Geography of Africa: geology, climate, deserts, reservoirs, natural resources and ecology. Geography of Africa

Africa is the second largest continent, located in all four hemispheres. The area of ​​Africa is 30 million km2.

Extreme points of Africa:

• northern: Cape Ras-Engela (38°N, 10°E);
• southern: Cape Agulhas (35° S, 20° E);
• western: Cape Almadi 1 (5°N, 17°W);
• eastern: Cape Ras Hafun (11°N, 51°E).

From the west, Africa is washed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, from the east by the Indian Ocean, from the north by the waters of the Mediterranean Sea, from the northeast by the Red Sea. Previously, it was connected by an isthmus 120 km wide, now the Suez Canal passes through it. It is separated from the mainland by the Strait of Gibraltar.

The coast of Africa is relatively weakly indented, there is a large Gulf of Guinea in the west and Aden in the east, large peninsula- p-s. A number of islands are located in: Madeira, Canaries, Cape Verde, etc. To the east of the mainland there is a large island - besides it there are clusters of small islands - Comoros, etc.

The specificity of the relief of Africa lies in the large number of plains and plateaus. Most of the north of the mainland is occupied by the Sahara Desert with the Ahaggar and Tibesti highlands. There are two noticeable mountain ranges: the Atlas Mountains in the north and the Cape Mountains in the south. The East African Plateau is located in eastern Africa. This relief structure is explained by the fact that most of the mainland is located on a single ancient African-Arabian platform, which separated in ancient times from the common continent - Gondwana. The northern and southern mountain ranges are formed in the collision zone of this platform with other large plates.

Lakes in Africa are quite large, formed in the faults of the rock and therefore very narrow, long and deep: Tanganyika (maximum depth - 1400 m), Nyasa (700 m). Lake, on the contrary, is shallow, fed mainly by precipitation, during dry periods its area is greatly reduced.

Since most of the mainland is located in the tropical, subequatorial and equatorial zones, it is warm here. Summer and winter average monthly temperatures differ slightly, seasons differ in the amount of precipitation: summer is the rainy season, while drought occurs in winter. There are tropical forests - a pool, East Coast Africa, where falls up to 3000 mm. precipitation. There are dry areas - savannahs, deserts.

The natural zones of Africa are expressed quite clearly and are arranged accordingly. At the equator and in the Congo Basin, a zone of humid equatorial forests has formed. Here there is a huge variety of trees and shrubs, layering is well expressed. Red ferralitic soils are formed. Monkeys, medium-sized ungulates, and many birds live in the forests.

Equatorial forests almost immediately turn into savannahs - a special kind of steppe with lonely trees. This natural zone in Africa occupies a vast area. There are many herbs here, acacias, baobabs are found from trees. Soils are formed red-brown. There are many large ungulates (giraffes, buffaloes, antelopes, zebras, rhinos), there are also predators (lions, cheetahs, hyenas).

An equally large natural zone is tropical deserts, represented by two large deserts: the Namib in the south and the Sahara in the north. The Sahara Desert is a huge desert located in the northern part of the mainland. The dry trade winds that prevail here raise sand particles, so sandstorms are not uncommon for the desert, literally paralyzing all life. even in the shade it rises to +50°С, the sand heats up to +70°С. At night, the temperature drops sharply, can drop to 0°C. In this regard, survival in the desert is very difficult, people live exclusively in oases that arise due to the proximity of groundwater. Most animals are nocturnal, hiding in burrows during the day.

The zone of subtropical hard-leaved evergreen forests stretches in two narrow strips on the northern and southern coasts of the mainland. Beeches, oaks, citrus fruits, many coniferous plants and shrubs grow here. Animals are mostly medium-sized: foxes, small deer, wild boars.

In the XIX-XX centuries, Europeans actively destroyed the unique nature of Africa, cutting down valuable forests, exterminating animals. Many species died out on their own due to the destruction of their natural habitat. This has led to the fact that the territories occupied by forests are sharply reduced, but the territories of deserts, on the contrary, are increasing. To preserve and increase the populations of wild animals are created, many of them have become world famous - Kruger, Serengeti.

Africa is the second largest continent after Eurasia, washed by the Mediterranean Sea from the north, the Red Sea from the northeast, the Atlantic Ocean from the west and the Indian Ocean from the east and south. Africa is also called the part of the world, consisting of the mainland Africa and adjacent islands. The area of ​​Africa is 29.2 million km², with islands - about 30.3 million km², thus covering 6% of the total surface area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe Earth and 20.4% of the land surface. On the territory of Africa there are 54 states, 5 unrecognized states and 5 dependent territories (islands).

The population of Africa is about a billion people. Africa is considered the ancestral home of mankind: it was here that the oldest remains of early hominids and their probable ancestors were found, including Sahelanthropus tchadensis, Australopithecus africanus, A. afarensis, Homo erectus, H. habilis and H. ergaster.

The African continent crosses the equator and several climatic zones; it is the only continent that stretches from the northern subtropical climate zone to the southern subtropical one. Due to the lack of permanent rainfall and irrigation - as well as glaciers or the aquifer of mountain systems - there is practically no natural regulation of the climate anywhere except the coasts.

African Studies is the study of the cultural, economic, political and social problems of Africa.

extreme points

• North - Cape Blanco (Ben Secca, Ras Engela, El Abyad)
• South - Cape Agulhas
• Western - Cape Almadi
• Eastern - Cape Ras Hafun

origin of name

Initially, the inhabitants of ancient Carthage called the word "Afri" people who lived near the city. This name is usually attributed to the Phoenician afar, which means "dust". After the conquest of Carthage, the Romans named the province Africa (lat. Africa). Later, all known regions of this continent began to be called Africa, and then the continent itself.

Another theory is that the name of the people "Afri" comes from the Berber ifri, "cave", referring to the cave dwellers. The Muslim province of Ifriqiya, which arose later on this place, also retained this root in its name.

According to the historian and archaeologist I. Efremov, the word "Africa" ​​came from the ancient language Ta-Kem (Egypt. "Afros" - a foamy country). This is due to the collision of several types of currents that form foam when approaching the continent in the Mediterranean Sea.

There are other versions of the origin of the toponym.

• Josephus, a Jewish historian of the 1st century, argued that this name comes from the name of Abraham's grandson Ether (Gen. 25:4), whose descendants settled Libya.
• The Latin word aprica, meaning "sunny", is mentioned in Isidore of Seville's Elements, volume XIV, section 5.2 (VI century).
• The version about the origin of the name from the Greek word αφρίκη, which means "without cold", was proposed by the historian Leo Africanus. He assumed that the word φρίκη (“cold” and “horror”), combined with the negative prefix α-, denotes a country where there is neither cold nor horror.
• Gerald Massey, a self-taught poet and Egyptologist, in 1881 put forward a version about the origin of the word from the Egyptian af-rui-ka, "to turn to face the opening of the Ka." Ka is the energy double of each person, and the "hole of Ka" means the womb or birthplace. Africa, therefore, for the Egyptians means "homeland".

History of Africa

prehistoric period

At the beginning of the Mesozoic era, when Africa was part of the single continent of Pangea, and until the end of the Triassic period, theropods and primitive ornithischians dominated this region. The excavations carried out at the end of the Triassic period testify to the greater population of the south of the mainland, and not the north.

Human Origins

Africa is considered the birthplace of man. The remains of the oldest species of the genus Homo have been found here. Of the eight species of this genus, only one survived - a reasonable person, and in a small number (about 1000 individuals) began to settle in Africa about 100,000 years ago. And already from Africa, people migrated to Asia (about 60 - 40 thousand years ago), and from there to Europe (40 thousand years), Australia and America (35 -15 thousand years ago).

Africa during the Stone Age

The oldest archaeological finds that testify to the processing of grain in Africa date back to the thirteenth millennium BC. e. Pastoralism in the Sahara began c. 7500 BC e., and organized agriculture in the Nile region appeared in the 6th millennium BC. e.

