altitude towards the west and north is observable. Apart from the lowlands and the Atlas mountain range, the continent may be divided into two regions of higher and lower plateaus, the dividing line (somewhat concave to the north-west) running from the middle of the Red Sea to about 6 deg. S. on the west coast. Map showing the location of the Atlas Mountains (colored red) across North Africa The Atlas Mountains (Arabic: â€Ž) are a mountain range in northwest Africa extending about 2,400 km (1,500 miles) through Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia, and including The Rock of Gibraltar. ... Location of the Red Sea The Red Sea is an inlet of the Indian Ocean between Africa and Asia. ...

Map showing the location of the Atlas Mountains (colored red) across North Africa The Atlas Mountains (Arabic: â€Ž) are a mountain range in northwest Africa extending about 2,400 km (1,500 miles) through Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia, and including The Rock of Gibraltar. ...

Plateau region

The high southern and eastern plateaus, rarely falling below 600 m (2000 ft), and having a mean elevation of about 1000 m (3500 ft). The South African plateau as far as about 12° S, bounded east, west and south by bands of high ground which fall steeply to the coasts. On this account South Africa has a general resemblance to an inverted saucer. Due south the plateau rim is formed by three parallel steps with level ground between them. The largest of these level areas, the Great Karoo, is a dry, barren region, and a large tract of the plateau proper is of a still more arid character and is known as the Kalahari Desert. Download high resolution version (552x604, 47 KB)Topography of Africa image description here larger version here Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech File links The following pages link to this file: Africa Geography of Africa Categories: NASA images ... Download high resolution version (552x604, 47 KB)Topography of Africa image description here larger version here Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech File links The following pages link to this file: Africa Geography of Africa Categories: NASA images ... The Karoo is a semi-desert region of South Africa. ... The Kalahari Desert is a large arid to semi-arid sandy area in southern Kgalagadi Africa extending 900,000 kmÂ² (362,500 sq. ...

The South African plateau is connected towards the north-east with the East African plateau, with probably a slightly greater average elevation, and marked by some distinct features. It is formed by a widening out of the eastern axis of high ground, which becomes subdivided into a number of zones running north and south and consisting in turn of ranges, tablelands and depressions. The most striking feature is the existence of two great lines of depression, due largely to the subsidence of whole segments of the earth's crust, the lowest parts of which are occupied by vast lakes. Towards the south the two lines converge and give place to one great valley (occupied by Lake Nyasa), the southern part of which is less distinctly due to rifting and subsidence than the rest of the system. A view of the lake from Likoma Island Lake Malawi, originally known as Lake Nyasa, Lake Nyassa and Lake Niassa after the Yao word for lake, is the most southerly lake in the Great African Rift Valley system. ...

Farther north the western depression, known as the Great Rift Valley is occupied for more than half its length by water, forming the Great Lakes of Tanganyika, Kivu, Lake Edward and Lake Albert, the first-named over 400 miles (600 km) long and the longest freshwater lake in the world. Associated with these great valleys are a number of volcanic peaks, the greatest of which occur on a meridional line east of the eastern trough. The eastern depression, known as the East African trough or rift-valley, contains much smaller lakes, many of them brackish and without outlet, the only one comparable to those of the western trough being Lake Turkana or Basso Norok. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Great Lakes of Africa are a series of lakes in and around the Great Rift Valley. ... Lake Tanganyika is a large lake in central Africa (3Â° 20 to 8Â° 48 South and from 29Â° 5 to 31Â° 15 East). ... Lake Kivu is one of the Great Lakes of Africa. ... Lake Edward can be seen on this map of Uganda Lake Edward is one of the Great Lakes of Africa. ... Lake Albert and its river systems. ... Brackish water (less commonly brack water) is water that is saltier than fresh water, but not as salty as seawater. ... View over Lake Turkana Lake Turkana, formerly known as Lake Rudolf, is a lake in the Great Rift Valley in Kenya (although the far northern end of the lake crosses into Ethiopia), which covers a surface area of 6405 kmÂ² (2473 miÂ²), making it the worlds largest permanent desert...

