You are on page 1of 17

Africa

Land of Contrasts
The continent
of Africa means
many different
things to people
in Africa and
around the
world.
To some
people it is the
home they love.
To others it is a
mysterious, far
off land that they
know little about.
To geography
students, Africa
Things to know about
Africa
• 53 independent countries
• 732 million people
• 800 ethnic groups
• Hottest temperature ever recorded on
Earth, was 136.4 degrees F., in Libya in
1922
• The Nile is the world’s longest river at a
distance of 4,145 miles long
• Second largest of the Earth’s continents
• Africa has an area of 11,798 square
miles
Vocabulary for the Study of Africa
•Continent – one of seven large land masses of the
earth
•Equator – an imaginary line around the Earth,
halfway between the North and South poles
•Tropical – a warm, rainy area near the equator
•Plain – a large, flat area of land
•Savanna – large area of grassy plains with small
shrubs
•Rain Forest – area of great rainfall, tall evergreen
trees
•Desert – an area where almost no rain falls, where
almost nothing grows, and no one lives
Africa is a large continent with many
different land regions. Elephants play in
the water in the tropical region along the
equator where there is plenty of food to
feed the large herds. The African elephant
has very large ears that are as unique as a
The grassy
lands in much of
Africa are known
as savannas.
A good climate
and the right
amount of rain
make the
savanna a good
ThetoAfrican
place live. savanna region is home to
large herds of animals like these giraffes,
zebras, and wildebeests, as well as lions,
gazelles, and others.
Africa’s rivers
seem to swirl
with life, like
this huge
crocodile,
quietly sunning
himself on a
rock.
Mount Kilimanjaro, at 19,340 feet, seems to
watch over the herds of animals grazing on the
plains below. This mountain in Tanzania is Africa’s
highest point.
From the rocky coastline…to the sandy
desert…
…and from the lazy flowing
Nile River…to the roaring
waters of Victoria Falls…
Africa seems to defy
description…to refuse to
be tamed…even by words.
Africa’s people are as diverse as the land in
which they live. These desert nomads in
Egypt still live the same nomadic life as their
ancient ancestors, moving from place to
place in search of food and water.
While many Africans have adopted a more
practical form of dress, these girls continue to
dress in the traditional African clothing of their
family group.
Most of the people of North Africa are
Arabs, following the Muslim religion after
their lands were conquered by the
followers of Muhammad.
Africa is
a land in a
state of
transition
… trying
to change
and
moderniz
e while
keeping
the
traditional
values
and
This woman in
Mali continues to
wear traditional
clothing and
prepare food in
the familiar ways
of her ancestors.
Her customs
have preserved
her land and
heritage through
the centuries,
while some
efforts to
modernize have
Poverty, pollution, crime, and disease are
all problems that trouble the people of
Africa as they begin to develop a more
modern way of living. Many think the old
Africa – Land of Contrasts
We end as we began this
presentation.
Africa is a very diverse land with
many different kinds of people and
many different kinds of problems.
There is no one solution that will
solve all the problems.
Africa and the rest of the world will
have to work together to solve these
problems that may one day affect all
of us.

You might also like