In the Sahara, which was then a fertile territory, groups of hunters-fishers lived, archaeological finds testify to this. Throughout the Sahara (present-day Algeria, Libya, Egypt, Chad, etc.), many petroglyphs and rock paintings dating from 6000 BC have been discovered. e. until the 7th century AD. e. The most famous monument of the primitive art of North Africa is the Tassilin-Adjer plateau.

In addition to the group of Saharan monuments, rock art is also found in Somalia and South Africa (the oldest drawings date back to the 25th millennium BC).

Linguistic data show that ethnic groups speaking Bantu languages ​​migrated in a southwesterly direction, displacing the Khoisan peoples (Xhosa, Zulu, etc.) from there. Bantu settlements have yielded a characteristic array of crops suitable for tropical Africa, including cassava and yams.

A small number of ethnic groups, such as the Bushmen, continue to lead a primitive way of life, hunting, gathering, like their ancestors several millennia ago.

ancient africa

North Africa

By the 6th-5th millennium BC. e. agricultural cultures (Tasian culture, Fayum culture, Merimde) were formed in the Nile Valley, on the basis of which in the 4th millennium BC. e. Ancient Egypt emerged. To the south of it, also on the Nile, under its influence, the Kerma-Kushite civilization was formed, which was replaced in the 2nd millennium BC. e. Nubian (state formation of Napata). On its ruins, Aloa, Mukurra, the Nabataean kingdom, and others were formed, which were under the cultural and political influence of Ethiopia, Coptic Egypt and Byzantium.

In the north of the Ethiopian highlands, under the influence of the South Arabian Sabaean kingdom, the Ethiopian civilization arose: in the 5th century BC. e. immigrants from South Arabia formed the Ethiopian kingdom, in the II-XI centuries AD. e. there was the Aksumite kingdom, on the basis of which Christian Ethiopia was formed (XII-XVI centuries). These centers of civilization were surrounded by the pastoral tribes of the Libyans, as well as the ancestors of the modern Cushite- and Nilotic-speaking peoples.

As a result of the development of horse breeding (which appeared in the first centuries AD), as well as camel breeding and oasis agriculture, the Sahara appeared trading cities Telgi, Debris, Garama, the Libyan letter arose.

On the Mediterranean coast of Africa in the XII-II centuries BC. e. the Phoenician-Carthaginian civilization flourished. The neighborhood of the Carthaginian slave-owning power had an impact on the Libyan population. By the 4th century BC e. there were large alliances of Libyan tribes - Mauretans (modern Morocco to the lower reaches of the Muluya River) and Numidians (from the Muluya River to the Carthaginian possessions). By the III century BC. e. there were conditions for the formation of states (see Numidia and Mauretania).

After the defeat of Carthage by Rome, its territory became the Roman province of Africa. Eastern Numidia in 46 BC was turned into the Roman province of New Africa, and in 27 BC. e. both provinces were united into one, ruled by proconsuls. The Mauretanian kings became vassals of Rome, and in 42 the country was divided into two provinces: Mauretania Tingitana and Mauretania Caesarea.

The weakening of the Roman Empire in the III century caused a crisis in the provinces of North Africa, which contributed to the success of the invasions of the barbarians (Berbers, Goths, Vandals). With the support of the local population, the barbarians overthrew the power of Rome and formed several states in North Africa: the kingdom of the Vandals, the Berber kingdom of Jedar (between Muluya and Ores) and a number of smaller Berber principalities.

In the VI century, North Africa was conquered by Byzantium, but the position of the central government was fragile. The African provincial nobility often entered into allied relations with the barbarians and other external enemies of the empire. In 647, the Carthaginian exarch Gregory (cousin-nephew of Emperor Heraclius I), taking advantage of the weakening of imperial power due to the blows of the Arabs, broke away from Constantinople and proclaimed himself emperor of Africa. One of the manifestations of the dissatisfaction of the population with the policy of Byzantium was the widespread dissemination of heresies (Arianism, Donatism, Monophysitism). Muslim Arabs became an ally of heretical movements. In 647, the Arab troops defeated the army of Gregory in the battle of Sufetul, which led to the rejection of Egypt from Byzantium. In 665, the Arabs repeated the invasion of North Africa, and by 709, all the African provinces of Byzantium became part of the Arab Caliphate (for more details, see Arab conquests).

Africa south of the Sahara

Africa south of the Sahara in the 1st millennium BC. e. iron metallurgy spread throughout the world. This contributed to the development of new territories, primarily tropical forests, and became one of the reasons for the settlement of most of Tropical and South Africa by Bantu-speaking peoples, who displaced representatives of the Ethiopian and capoid races to the north and south.

The centers of civilizations in Tropical Africa spread from north to south (in the eastern part of the continent) and partly from east to west (especially in the western part).

The Arabs, who penetrated North Africa in the 7th century, until the advent of Europeans, became the main intermediaries between Tropical Africa and the rest of the world, including through the Indian Ocean. The cultures of Western and Central Sudan formed a single West African, or Sudanese, cultural zone that stretched from Senegal to the modern Republic of Sudan. In the II millennium, most of this zone was part of the large state formations of Ghana, Kanem-Borno Mali (XIII-XV centuries), Songhai.

South of the Sudanese civilizations in the 7th-9th centuries AD. e. the Ife state formation was formed, which became the cradle of the Yoruba and Bini civilization (Benin, Oyo); neighboring nations also experienced their influence. To the west of it, in the 2nd millennium, the Akano-Ashanti proto-civilization was formed, which flourished in the 17th-early 19th centuries.

In the region of Central Africa during the XV-XIX centuries. various state formations gradually arose - Buganda, Rwanda, Burundi, etc.

Since the 10th century, Swahili Muslim culture has flourished in East Africa (the city-states of Kilwa, Pate, Mombasa, Lamu, Malindi, Sofala, and others, the Zanzibar Sultanate).

In Southeast Africa - the Zimbabwean (Zimbabwe, Monomotapa) proto-civilization (X-XIX centuries), in Madagascar the process of state formation ended at the beginning of the XIX century with the unification of all the early political formations of the island around Imerin.

The arrival of Europeans in Africa

The penetration of Europeans into Africa began in the 15th-16th centuries; The greatest contribution to the development of the continent at the first stage was made by the Spaniards and the Portuguese after the completion of the Reconquista. Already at the end of the 15th century, the Portuguese actually controlled the western coast of Africa and launched an active slave trade in the 16th century. Following them, almost all Western European powers rushed to Africa: Holland, Spain, Denmark, France, England, Germany.

The slave trade with Zanzibar gradually led to the colonization of East Africa; Morocco's attempts to seize the Sahel failed.

All North Africa (except Morocco) became part of the Ottoman Empire by the beginning of the 17th century. With the final division of Africa between the European powers (1880s), the colonial period began, forcibly introducing Africans to industrial civilization.

Colonization of Africa

The process of colonization took on a large scale in the second half of the 19th century, especially after 1885 with the start of the so-called race or fight for Africa. Almost the entire continent (except for Ethiopia and Liberia, which remained independent) by 1900 was divided between a number of European states: Great Britain, France, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Spain and Portugal retained and somewhat expanded their old colonies.

The most extensive and richest were the possessions of Great Britain. In the southern and central part of the continent:

• cape colony,
• Natal,
• Bechuanaland (now Botswana)
• Basutoland (Lesotho),
• swaziland,
• Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe),
• Northern Rhodesia (Zambia).

East:

• Kenya,
• Uganda,
• Zanzibar,
• British Somalia.

In the north-east:

• Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, formally considered a co-ownership of England and Egypt.

In the West:

• Nigeria,
• Sierra Leone,
• Gambia
• Golden shore.

In the Indian Ocean

• Mauritius (island)
• Seychelles.

The colonial empire of France was not inferior in size to the British, but the population of its colonies was several times smaller, and the natural resources were poorer. Most of the French possessions were located in West and Equatorial Africa, and a large part of their territory fell on the Sahara, the adjacent semi-desert Sahel region and tropical forests:

• French Guinea (now the Republic of Guinea),
• Ivory Coast (Cote d'Ivoire),
• Upper Volta (Burkina Faso),
• Dahomey (Benin),
• Mauritania,
• Niger,
• Senegal,
• French Sudan (Mali),
• Gabon,
• Middle Congo (Republic of the Congo),
• Ubangi-Shari (Central African Republic),
• French coast of Somalia (Djibouti),
• Madagascar,
• Comoros,
• Reunion.