At no great distance east of this rift-valley are Mount Kilimanjaro - with its two peaks Kibo and Mawenzi, the latter being 5889 m (19,321 ft), and the culminating point of the whole continent - and Mount Kenya, which is 5184 m (17,007 ft). Hardly less important is the Ruwenzori Range, over 5060 m (16,600 ft), which lies east of the western trough. Other volcanic peaks rise from the floor of the valleys, some of the Kirunga (Mfumbiro) group, north of Lake Kivu, being still partially active. For other uses, see Kilimanjaro (disambiguation). ... Mount Kenya is in central Kenya, northeast of Nyeri (click to enlarge map) Sunrise over Mount Kenya. ... The Ruwenzori Range, now officially called Rwenzori Mountains (the spelling having been changed in about 1980 to conform more closely with the local tribal name) is a small but spectacular mountain range of central Africa, often referred to as Mt. ...

The third division of the higher region of Africa is formed by the Ethiopian Highlands, a rugged mass of mountains forming the largest continuous area of its altitude in the whole continent, little of its surface falling below 1500 m (5000 ft), while the summits reach heights of 4600 m to 4900 m (15,000 to 16,000 ft). This block of country lies just west of the line of the great East African Trough, the northern continuation of which passes along its eastern escarpment as it runs up to join the Red Sea. There is, however, in the centre a circular basin occupied by Lake Tsana. Ethiopian Highlands with Ras Dashan in the background. ... Lake Tana is the source of the Blue Nile and is the largest lake in Ethiopia. ...

Both in the east and west of the continent the bordering highlands are continued as strips of plateau parallel to the coast, the Ethiopian mountains being continued northwards along the Red Sea coast by a series of ridges reaching in places a height of 2000 m (7000 ft). In the west the zone of high land is broader but somewhat lower. The most mountainous districts lie inland from the head of the Gulf of Guinea (Adamawa, etc.), where heights of 1800 m to 2400 m (6000 to 8000 ft) are reached. Exactly at the head of the gulf the great peak of the Cameroon, on a line of volcanic action continued by the islands to the south-west, has a height of 4075 m (13,370 ft), while Clarence Peak, in Fernando Po, the first of the line of islands, rises to over 2700 m (9000 ft). Towards the extreme west the Futa Jallon highlands form an important diverging point of rivers, but beyond this, as far as the Atlas chain, the elevated rim of the continent is almost wanting. The Gulf of Guinea is the part of the Atlantic southwest of Africa. ... View of Bioko from satellite Bioko (spelled also Bioco) is an island off the west coast of Africa in the Gulf of Guinea, part of Equatorial Guinea. ...

Plains

The area between the east and west coast highlands, which north of 17° N is mainly desert, is divided into separate basins by other bands of high ground, one of which runs nearly centrally through North Africa in a line corresponding roughly with the curved axis of the continent as a whole. The best marked of the basins so formed (the Congo basin) occupies a circular area bisected by the equator, once probably the site of an inland sea.

Running along the south of desert is the plains region known as the Sahel. This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ...

The arid region, the Sahara — the largest desert in the world, covering 9,000,000 km² (3,500,000 square miles) — extends from the Atlantic to the Red Sea. Though generally of slight elevation it contains mountain ranges with peaks rising to 2400 m (8000 ft) Bordered N.W. by the Atlas range, to the northeast a rocky plateau separates it from the Mediterranean; this plateau gives place at the extreme east to the delta of the Nile. That river (see below) pierces the desert without modifying its character. The Atlas range, the north-westerly part of the continent, between its seaward and landward heights encloses elevated steppes in places 160 km (100 miles) broad. From the inner slopes of the plateau numerous wadis take a direction towards the Sahara. The greater part of that now desert region is, indeed, furrowed by old water-channels. â€œAtlanticâ€ redirects here. ... Composite satellite image of the Mediterranean Sea. ... Map showing the location of the Atlas Mountains (colored red) across North Africa The Atlas Mountains (Arabic: â€Ž) are a mountain range in northwest Africa extending about 2,400 km (1,500 miles) through Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia, and including The Rock of Gibraltar. ...