Portugal owned Angola, Mozambique, Portuguese Guinea (Guinea-Bissau), which included the Cape Verde Islands (Republic of Cape Verde), Sao Tome and Principe.

Belgium owned the Belgian Congo (Democratic Republic of the Congo, and in 1971-1997 - Zaire), Italy - Eritrea and Italian Somalia, Spain - Spanish Sahara (Western Sahara), Northern Morocco, Equatorial Guinea, Canary Islands; Germany - German East Africa (now - the continental part of Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi), Cameroon, Togo and German South-West Africa (Namibia).

The main incentives that led to the heated battle between the European powers for Africa are considered to be economic ones. Indeed, the desire to exploit the natural wealth and population of Africa was of paramount importance. But it cannot be said that these hopes were immediately justified. The south of the continent, where the world's largest deposits of gold and diamonds were discovered, began to give huge profits. But before generating income, large investments were first needed to explore natural resources, create communications, adapt the local economy to the needs of the metropolis, to suppress the protests of the indigenous people and find effective ways to make them work for the colonial system. All this took time. Another argument of the ideologues of colonialism was not immediately justified either. They argued that the acquisition of colonies would create many jobs in the metropolises themselves and eliminate unemployment, since Africa would become a capacious market for European products and huge construction of railways, ports, and industrial enterprises would unfold there. If these plans were implemented, then more slowly than expected, and on a smaller scale. The argument that the surplus population of Europe would move to Africa turned out to be untenable. The resettlement flows turned out to be less than expected, and were mainly limited to the south of the continent, Angola, Mozambique, Kenya - countries where the climate and other natural conditions were suitable for Europeans. The countries of the Gulf of Guinea, dubbed "the white man's grave," seduced few.

Period of colonial rule

African Theater of World War I

The First World War was a struggle for the redivision of Africa, but it did not affect the lives of most African countries particularly strongly. Military operations covered the territories of the German colonies. They were conquered by the Entente troops and after the war, by decision of the League of Nations, they were transferred to the Entente countries as mandated territories: Togo and Cameroon were divided between Great Britain and France, German South-West Africa went to the Union of South Africa (SA), part of German East Africa - Rwanda and Burundi - was transferred to Belgium, the other - Tanganyika - to Great Britain.

With the acquisition of Tanganyika, an old dream of the British ruling circles came true: a continuous strip of British possessions arose from Cape Town to Cairo. After the end of the war, the process of colonial development of Africa accelerated. The colonies were increasingly turning into agricultural and raw material appendages of the metropolises. Agriculture is increasingly export-oriented.

Interwar period

In the interwar period, the composition of agricultural crops grown by Africans changed dramatically - the production of export crops increased sharply: coffee - 11 times, tea - 10, cocoa beans - 6, peanuts - more than 4, tobacco - 3 times, etc. E. An increasing number of colonies became countries of monocultural economy. On the eve of the Second World War, in many countries from two-thirds to 98% of the value of all exports came from any one crop. In the Gambia and Senegal, peanuts became such a crop, in Zanzibar - cloves, in Uganda - cotton, on the Gold Coast - cocoa beans, in French Guinea - bananas and pineapples, in Southern Rhodesia - tobacco. In some countries there were two export crops: on the Ivory Coast and in Togo - coffee and cocoa, in Kenya - coffee and tea, etc. In Gabon and some other countries, valuable forest species became a monoculture.

The emerging industry - mainly mining - was designed for export to an even greater extent. She developed quickly. In the Belgian Congo, for example, copper mining increased more than 20 times between 1913 and 1937. By 1937, Africa occupied an impressive place in the capitalist world in the production of mineral raw materials. It accounted for 97% of all mined diamonds, 92% of cobalt, more than 40% of gold, chromites, lithium minerals, manganese ore, phosphorites and more than a third of all platinum production. In West Africa, as well as in most parts of East and Central Africa, export products were produced mainly on the farms of the Africans themselves. European plantation production did not take root there because of the difficult climatic conditions for Europeans. The main exploiters of the African manufacturer were foreign companies. Export agricultural products were produced on farms owned by Europeans located in the Union of South Africa, Southern Rhodesia, part of Northern Rhodesia, Kenya, South West Africa.

African Theater of World War II

The fighting during the Second World War on the African continent is divided into two areas: the North African campaign, which affected Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco and was integral part the most important Mediterranean theater of operations, as well as the autonomous African theater of operations, the battles in which were of secondary importance.

During the Second World War, military operations in Tropical Africa were conducted only in Ethiopia, Eritrea and Italian Somalia. In 1941, British troops, together with Ethiopian partisans and with the active participation of the Somalis, occupied the territories of these countries. In other countries of Tropical and South Africa, military operations were not conducted (with the exception of Madagascar). But hundreds of thousands of Africans were mobilized in the armies of the mother countries. An even greater number of people had to serve the troops, work for military needs. Africans fought in North Africa, Western Europe, the Middle East, Burma, Malaya. On the territory of the French colonies, there was a struggle between the Vichy and supporters of the "Free France", which, as a rule, did not lead to military clashes.

Decolonization of Africa

After the Second World War, the process of decolonization of Africa quickly began. 1960 was declared the Year of Africa - the year of the liberation of the largest number of colonies. In this year, 17 states gained independence. Most of them are French colonies and UN trust territories administered by France: Cameroon, Togo, Malagasy Republic, Congo (former French Congo), Dahomey, Upper Volta, Ivory Coast, Chad, Central African Republic, Gabon, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Mali. The most independent were proclaimed large country Africa in terms of population - Nigeria, which belonged to Great Britain, and the largest in terms of territory - the Belgian Congo. British Somalia and the Italian-administered Trust Somalia were merged to become the Somali Democratic Republic.

1960 changed the whole situation on the African continent. The dismantling of the rest of the colonial regimes has already become inevitable. Sovereign states were proclaimed:

• in 1961 the British possessions of Sierra Leone and Tanganyika;
• in 1962 - Uganda, Burundi and Rwanda;
• in 1963 - Kenya and Zanzibar;
• in 1964 - Northern Rhodesia (which called itself the Republic of Zambia, after the name of the Zambezi River) and Nyasaland (Malawi); in the same year, Tanganyika and Zanzibar merged to form the Republic of Tanzania;
• in 1965 - Gambia;
• in 1966 - Bechuanaland became the Republic of Botswana and Basutoland became the Kingdom of Lesotho;
• in 1968 - Mauritius, Equatorial Guinea and Swaziland;
• in 1973 - Guinea-Bissau;
• in 1975 (after the revolution in Portugal) - Angola, Mozambique, the Cape Verde Islands and Sao Tome and Principe, as well as 3 of the 4 Comoros (Mayotte remained the possession of France);
• in 1977 - the Seychelles, and French Somalia became the Republic of Djibouti;
• in 1980 - Southern Rhodesia became the Republic of Zimbabwe;
• in 1990 - Trust Territory of South West Africa - Republic of Namibia.

The declaration of independence of Kenya, Zimbabwe, Angola, Mozambique and Namibia was preceded by wars, uprisings, guerrilla struggle. But for most African countries, the final stage of the journey was passed without major bloodshed, it was the result of mass demonstrations and strikes, the negotiation process, and, in relation to the trust territories, the decisions of the United Nations.

Due to the fact that the borders of African states during the "race for Africa" ​​were drawn artificially, without taking into account the resettlement of various peoples and tribes, as well as the fact that the traditional African society was not ready for democracy, civil wars began in many African countries after gaining independence. war. Dictators came to power in many countries. The resulting regimes are characterized by disregard for human rights, bureaucracy, totalitarianism, which in turn leads to economic crisis and growing poverty.

Currently under the control of European countries are:

• Spanish enclaves in Morocco Ceuta and Melilla, Canary Islands (Spain),
• St. Helena, Ascension, Tristan da Cunha and Chagos Archipelago (UK),
• Reunion, Eparse and Mayotte Islands (France),
• Madeira (Portugal).

Change of state names

During the period of African countries gaining independence, many of them changed their names for various reasons. These could be secessions, unifications, regime changes or the acquisition of sovereignty by the country. The phenomenon of renaming African proper names (names of countries, personal names of people) in order to reflect African identity has been called Africanization.

* The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire did not change its name as such, but required that other languages ​​use the French name of the country (French Côte d'Ivoire), and not its literal translation into other languages ​​(Ivory Coast, Ivory Coast, Elfenbeinküste, etc.).

Geographic research

David Livingston

David Livingston decided to study the rivers of South Africa and find natural passages deep into the mainland. He sailed the Zambezi, discovered the Victoria Falls, defined the watershed of Lake Nyasa, Taganika and the Lualaba River. In 1849, he was the first European to cross the Kalahari Desert and explore Lake Ngami. During his last trip he tried to find the source of the Nile.

Heinrich Barth

Heinrich Barth established that Lake Chad is drainless, was the first European to study the rock paintings of the ancient inhabitants of the Sahara and expressed his assumptions about climate change in North Africa.

Russian explorers

Mining engineer, traveler Egor Petrovich Kovalevsky helped the Egyptians in search of gold deposits, studied the tributaries of the Blue Nile. Vasily Vasilyevich Junker explored the watershed of the main African rivers - the Nile, the Congo and the Niger.

Geography of Africa

Africa covers an area of ​​30.3 million km². The length from north to south is 8 thousand km, from west to east in the northern part - 7.5 thousand km.

Relief

For the most part - flat, in the north-west are the Atlas Mountains, in the Sahara - the highlands of Ahaggar and Tibesti. In the east - the Ethiopian Highlands, to the south of it the East African Plateau, where the volcano Kilimanjaro (5895 m) is located - the highest point on the mainland. To the south are the Cape and Dragon Mountains. The most low point(157 meters below sea level) is located in Djibouti, this salt Lake Assal. most deep cave is Anu Ifflis, located in northern Algeria in the Tel Atlas mountains.

Minerals

Africa is known primarily for its richest deposits of diamonds (South Africa, Zimbabwe) and gold (South Africa, Ghana, Mali, Republic of the Congo). There are large oil fields in Nigeria and Algeria. Bauxites are mined in Guinea and Ghana. The resources of phosphorites, as well as manganese, iron and lead-zinc ores are concentrated in the zone of the northern coast of Africa.

Inland waters

Africa has one of the longest rivers in the world - the Nile (6852 km), flowing from south to north. Other major rivers are the Niger in the west, the Congo in central Africa, and the Zambezi, Limpopo and Orange rivers in the south.

The largest lake is Victoria. Other large lakes are Nyasa and Tanganyika, located in lithospheric faults. One of the largest salt lakes is Lake Chad, located on the territory of the state of the same name.

Climate

Africa is the hottest continent on the planet. The reason for this is the geographical location of the mainland: the entire territory of Africa is located in hot climatic zones and the mainland is crossed by the equator line. It is in Africa that the hottest place on Earth is located - Dallol, and the highest temperature on Earth (+58.4 ° C) was recorded.

Central Africa and the coastal regions of the Gulf of Guinea belong to the equatorial belt, where heavy rainfall occurs throughout the year and there is no change of seasons. To the north and south of the equatorial belt are subequatorial belts. Here, humid equatorial air masses dominate in summer (rainy season), and in winter - dry air of tropical trade winds (dry season). To the north and south of the subequatorial belts are the northern and southern tropical belts. They are characterized by high temperatures with low rainfall, which leads to the formation of deserts.

To the north is the largest desert on Earth, the Sahara Desert, to the south, the Kalahari Desert. The northern and southern extremities of the mainland are included in the corresponding subtropical belts.

Fauna of Africa, Flora of Africa

The flora of the tropical, equatorial and subequatorial zones is diverse. Ceiba, pipdatenia, terminalia, combretum, brachistegia, isoberlinia, pandanus, tamarind, sundew, pemphigus, palm trees and many others grow everywhere. The savannas are dominated by low trees and thorny shrubs (acacia, terminalia, bush).

Desert vegetation, on the other hand, is sparse, consisting of small communities of grasses, shrubs, and trees growing in oases, highlands, and along waters. Salt-resistant halophyte plants are found in the depressions. On the least watered plains and plateaus grow species of grasses, small shrubs and trees that are resistant to drought and heat. The flora of the desert regions is well adapted to the irregularity of rainfall. This is reflected in a wide variety of physiological adaptations, habitat preferences, the creation of dependent and related communities, and reproduction strategies. Perennial drought-resistant grasses and shrubs have an extensive and deep (up to 15-20 m) root system. Many of the herbaceous plants are ephemera, which can produce seeds in three days after sufficient moisture and sow them within 10-15 days after that.

In the mountainous regions of the Sahara desert, there is a relict Neogene flora, often related to the Mediterranean one, and many endemics. Among the relic woody plants growing in mountainous areas are some types of olive, cypress and mastic tree. There are also species of acacia, tamarisks and wormwood, doom palm, oleander, date palm, thyme, ephedra. Dates, figs, olive and fruit trees, some citrus fruits, and various vegetables are cultivated in the oases. Herbal plants that grow in many parts of the desert are represented by the genera triostnitsa, field grass and millet. Coastal grasses and other salt-tolerant grasses grow along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. Various combinations of ephemera form seasonal pastures called ashebs. Algae are found in water bodies.

In many desert areas (rivers, hamads, partially accumulations of sand, etc.), there is no vegetation cover at all. The vegetation of almost all regions has been strongly affected by human activities (grazing, gathering useful plants, procuring fuel, etc.).

A remarkable plant of the Namib Desert is tumboa, or Welwitschia (Welwitschia mirabilis). It grows two giant leaves slowly growing all its life (over 1000 years), which can exceed 3 meters in length. The leaves are attached to a stem that resembles a huge cone-shaped radish with a diameter of 60 to 120 centimeters, and sticks out of the ground for 30 centimeters. Welwitschia roots go down to a depth of 3 m. Welwitschia is known for its ability to grow in extremely dry conditions, using dew and fog as its main source of moisture. Welwitschia - endemic to the northern Namib - depicted on state emblem Namibia.

In slightly wetter areas of the desert, another well-known Namibian plant is found - nara (Acanthosicyos horridus), (endemic), which grows on sand dunes. Its fruits constitute a food base and a source of moisture for many animals, African elephants, antelopes, porcupines, etc.

Since prehistoric times, Africa has preserved the largest number of representatives of megafauna. The tropical equatorial and subequatorial zones are inhabited by a variety of mammals: okapi, antelopes (duikers, bongos), pygmy hippopotamus, brush-eared pig, warthog, galago, monkeys, flying squirrels (spine-tailed), lemurs (on the island of Madagascar), viverras, chimpanzees, gorillas, etc. Nowhere in the world is there such an abundance of large animals as in the African savannah: elephants, hippos, lions, giraffes, leopards, cheetahs, antelopes (cannes), zebras, monkeys, secretary bird, hyenas, African ostrich, meerkats. Some elephants, Kaffa buffaloes and white rhinoceroses live only in reserves.

Birds are dominated by jaco, turaco, guinea fowl, hornbill (kalao), cockatoo, marabou.

Reptiles and amphibians of the tropical equatorial and subequatorial zones - mamba (one of the most poisonous snakes in the world), crocodile, python, tree frogs, poison dart frogs and marble frogs.

In wet climatic zones the malarial mosquito and the tsetse fly are common, causing sleeping sickness in both humans and mammals.

Ecology

In November 2009, GreenPeace published a report indicating that two villages in Niger near the uranium mines of the French multinational company Areva have dangerously high levels of radiation. The main environmental problems of Africa: Desertification is a problem in the northern part, deforestation in the central part.