The following table gives the approximate altitudes of the chief mountains and lakes of the continent:

Mount Rungwe, (alt. ... The Drakensberg Drakensberg Range from space, April 1993 Maluti mountains in Lesotho The Drakensberg (Afrikaans for Dragons Mountain) mountains are the highest in Southern Africa, rising up at Thabana Ntlenyana to 3,482 m (11,422 ft) in height. ... The Aberdare Range (formerly, the Sattima Range, Kikuyu: Nyandarua) is a 160 km long range of uplands in west central Kenya, north of the capital Nairobi, that forms a section of the eastern rim of the Great Rift Valley as it runs roughly north-south through East Africa. ... Jbel (Jebel) Toubkal / Adrar n Toubkal is a mountain peak in southwestern Morocco. ... Mount Elgon is an extinct volcano on the border of Uganda and Kenya. ... Mount Karisimbi is a dormant volcano in the Virunga Mountains of Rwanda. ... Semien Mountains Semien Mountains The Semien Mountains lie in northern Ethiopia, north east of Gondar. ... Mount Meru is an active volcano located just 70 kilometres (44 miles) west of Mount Kilimanjaro. ... The Ruwenzori Range is a small mountain range of central Africa, often referred to as Mt. ... For other uses, see Kilimanjaro (disambiguation). ... Lake Mai-Ndombe is a lake in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. ... View over Lake Turkana Lake Turkana, formerly known as Lake Rudolf, is a lake in the Great Rift Valley in Kenya (although the far northern end of the lake crosses into Ethiopia), which covers a surface area of 6405 km² (2473 mi²), making it the worlds largest permanent desert... A view of the lake from Likoma Island Lake Malawi, originally known as Lake Nyasa, Lake Nyassa and Lake Niassa after the Yao word for lake, is the most southerly lake in the Great African Rift Valley system. ... For other uses, see Lake Albert (disambiguation). ... Lake Tanganyika is a large lake in central Africa (3Â° 20 to 8Â° 48 South and from 29Â° 5 to 31Â° 15 East). ... Lake Ngami is a lake in Botswana north of the Kalahari desert. ... Lake Mweru is a lake located on the border between Zambia and Democratic Republic of the Congo, about 150 km west of the southern end of Lake Tanganyika. ... Lake Edward can be seen on this map of Uganda Lake Edward is one of the Great Lakes of Africa. ... Lake Bangweulu is a large but shallow lake in northern Zambia. ... Lake Victoria and the Great Rift Valley Lake Victoria height variation The lake as seen from space, looking west, with other members of the African Great Lakes forming an arc in the middle distance. ... Lake Abaya as seen from a Dorze village. ... Lake Kivu is one of the Great Lakes of Africa. ... Lake Tana is the source of the Blue Nile and is the largest lake in Ethiopia. ... Location of Naivasha in Kenya Lake Naivasha is a freshwater lake in Kenya, lying north west of Nairobi, outside the town of Naivasha. ...

National Parks and Game Reserves

Algeria El Kala National Park Tasssili NAjjer National Park Angola Ambriz Game Reserve Bicuari National Park Cameia National Park Cangandala National Park Iona National Park Kisama National Park Luenge National Park Luiana National Park Longa-Mavinga National Park Mucusso National Park Mupa National Park Namibe Game Reserve Quiama National...

The Hydrographic Systems

From the outer margin of the African plateaus, a large number of streams run to the sea with comparatively short courses, while the larger rivers flow for long distances on the interior highlands, before breaking through the outer ranges. The main drainage of the continent is to the north and west, or towards the basin of the Atlantic Ocean.

The high lake plateau of East Africa contains the headwaters of both the Nile and the Congo: the former the longest, and the latter the largest river of the continent. The Nile (Arabic: , transliteration: , Ancient Egyptian iteru, Coptic piaro or phiaro) is a major north-flowing river in Africa, generally regarded as the longest river in the world. ...