Political division

There are 55 countries and 5 self-proclaimed and unrecognized states in Africa. Most of them were colonies of European states for a long time and gained independence only in the 50-60s of the XX century. Before that, only Egypt (since 1922), Ethiopia (since the Middle Ages), Liberia (since 1847) and South Africa (since 1910) were independent; in South Africa and Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), until the 80-90s of the 20th century, the apartheid regime, which discriminated against the indigenous (black) population, continued. Currently, many African countries are ruled by regimes that discriminate against the white population. According to the research organization Freedom House, in recent years in many African countries (for example, in Nigeria, Mauritania, Senegal, Congo (Kinshasa) and Equatorial Guinea), there has been a trend towards authoritarian democratic achievements.

In the north of the continent are the territories of Spain (Ceuta, Melilla, Canary Islands) and Portugal (Madeira).

Spanish and Portuguese territories in North Africa:

Etymology of the names of physical and geographical objects in Africa
Gulf of Aden. Gulf of the Indian Ocean. The name was given to the city of Aden in the south of the Arabian Peninsula. According to one version, the toponym is based on the Arabic root in the meaning of "settlement". According to another interpretation, the name was formed by the term from the ancient Semitic-Hamitic languages ​​\u200b\u200bedinu - plain, steppe, which clearly reflects natural features.

Azores. Archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean. Belongs to Portugal. The Portuguese called Ilhas dos Azores - "islands of hawks" for the abundance of these birds off the coast and in the archipelago.

Amirant Islands. Archipelago in the Indian Ocean. They were discovered by the expedition of Admiral Vasco to Gama and named after him llhas de Almitante - "The Admiral's Islands".

Annobon. Island in the Gulf of Guinea. Named by the Portuguese Anno Bon - "Good Year" ( New Year), because they first set foot on the island on January 1, 1474.

Atlas. Atlas mountains. In northwest Africa. The name has a direct connection with the name of the mythical titan Atlas, who holds the earth on his mighty shoulders. The ancient Greeks deified these mountains, worshiping the mountain spirit in the form of a petrified giant supporting the Earth. So says the legend. Apparently, this was facilitated by a possible primary source from (the Berber word "adrar", which means "mountain"

Augrabis. Waterfall on the river Orange. The name comes from the Hottentot aukrebis, "great noise".

Afar. Tectonic depression in Djibouti. The lowest place in Africa (-153 m above sea level). The name is given by the name of the Afar people living in Djibouti, Eritrea and Ethiopia.

Ahaggar. Mountain range in the Central Sahara. The name comes from the name of the Tuareg tribe Kel-Ahaggar. The ethnonym, apparently, is based on the Arabic term "Akhgar" - a cave, i.e. "ahaggar" - "cave dwellers", "cave spirits".

Bab el Mandeb Strait. Separates Africa and the southwest of the Arabian Peninsula. The name comes from the Arabic words "bab" - gate, "mandib" - tears, i.e. means "gate of tears". The toponym-metaphor reflects the difficult conditions of navigation in the strait.

White Nile. The name of the middle course of the Nile to the confluence of the Blue. The Arabic name for the Bahr el-Abyad river is "white river". According to experts, the definition of "white" refers either to the cloudy color of the water, or corresponds to an unknown color orientation.

Benguela current. Cold current in the Atlantic Ocean. The name is given after the city of Benguela in Angola: in one of the Bantu languages, benguela means "country of reeds".

Benue. Leyy tributary of the river. Niger. The name comes from the Batta language, where be is "water", nue is "mother", i.e. means
"mother of waters"

Bioko. Island in the Gulf of Guinea. The Portuguese, having discovered Bioko, called it Formosa - "Beautiful" for the abundance of lush vegetation and the presence of fresh water. Later, the island was called Fernando Po in honor of the Portuguese discoverer, and in the 70s of the XX century, Macias Nguema Biyogo and the honor of the President of Equatorial Guinea. Bioko is a modified name, so it is difficult to call the true meaning.

Bush. General name for shrub formations in South Africa. The Dutch and English geographic term bush is "bush".

Vaal. River, right tributary of the river. Orange, The name was given by the Dutch Boer colonists for the color of the water: vaal - "muddy", "gray". The toponym is included in the name of one of the provinces of South Africa - Transvaal (Transvaal) - "beyond the Vaal".

wadi, oueddy. The general name of the beds of temporary watercourses in North Africa, filled with water only during the rainy season. The Arabic geographical term "wadi", "wedd" - a dry channel, a valley.

Weld. The name of an arid plateau in southern Africa. In Dutch and Afrikaans (the language of Afrikaners), veld is a vernacular geographic term meaning "field".

Victoria. Lake in East Africa, the largest on the mainland. Unlike the Victoria Falls, named by D. Livingston in honor of the Queen of Great Britain, the name of Lake Victoria was given by the traveler D. Speke. Therefore, at present, in the young African countries located on the shores of the lake, other names are offered: Umoja - "unity", Uhuru - "freedom", Shirikisho - "unification", Uhuru na Umoja - the state motto of Tanzania, inscribed on the coat of arms of the state.

Victoria. Waterfall on the river Zambezi. It was discovered by the outstanding English traveler David Livingston and named after the Queen of Great Britain. locals They call the waterfall Mosi-oa-Tunya - "thundering smoke", or Seongo - "place of the rainbow".

Virunga. volcanic mountains in East Africa. The name in the language of the Nyoro people means "volcano".

Volta. River in West Africa. The name Rio-da-Volta - "river of return" was given by the Portuguese, because. in the 15th century their ships stopped at the mouth of the river before returning to their homeland. In Ghana, on the Volta created the reservoir of the same name - one of the largest in the world (8480 km 2).

Guardafuy. Cape in the east of the Somali Peninsula. Scientists believe that the name is derived from the Portuguese word guardafu, distorted by the Arabs - "beware", which is associated with dangerous navigation conditions. There has long been a legend that, as if at the easternmost tip of the Somali peninsula, there is a magnetic mountain that attracts the iron parts of ships approaching it. As a result, the ships, approaching it, crashed against the rocks. In fact, here is the narrowest shelf zone. At strong wind, high waves, poor visibility, ships often washed up on the peninsula, and they crashed on the coastal reefs. The word "Guardafui" was a warning to sailors who sailed past this cape.

Gulf of Guinea. Gulf of the Atlantic Ocean off the western coast of Africa. It is named after the historical and geographical region of Guinea, washed by it. There are several versions of the origin of the toponym Guinea. According to one of them, the name is based on the name of the Berber tribe Kinava (the Arab scientist Ibn-Yakut mentioned the region of Kinava in the 13th century). Another point of view is based on the fact that the toponym is formed by the Berber words "agvinau" - "black" or "iguaven" - "mute" (i.e. not those who know the language Berbers) and belonged to the territory inhabited by black tribes. Later Europeans corrupted the original word into Gunua, Ginua and finally Guinea.

Strait of Gibraltar. Separates Africa from the Iberian Peninsula of Europe. Named after the rock of Gibraltar on the European side of the strait. The modern form of the name of the rock arose as a result of the centuries-old use and transformation of the primary Arabic Jebel el-Tariq - "mountain of Tariq".

Blue Nile. The largest tributary of the Nile. In Ethiopia, the river is called Abbay - "father of the waters, and in Arab countries Bahr el-Azraq - "blue river". The color name, according to some scientists, reflects the color of the water in the river, which carries bluish silt.

Good Hope. Cape in southern Africa. Discovered in 1488 by the Portuguese navigator B. Dias and named by him Cabo Tormentoso - "Cape of Storms". King João II of Portugal did not like the name and, at his behest, the cape was renamed Cabo da Bona Esperanza - "Cape of Good Hope", referring to the hope of reaching a fabulously rich and attractive India for Europeans. Some historians believe that B. Dias immediately named the cape after Good Hope, and the above version is only a historical legend. However, it is impossible to prove or disprove this hypothesis due to the lack of sources contemporary to Dias' voyage.

dragon mountains. Located in South Africa. It is assumed that the mountains are named after one of the European colonizers, the harrow Drakenstein. Etymologically, the surname consists of two words: draken - "dragon", stein - "stone".

Zambezi. River in South Africa. Previously, the name of the river on the maps was transmitted in various ways; Ambezi, Luambezi, Liambey, etc. According to modern toponymists, the primary form of the name is Ambezi (or Ambey), which in local languages Bantu means "big river". The name of the river in the middle course in the Tonga language, Murongo-Mucuri, has the same meaning, which is a tracing paper of the main toponym.

Zanzibar. An island in the Indian Ocean off the east coast of Africa. The toponym comes from the Persian term "bar" - "shore", "edge" and the ethnonym "zinj", which is based on the Arabic or Persian "zang", "zeng" - "black". Zinji is the collective name for the Negroid tribes of East Africa in medieval Muslim literature.

Cape Green. It is located on the peninsula of the same name to the east of Cape Almadi. Named in 1445 by the Portuguese D. Diasem Cabo Verde - "Green Cape", because. was the first dry land covered with tropical flora, which contrasted sharply with the sands of the Sahara.

Cape Verde Island. Archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean. Named after m. Green, against which it is located. The transfer of the name of the islands into other languages ​​is accepted in the form of a translation, in contrast to the name of the state located on them.

Needle. Cape, the southernmost tip of Africa. Discovered in 1488 by B. Dias and named by him Cabo Sao Brandao - St. Brandan's Cape, because. the discovery took place on the day of this saint. However, the name was soon changed, and the cape was mapped under the name Agulhas - Agulhas. The word agulha in Portuguese means "needle", "arrow". Modern toponymists see the Portuguese metaphorical term agulha as the basis of the name, meaning "peak", "top". Proceeding from this, the toponym is interpreted as "cape of peaks", and the reason for the nomination was the sharpness of the rocky cape.

Go-Amin-Dada; Edward. Lake in East Africa. Opened in the 19th century. and named Edward in honor of the Crown Prince of Great Britain. In 1971, President Idi Amin Dada came to power in Uganda, and the lake was named after him. To this day, both names have been preserved behind the reservoir.

Cabarega. Waterfall and national park on the river Victoria Nile in Uganda. The waterfall was discovered in the 19th century. and named Murchison in honor of Rodrik Murchison, eminent geologist, president of the Royal Geographical Society of London. In 1962, it was renamed in honor of the national hero of Uganda, the fighter against the British colonialists Kabarega Chwa II.

Kalahari. A semi-desert region in South Africa. At the heart of the toponym is a geographical term from the Hottentot language karaha - "area of ​​sand and stone." The popular interpretation of the name from the Tswana language in the past, where karri-karri - "tormented by thirst" or "painful", is now recognized by toponymists as unlikely. The Dutch Boer settlers called the semi-desert Bosjeveld - "field of thorny bushes", which reflected the specifics of vegetation.

Cameroon. Volcanic massif in Equatorial Africa. The Portuguese slave merchant Fernand Gomizh, sailing past the coast of Africa in the equatorial waters of the Gulf of Guinea, noticed high mountain about which he wanted to know more. He sent a detachment of daredevils deep into the mainland. On the way they met an obstacle in the form of a small river with clean clear water, which was very handy, since they needed to replenish their supplies. drinking water. Having filled the barrels with delicious water, the sailors saw an abundance of crabs in the river, after which, for fun, they caught crabs and shrimp and delivered them to the ship. And the river flowing in close proximity to the mountain was called Rio des Camaroes (camarues), which means "river of crabs" in Portuguese. At the same time, Mount Cameroon also received this name, and later the state was named that way. Locals have long had a superstitious fear of the snowy volcanic peak of Cameroon and call it "Maongo ma Loba", which means "mountain of heaven" or "mountain of God".

Canary Islands. Archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean. Belongs to Spain. The islands were known in ancient times under the Latin name Insulas Fortunatae. The Spaniards, who visited the archipelago at the beginning of the 15th century, called them islas Canarias - "dog islands". According to one version, the sailors saw a large number of dogs on the shores of the islands, which was the reason for the appearance of the toponym. According to another version, the archipelago was named after the main island of Gran Canaria. and the island fairyland Canaria, mentioned in medieval European legends.

Canary Current. Cold current in the Atlantic Ocean. Named after the Canary Islands.

Cape Mountains. Located in southern Africa. They are named after the Cape Colony founded by the Dutch, which received its name from its original location on the Cape of Good Hope (Dutch. Kaar - "cape"). With the expansion of the colony, the name spread to the mountains. Folk etymology connects the toponym with the Dutch kaar - "profit", i.e. the colony was supposedly so named for the fact that it brought a lot of income to the treasury. However, there is no scientific evidence for this interpretation.

Carr. General name for semi-desert plateaus and intermountain depressions in South Africa. The name is based on the Hottentot geographical term karusa, modified by the Boers - "dry", "anhydrous", which clearly reflects the natural conditions.

Kenya. Volcanic massif in East Africa. Toponymists see the Masai term "kee-niya" - "white mountain" as the basis of the toponym, which is associated with the presence of glaciers and snow on the top of the mountain.

Kilimanjaro. Volcanic massif in East Africa. The highest point of the mainland. Scientists associate the origin of the name Kilimanjaro with a word distorted by Europeans from the Swahili language, which means "mountain of the god of cold", or, according to another version, "mountain that shines".

Comoros. Archipelago in the Mozambique Channel of the Indian Ocean. The islands have been known to the Arabs since the 8th century, and it was they who named the archipelago Jezair al-Komr - "Islands of the Moon", which was associated with the spread of the cult of this luminary. The Portuguese borrowed the Arabic name in a distorted form of Somoges, which was fixed on European maps.

Congo; Zaire. River in Equatorial Africa. The mouth of the river was discovered in the 15th century. the Portuguese D.Kan called it Rio da Padrao - "padran river" (padran - a stone pillar that the Portuguese erected in honor of discoveries, carving on it a coat of arms, the name of the king and discoverer). The name did not stick, and the river was renamed Congo - that was the name of the country and the people who lived in it before the arrival of Europeans. Locals call the river differently in different parts of the course: Nzadi or Nzari - "the river that absorbs all others" or "the great river" (the distorted form of Zaire appeared from given name), Zembere - "mother of the waters"; Kulla - "great water", and in the upper reaches of Lualaba - "big rea".

Red sea. Sea of ​​the Indian Ocean between Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. In ancient Egypt, it was called the Great Greens, later - the Arabian Gulf, among the Greeks Pelagos Eritre ("erythros" - "red"), from where it came into European languages ​​in a translated form. There are several versions of the origin of the toponym. According to one of them, the name is given for the red hue of the water in the sea. Another version is based on the ancient color orientation among the peoples of the East, where the south was indicated by red. Another variant of interpretation of the toponym was noted - from the ethnic name ancient tribe Khamarites, which meant "red".

Kruger. National park in South Africa. Named in honor of Stephanus Kruger - President of the Boer Republic of Transvaal: commander of the Boer army in the war with Great Britain 1899-1902.

Libyan desert. Located in the Sahara. The name is given by the ancient name of Africa - Libya, which comes from the ethnonym "libu".

livingstone waterfalls. Located in the lower reaches of the river. Congo (Zaire). Named after the outstanding explorer of Africa, a Scot by origin, D. Livingston.

Limpopo. River in South Africa. The etymology of the name is unknown. The Dutch Boer colonists called the Crocodil River - "Crocodile River" for the abundance of these reptiles in its waters.

Mauritius. Island in the Indian Ocean. The Dutch, having captured the island, named it Mauritius - Mauritius in honor of the Dutch prince Mauritius (Mauritius; Maurice) of Orange.

Maghreb. The common Arabic name for the northwest of Africa since the early Middle Ages: "Maghrib" - West.

Madagascar. Island in the Indian Ocean. Known to Arab sailors as Jezira al-Komr - "island of the moon", which is associated with the cult of this luminary. In the XVI century. The Portuguese named the island Sao Lourenzo - St. Lawrence, because saw the land of Madagascar on the day of this saint. The French, having conquered the island in the 19th century, called it Ile Dauphine - "the island of the Dauphin" (ie the heir to the throne). Malagasy call their homeland Nossi Damba - "island of wild boars" or Tani-Be - "great". The toponym Madagascar in the distorted form Madeigaskar is first found in Marco Polo (XIII century). According to scientists, it is based on the ethnic name Malagasy, as the inhabitants of the island are now called.