The upper Nile receives its chief supplies from the mountainous region adjoining the Central African trough in the neighbourhood of the equator. From there, streams pour eastward into Lake Victoria, the largest African lake (covering over 26,000 square m.), and to the west and north into Lake Edward and Lake Albert. To the latter of these, the effluents of the other two lakes add their waters. Issuing from there, the Nile flows northward, and between the latitudes of 7 and 10 degrees N. it traverses a vast marshy level, where its course is liable to being blocked by floating vegetation. After receiving the Bahr-el-Ghazal from the west and the Sobat, Blue Nile and Atbara from the Ethiopian highlands (the chief gathering ground of the flood-water), it separates the great desert with its fertile watershed, and enters the Mediterranean at a vast delta. Lake Victoria and the Great Rift Valley Lake Victoria height variation The lake as seen from space, looking west, with other members of the African Great Lakes forming an arc in the middle distance. ... Lake Edward can be seen on this map of Uganda Lake Edward is one of the Great Lakes of Africa. ... For other uses, see Lake Albert (disambiguation). ... The Sobat River is a river of Northeastern Africa. ... Map of the Blue Nile (in Spanish) The Blue Nile (Amharic: á‹“á‰£á‹; transliterated: Ê¿Abbay, but pronounced Abbay; Arabic: Ø§Ù„Ù†ÙŠÙ„ Ø§Ù„Ø£Ø²Ø±Ù‚; transliterated: an-NÄ«l al-Ä€zraq) is a river originating at Lake Tana in Ethiopia. ... The Atbarah River in northeast Africa rises in northwest Ethiopia, approximately 50 km north of Lake Tana and 30 km west of Gondar. ...

The most remote head-stream of the Congo is the Chambezi, which flows southwest into the marshy Lake Bangweulu. From this lake issues the Congo, known in its upper course by various names. Flowing first south, it afterwards turns north through Lake Mweru and descends to the forest-clad basin of west equatorial Africa. Traversing this in a majestic northward curve, and receiving vast supplies of water from many great tributaries, it finally turns southwest and cuts a way to the Atlantic Ocean through the western highlands. The Chambeshi River (also known as the Chambezi River) is a river in Zambia. ... Lake Bangweulu is a large but shallow lake in northern Zambia. ... Lake Mweru is a lake located on the border between Zambia and Democratic Republic of the Congo, about 150 km west of the southern end of Lake Tanganyika. ...

North of the Congo basin, and separated from it by a broad undulation of the surface, is the basin of Lake Chad - a flat-shored, shallow lake filled principally by the Shad coming from the southeast. Lake Chad (in French: Lac Tchad) is a large, shallow lake in Africa. ...

West of this is the basin of the Niger, the third major river of Africa. With its principal source in the far west, it reverses the direction of flow exhibited by the Nile and Congo, and ultimately flows into the Atlantic — a fact that eluded European geographers for many centuries. An important branch, however - the Benue - flows from the southeast. The Benue River or BÃ©nouÃ© River is the major tributary of the Niger River. ...

These four river-basins occupy the greater part of the lower plateaus of North and West Africa — the remainder consisting of arid regions watered only by intermittent streams that do not reach the sea.

Of the remaining rivers of the Atlantic basin, the Orange, in the extreme south, brings the drainage from the Drakensberg on the opposite side of the continent, while the Kunene, Kwanza, Ogowe and Sanaga drain the west coastal highlands of the southern limb; the Volta, Komoe, Bandama, Gambia and Senegal the highlands of the western limb. North of the Senegal, for over 1000 miles (1600 km) of coast, the arid region reaches to the Atlantic. Farther north are the streams, with comparatively short courses, reaching the Atlantic and Mediterranean from the Atlas mountains. This image shows only the last 100 kilometers or so of the Orange River. ... The Drakensberg Drakensberg Range from space, April 1993 Maluti mountains in Lesotho The Drakensberg (Afrikaans for Dragons Mountain) mountains are the highest in Southern Africa, rising up at Thabana Ntlenyana to 3,482 m (11,422 ft) in height. ... The Adome bridge crosses the Volta river south of the Akosombo Dam The Volta is a river in central and western Africa that drains into the Gulf of Guinea. ...

Of the rivers flowing to the Indian Ocean, the only one draining any large part of the interior plateaus is the Zambezi, whose western branches rise in the western coastal highlands. The main stream has its rise in 11°21′3″ S 24°22′ E, at an elevation of 5000 ft. It flows to the west and south for a considerable distance before turning eastward. All the largest tributaries, including the Shire, the outflow of Lake Nyasa, flow down the southern slopes of the band of high ground stretching across the continent from 10 deg. to 12 deg. S. In the southwest, the Zambezi system interlaces with that of the Taukhe (or Tioghe), from which it at times receives surplus water. The rest of the water of the Taukhe, known in its middle course as the Okavango, is lost in a system of swamps and saltpans that was formerly centred in Lake Ngami, now dried up. This article includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... A view of the lake from Likoma Island Lake Malawi, originally known as Lake Nyasa, Lake Nyassa and Lake Niassa after the Yao word for lake, is the most southerly lake in the Great African Rift Valley system. ... The Okavango River is a river in southwest Africa. ... Lake Ngami is a lake in Botswana north of the Kalahari desert. ...

Farther south, the Limpopo drains a portion of the interior plateau, but breaks through the bounding highlands on the side of the continent nearest its source. The Rovuma, Rufiji, Tana, Jubba and Webi Shebeli principally drain the outer slopes of the East African highlands, the last of these losing itself in the sands in proximity to the sea. Another large stream, the Hawash, rising in the Ethiopian mountains, is lost in a saline depression near the Gulf of Aden. Course and Watershed of the Limpopo River The Limpopo River rises in the interior of Africa, and flows generally eastwards towards the Indian Ocean. ... The Ruvuma River (formerly also known as the Rovuma River) forms the greater part of the boundary between the countries of Tanzania and Mozambique. ... The Rufiji River lies entirely within the African nation of Tanzania. ... The 440-mile Tana River is the longest river in Kenya, and gives its name to the Tana River District. ... The Juba or Jubba River (Somali: Jubba; Italian: ) is a river in southern Somalia. ... The Awash (sometimes spelled Hawash) is a major river of Ethiopia. ...

Lastly, between the basins of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, there is an area of inland drainage along the centre of the East African plateau, directed chiefly into the lakes in the great rift valley. The largest river is the Omo, which, fed by the rains of the Ethiopian highlands, carries down a large body of water into Lake Rudolf. The rivers of Africa are generally obstructed either by bars at their mouths, or by cataracts at no great distance upstream. But when these obstacles have been overcome, the rivers and lakes afford a vast network of navigable waters. Omo River empties into Lake Turkana, August 1995 The Omo is an important river of southern Ethiopia. ... View over Lake Turkana Lake Turkana, formerly known as Lake Rudolf, is a lake in the Great Rift Valley in Kenya (although the far northern end of the lake crosses into Ethiopia), which covers a surface area of 6405 km² (2473 mi²), making it the worlds largest permanent desert...

The calculation of the areas of African drainage systems, made by Dr A. Bludau (Petermanns Mitteilungen, 43, 1897, pp. 184-186) yields the following general results:

The area of the Congo basin is greater than that of any other river except the Amazon, while the African inland drainage area is greater than that of any continent but Asia, where the corresponding area is 4,000,000 square miles (10 Mm²).

The principal African lakes have been mentioned in the description of the East African plateau, but some of the phenomena connected with them may be spoken of more particularly here. As a rule, the lakes found within the great rift-valleys have steep sides and are very deep. This is the case with the two largest of the type, Tanganyika and Nyasa, the latter with depths of 430 fathoms (790 m). A fathom is the name of a unit of length in the Imperial system (and the derived U.S. customary units). ...

Others, however, are shallow, and hardly reach the steep sides of the valleys in the dry season. Such are Lake Rukwa, in a subsidiary depression north of Nyasa, and Eiassi and Manyara in the system of the eastern rift-valley. Lakes of the broad type are of moderate depth, the deepest sounding in Lake Victoria being under 50 fathoms (90 m). Lake Rukwa is a lake in southwestern Tanzania. ... Lake Victoria and the Great Rift Valley Lake Victoria height variation The lake as seen from space, looking west, with other members of the African Great Lakes forming an arc in the middle distance. ...