Madeira. Archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean. Belongs to Portugal. The Portuguese called Maderia - Forest, because. indeed was covered with forests, later completely cut down. The earliest names of the archipelago: among the Carthaginians Al-Agnam - "island of goats" (for the abundance of these animals), among the Romans Insulae Purpurinae - "islands of purple" (for the paint mined there).

Manyara. National park in Tanzania. Named after the lake Manyara, around which is located. The etymology of the hydronym is unknown.

Mascarene Islands. Archipelago in the Indian Ocean. Opened in the 16th century. Portuguese expedition of Pedro de Mascarenhas (Mascarenhas) and named after him.

Mobutu-Sese-Seko. Lake in East Africa. Opened in the 19th century. The British named Albert in honor of Queen Victoria's husband. In 1973, it was renamed in honor of the President of Zaire, Mobutu Ssse Seko. The locals call the reservoir Mbutan Nzighe - "the reservoir of dead shells" for the abundance of shellfish on the shores, or Nyasa - the geographical term for "lake" in the Bantu languages. Perhaps one of these names will become the new official, which is associated with the death of President Mobutu.

Mozambique Channel. Divides Africa and about. Madagascar. Named after the state of Mozambique. A similar origin of the name of the warm Mozambique Current in the Indian Ocean.

Nakuru. National park in Kenya. Named after the lake Nakuru, within the limits of which he was created. The etymology of the hydronym is unknown.

Namib. Desert in southwestern Africa. There are two versions of the origin of the toponym from the languages ​​of the Hottentot tribes. According to one of them namib - "shield"; on the other - "that which is bypassed" (dangerous, lifeless). The second interpretation reflects the complexity natural conditions in a desert,

Nasser. Reservoir on the river. Nile in Egypt. It is named after the President of Egypt, Gamal Abdel Nasser, during whose reign the reservoir was created and the Aswan Dam was built.

Ngorongoro. Reserve in Tanzania. Named after vol. Ngorongoro, in the crater of which it is located. The etymology is unknown.

Niger. River in West Africa. The name is a Berber name of the river N "Egiren - "river" distorted by the Portuguese and other Europeans. In different parts of the course it has different names in local languages: in the upper Jolib - "big water"; in the middle and lower Kuara - "river", Issa Bari - "great river" Mayo - "river" The explanation of the name from the word niger in the meaning of "black" from European languages ​​is considered incorrect by modern toponymists.

Nile. The longest river in Africa and the whole world. The oldest form of the name of the river Aur is "hidden" (i.e., with an unknown source). The Egyptians called her Hapi in honor of the god of fertility and harvest. Modern Arabs call the river El-Bahr - "river". The toponym Nile in the form of Neilos is first found among the ancient Greeks. The Romans borrowed it as Nilus. According to one version, the toponym is based on the ancient Semitic term "nagal" - "river", changed by the Greeks. According to another version, the Greeks borrowed from the Libyan tribes the word lil - "water", distorting it into nil. Philologists note the possibility of such a transformation.

Nubian desert. Located in northeast Africa. It is named after the historical region of Nubia, located between the Nile rapids. The toponym is based on the ancient Egyptian word "nuba" - "gold". In ancient times, the largest mines were located here, from where gold came to the palace of the pharaohs.

Nyasa; Malawi. Lake in East Africa. The toponym is formed by a popular geographical term from the Bantu languages ​​nyasa - "lake". In the Republic of Malawi, the lake is officially called Malawi after the main people of this country.

Orange. River in South Africa. The Hottentots called it Kai Garib - Big River, the Dutch settlers of the Boers Groat River with the same meaning. At all times, people often gave names to objects (rivers, lakes) according to the color of the water or the coast. But the name of the Orange River has nothing to do with color. This name was given to her by settlers from the Netherlands (Holland) Boers in honor of the princes of Orange - the then rulers of the Netherlands. With someone's light hand, and perhaps through transformation, the name Oranskaya turned into Orange.

Principe. Island in the Gulf of Guinea. Opened in the 15th century. Portuguese expedition and named Principi - "first", because. was the first island discovered by this expedition. According to another version - "Prince".

Reunion. Island in the Indian Ocean. Named at the end of the 18th century by the French Reunion - "Connection", because. the inhabitants of the island decided to unite with Fr. Mauritius into a single administrative region. The name has changed several times: in the XVI century. Portuguese Santa Apollonia (in honor of St. Apollonia), in the 19th century. - Bonapart (in honor of Napoleon), Ile de Burbon - "Bourbon Island" (in honor of the dynasty of kings). Since 1848 - again Reunion.

Rwenzori. Mountain range in East Africa. The height of the mountains is reflected in their name: in the local Bantu languages ​​ruwenzori means "lord of the clouds". A national park in Uganda is also named after the mountains.

Savannah. Borrowed by the Spaniards at the end of the 15th century. from the language of the Carib Indians (or Arawaks), where sabana is "high-grass plain", "open space". General name for a zonal landscape type.

San Tome. Island in the Gulf of Guinea. Opened by the Portuguese on the day of St. Tome (Thomas) and named Sao Tome in his honor.

Sahara. Desert in North Africa. The name is formed by the Arabic geographical term "sahara" - "desert" in the plural form, i.e. Sahara - "deserts". According to philologists, the term is based on the Arabic "ashar" - "reddish", which reflects the dominant color and color background of the desert.

Sahel. A band of semi-deserts and desertified savannahs in North Africa. The name was given by the Arabs in the Middle Ages; "sahel" - "coast", "edge", "border", or rather - "coast of the desert".

Saint Helena island. Located in the Atlantic Ocean. Discovered by the Portuguese on St. Helena and is named after her. Received worldwide fame as a place of exile and death of Napoleon Bonaparte.

Seychelles. Archipelago in the Indian Ocean. Named in the 18th century. French in honor of the Minister of Finance Moro de Setelle (Seychelles)

Senegal. River in West Africa. According to one version, the toponym is based on the name of the Berber tribe Senega, go Sankhaya. Other toponymists believe that the name of the ancient city of Senegana was transferred to the river. In the past, the toponym was explained as "navigable", but due to lack of evidence, modern scientists do not consider this option.

Serengeti. National park in Tanzania. It is named after the Serengeti plateau, within which it is located. The toponym is based on the term from the Maasai language serenget - "open space", which fully corresponds to geographical realities - vast savannahs on the territory of the plateau.

Socotra. Island in the Indian Ocean. The name of the island was given by Indian sailors: Dvipa Sakhadara - "the island of the harbinger of good luck." Later, this name, reflecting the importance of the island as the most important junction point on the ancient sea routes from India to the west, was transformed under the influence of Arabic in Socotra.

Africa is the second largest continent on planet Earth. The first in size is the mainland Eurasia. There is another part of the world, which is also called Africa. This article will consider Africa as the mainland of the planet.

In terms of its area, the size of Africa is 29.2 million km2 (with islands - 30.3 million km2), which is about 20% of the entire land surface of the planet. The mainland of Africa is washed by the Mediterranean Sea on the north coast, the west coast is washed by the Atlantic Ocean, in the south and east the continent is washed by the Indian Ocean, and the northeast coast is washed by the Red Sea. There are 62 states on the territory of Africa, of which 54 are independent states, and the population of the entire continent is about 1 billion people. By clicking on the link you can see the full list of African countries in the table.

The size of Africa from north to south is 8,000 kilometers, and when viewed from east to west, it is approximately 7,500 kilometers.

Extreme points on mainland Africa:

1) The easternmost point of the mainland is Cape Ras Hafun, which is located on the territory of the state of Somalia.

2) Most northern point This mainland is Cape Blanco, which is located in the Republic of Tunisia.

3) The westernmost point of the continent is Cape Almadi, which is located on the territory of the Republic of Senegal.

4) And finally, the most south point The mainland of Africa is Cape Agulhas, which is located on the territory of the Republic of South Africa (South Africa).