Besides the East African lakes, the principal are: - Lake Chad, in the northern inland watershed; Bangweulu and Mweru, traversed by the head-stream of the Congo; and Lake Mai-Ndombe and Ntomba (Mantumba), within the great bend of that river. All, except possibly Mweru, are more or less shallow, and Lake Chad appears to be drying up. Lake Chad (in French: Lac Tchad) is a large, shallow lake in Africa. ... Lake Bangweulu is a large but shallow lake in northern Zambia. ... Lake Mweru is a lake located on the border between Zambia and Democratic Republic of the Congo, about 150 km west of the southern end of Lake Tanganyika. ... Lake Mai-Ndombe is a lake in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. ...

Divergent opinions have been held as to the mode of origin of the East African lakes, especially Tanganyika, which some geologists have considered to represent an old arm of the sea, dating from a time when the whole central Congo basin was under water; others holding that the lake water has accumulated in a depression caused by subsidence. The former view is based on the existence in the lake of organisms of a decidedly marine type. They include jellyfish, molluscs, prawns, crabs, etc. Lake Tanganyika is a large lake in central Africa (3Â° 20 to 8Â° 48 South and from 29Â° 5 to 31Â° 15 East). ...

Islands

With one exception - Madagascar - the African islands are small. Madagascar, with an area of 229,820 square miles (595,230 km²), is, after Greenland, New Guinea and Borneo, the fourth largest island on the Earth. It lies off the S.E. coast of the continent, from which it is separated by the deep Mozambique channel, 250 miles (400 km) wide at its narrowest point. Madagascar in its general structure, as in flora and fauna, forms a connecting link between Africa and southern Asia. East of Madagascar are the small islands of Mauritius and Réunion. Socotra lies E.N.E. of Cape Guardafui. Off the north-west coast are the Canary and Cape Verde archipelagoes. which, like some small islands in the Gulf of Guinea, are of volcanic origin. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Kalimantan. ... Map of the Socotra archipelago Socotra or Soqotra (Arabic Ø³Ù‚Ø·Ø±Ù‰ ; Suquá¹ra) is a small archipelago of four islands and islets in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Somalia some 350 km south of the Arabian peninsula. ... Anthem: ArrorrÃ³ Capital Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Santa Cruz de Tenerife Official language(s) Spanish Area â€“ Total â€“ % of Spain Ranked 13th 7,447 kmÂ² 1. ...

Climate and health

Lying almost entirely within the tropics, and equally to north and south of the equator, Africa does not show excessive variations of temperature. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 565 Ã— 599 pixel Image in higher resolution (1020 Ã— 1082 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 565 Ã— 599 pixel Image in higher resolution (1020 Ã— 1082 pixel, file size: 1. ...

Great heat is experienced in the lower plains and desert regions of North Africa, removed by the great width of the continent from the influence of the ocean, and here, too, the contrast between day and night, and between summer and winter, is greatest. (The rarity of the air and the great radiation during the night cause the temperature in the Sahara to fall occasionally to freezing point.)

Farther south, the heat is to some extent modified by the moisture brought from the ocean, and by the greater elevation of a large part of the surface, especially in East Africa, where the range of temperature is wider than in the Congo basin or on the Guinea coast.

In the extreme north and south the climate is a warm temperate one, the northern countries being on the whole hotter and drier than those in the southern zone; the south of the continent being narrower than the north, the influence of the surrounding ocean is more felt.

The most important climatic differences are due to variations in the amount of rainfall. The wide heated plains of the Sahara, and in a lesser degree the corresponding zone of the Kalahari in the south, have an exceedingly scanty rainfall, the winds which blow over them from the ocean losing part of their moisture as they pass over the outer highlands, and becoming constantly drier owing to the heating effects of the burning soil of the interior; while the scarcity of mountain ranges in the more central parts likewise tends to prevent condensation. In the inter-tropical zone of summer precipitation, the rainfall is greatest when the sun is vertical or soon after. It is therefore greatest of all near the equator, where the sun is twice vertical, and less in the direction of both tropics.

The rainfall zones are, however, somewhat deflected from a due west-to-east direction, the drier northern conditions extending southwards along the east coast, and those of the south northwards along the west. Within the equatorial zone certain areas, especially on the shores of the Gulf of Guinea and in the upper Nile basin, have an intensified rainfall, but this rarely approaches that of the rainiest regions of the world. The rainiest district in all Africa is a strip of coastland west of Mount Cameroon, where there is a mean annual rainfall of about 390 in (9.91 m) as compared with a mean of 458 in (11.63 m) at Cherrapunji, in Meghalaya, India. Mount Cameroon, also known as Cameroon Mountain or Fako (the name of the higher of its two peaks) or by its native name Mongo ma Ndemi (Mountain of Greatness), is an active volcano in Cameroon, near the Gulf of Guinea. ... Meghalaya Cherrapunji is a town in Meghalaya, India which is credited as being one of the worlds wettest places. ... , Meghalaya is a small state in north-eastern India. ...

The two distinct rainy seasons of the equatorial zone, where the sun is vertical at half-yearly intervals, become gradually merged into one in the direction of the tropics, where the sun is overhead but once. Snow falls on all the higher mountain ranges, and on the highest the climate is thoroughly Alpine.

The countries bordering the Sahara are much exposed to a very dry wind, full of fine particles of sand, blowing from the desert towards the sea. Known in Egypt as the khamsin, on the Mediterranean as the sirocco, it is called on the Guinea coast the harmattan. This wind is not invariably hot; its great dryness causes so much evaporation that cold is not infrequently the result. Similar dry winds blow from the Kalahari Desert in the south. On the eastern coast the monsoons of the Indian Ocean are regularly felt, and on the southeast hurricanes are occasionally experienced. Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Sirocco, scirocco, jugo or, rarely, siroc is a strong southerly to southeasterly wind in the Mediterranean that originates from the Sahara and similar North African regions. ... The Harmattan is a dry and dusty wind blowing northeast and west off the Sahara into the Gulf of Guinea between November and March (winter). ... The Kalahari Desert is a large arid to semi-arid sandy area in southern Kgalagadi Africa extending 900,000 kmÂ² (362,500 sq. ...

Extreme points

This is a list of the extreme points of Africa, the points that are farther north, south, east or west than any other location on the continent. A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ...

Africa (mainland) Ras ben Sakka is the northernmost point of the African continent, located in Tunisia. ... A marker at Cape Agulhas indicates the official dividing line between the Atlantic and Indian oceans. ... Santo AntÃ£o (Portuguese for Saint Anthony) is the westernmost and largest of the Barlavento islands of Cape Verde. ... Map of Rodrigues Rodrigues (or, incorrectly, Rodriguez) is one of the Mascarene Islands and a dependency of Mauritius. ... The pole of inaccessibility marks a location that is the most challenging to reach owing to its remoteness from geographical features which could provide access. ... Obo is the capital of Haut-Mbomou, one of the 14 prefectures of the Central African Republic. ...

This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain. Ras Nouadhibou is a 40-mile peninsula or headland called also known as Cap Blanc (French), or Cabo Blanco (Spanish). ... A marker at Cape Agulhas indicates the official dividing line between the Atlantic and Indian oceans. ... The peninsula of Cap-Vert (Cape Verde, meaning Cape Green) is the westernmost part of the continent of Africa. ... Hafun (Xaafuun) is a small low-lying peninsula in the Bari region of northern Somalia. ... This article is about two South African sub-antarctic islands. ... This article is about a small sub-antarctic island. ... EncyclopÃ¦dia Britannica, the eleventh edition The EncyclopÃ¦dia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1910â€“1911) is perhaps the most famous edition of the EncyclopÃ¦dia Britannica. ... The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ...

Contents

Main Geographical Features

Plateau region

Plains

National Parks and Game Reserves

The Hydrographic Systems

Islands

Climate and health

Extreme points

See also

Articles

External links

Contents

Main Geographical Features

Plateau region

Plains GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

National Parks and Game Reserves

The Hydrographic Systems

Islands

Climate and health

Extreme points

See also

Articles

External links

Plains