Relief of Africa

Most of the mainland is made up of plains. The following relief forms predominate: highlands, plateaus, stepped plains and plateaus. The mainland is conditionally divided into High Africa (where the heights of the mainland reach a size of over 1000 meters - the southeast of the mainland) and Low Africa (where the heights reach a size mostly less than 1000 meters - the northwestern part).

The highest point on the mainland is Mount Kilimanjaro, which reaches a height of 5895 meters above sea level. Also in the south of the mainland there are the Drakon and Cape Mountains, in the east of Africa there is the Ethiopian Highlands, and to the south of it is the East African Plateau, in the northwest of the continent are the Atlas Mountains.

In the north of the mainland is the most large desert on the planet - the Sahara, in the south is the Kalahari Desert, and in the southwest of the mainland there is the Namib Desert.

At the same time, the lowest point of the mainland is the bottom of the salt lake Assal, the depth of which reaches 157 meters below sea level.

Climate of Africa

The climate of Africa can be put in first place among all the continents in terms of warmth. This is the hottest continent, since it is completely located in the hot climatic zones of the planet Earth and is crossed by the equator line.

Central Africa is located in the equatorial belt. This belt is characterized by high precipitation and there is no change of seasons. To the south and north of the equatorial belt there are subequatorial belts, which are characterized by a rainy season in summer and a dry season in winter at high air temperatures. If you follow further south and north after the subequatorial belts, then the northern and southern tropical belts follow, respectively. Such belts are characterized by low precipitation at fairly high air temperatures, which leads to the formation of deserts.

African inland waters

The inland waters of Africa are uneven in structure, but at the same time vast and extended. On the mainland, the longest river is the Nile River (the length of its system reaches 6852 km), and the Congo River is considered the most full-flowing river (the length of its system reaches 4374 km), which is famous for being the only river that crosses the equator twice.

There are lakes on the mainland. The largest lake is Lake Victoria. The area of ​​this lake is 68 thousand km2. Greatest depth reaches 80 m in this lake. The lake itself is the second largest fresh lake in terms of its area on planet Earth.

30% of the land mass of mainland Africa is desert, in which water bodies can be temporary, that is, dry up completely at times. But at the same time, usually in such desert regions, The groundwater located in artesian basins.

Flora and fauna of Africa

The African continent is famous for its diversity of both flora and fauna. Tropical rainforests grow on the continent, which are replaced by light forests and savannahs. In the subtropical zone, mixed forests can also be found.

The most common plants in the forests of Africa are palms, ceiba, sundew and many others. But in the savannas, most often you can find thorny shrubs and small trees. The desert is distinguished by a small variety of plants growing in it. Most often these are grasses, shrubs or trees in oases. Many areas of the desert have no vegetation at all. A special plant in the desert is the amazing Velvichia plant, which can live for more than 1000 years, it releases 2 leaves that grow throughout the life of the plant and can reach a length of 3 meters.

Diverse in Africa and animal world. In savannah areas, grass grows very quickly and well, which attracts many herbivorous animals (rodents, hares, gazelles, zebras, etc.), and, accordingly, predators that feed on herbivorous animals (leopards, lions, etc.).

The desert at first glance may seem uninhabited, but in fact there are many reptiles, insects, birds that hunt mainly at night.

Africa has become famous for such animals as elephant, giraffe, hippopotamus, a wide variety of monkeys, zebras, leopards, dune cats, gazelles, crocodiles, parrots, antelopes, rhinos and much more. This continent is amazing and unique in its own way.

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Africa is the most hot continent on the planet, which is the second largest among the continents. It is a part of the world with a very interesting history, traditions and culture. There are many world-famous attractions, natural and cultural monuments historical significance.

The majestic pyramids of Egypt or the Pyramids of Giza

The pyramids of Giza are among the oldest buildings in the world, located near the city of Cairo. They are a complex of pyramids of different sizes, the largest of which is the pyramid of Cheops (Khufu). The Pyramid of Khufu, about one hundred and fifty meters high, the construction methods of which are still being debated between scientists, is one of the seven ancient wonders of the world. Inside the pyramid there are several rooms, they are called tombs, many descending and ascending corridors lead to them. Nearby are slightly smaller, but the same majestic and mysterious pyramids of Menkaure, Khafre and three mini-pyramids.

Great Sphinx

Not far from the Pyramids of Giza is the no less mysterious statue of the Great Sphinx. The statue is a figure of a lion with a human head, twenty meters high and over seventy meters long. According to legend, the sculpture was erected to protect the tombs of the pharaohs located in the pyramids. According to the assumptions of historians and archaeologists, there should be three passages under the monument, but so far only one has been discovered.

Valley of the Kings

The Valley of the Kings is located near the city of Luxor, at the base of Mount El Korn. The valley is famous for the multiple burials of royal persons and their confidants. Sixty graves were found on its territory, the most famous of which are the tombs of Mentuhotep, Intef, Tutankhamen, Al-Khoch, Nefertari. Because of the precious items with which the noble dead were buried, royal burials were subjected to robberies, despite all sorts of tricks to disguise the entrance to the crypt. The tomb of Tutankhamen, opened in 1922, was the only tomb that was not plundered. Countless treasures were discovered here, which are now stored in the Cairo Museum. The main tourist attraction of the Valley of the Kings is the tomb of Queen Nefertari. Its walls are decorated with bas-reliefs, drawings depicting gods and excerpts from the life of the queen. And the ceiling is made in the form of a dark blue starry sky. The burial hall itself, where the sarcophagus with the body was kept, is a golden room with pictograms from the Book of the Dead carved into the walls.

Cairo Museum

The Cairo Museum in Egypt, located in Tahrir Square, was opened in 1902. The museum contains a huge number of historical exhibits dedicated to the era of the pharaohs, some of them are about five thousand years old. Among the exhibits you can see objects of ritual significance, scrolls, manuscripts, sarcophagi, statues, etc. The statue of the Colossus of Ramses II, ten meters high, made of pink granite rock, as well as a sculpture depicting Amenhotep III, amazes with huge dimensions. One of the outstanding attractions of the museum is the hall where there are eleven mummies of the pharaohs. An unforgettable impression is made by the treasury of the tomb of Tutankhamen. She is so rich that she occupies eight rooms in the museum.

Ancient city of Carthage

The city of Carthage, built in 814 BC, was at one time the center of Africa. ruins every year ancient city, located twenty kilometers from Tunisia, attract many tourists from all over the world. One of the most visited places in Carthage is the terms (baths) of Antoninus Pius, decorated with mosaics and numerous sculptures, as well as an amphitheater that can accommodate more than thirty thousand spectators, which is still used today for musical concerts, the sacrificial altar of Tophet, where the inhabitants sacrificed to the gods of their first-born.

Bandiagara

Bandiagara is a plain with ancient rocky dwellings, in which the Dogon people live to this day. About ten villages are located on the territory of Bandiagara. Among the special attractions, one can single out a mosque, rock paintings, cave burials of the ancestors of the peoples living here.

Victoria Falls

Victoria Falls is the most famous natural landmark in Africa. It is located on the border of Zimbabwe and Zambia. The size of the waterfall is huge, its height is more than a hundred meters, and its width is almost two kilometers. This beautiful place is very popular with tourists from all over the world. There are many viewing platforms for panoramic views. For active rest organized sports such as kayaking and rafting.

Dallol volcano in Ethiopia

Dallol volcano is also called the gates of hell. This is the only volcano whose crater is located below sea level. The uniqueness of the volcano gives unusually colorful landscapes. It's all about the mineral deposits washed to the surface, which have scarlet, yellow, green hues. And in the crater of the volcano itself, you can observe basalt formations of a bizarre shape. According to scientists, the activity of the volcano is not expected in the near future, so walking in this area is not dangerous. By the way, the trip to the volcano is not easy, because the terrain here is quite steep. Not far from the volcano, local tribes live, acquaintance with which will allow you to get acquainted with local traditions and the peculiarity of life outside of civilization.

Ethiopian Danakil Desert

The Danakil Desert enchants and at the same time frightens with unusually beautiful views. This is a valley of sulfur lakes and volcanoes. The lava lakes of active volcanoes fascinate with an impressive glow at night. The air here is very heavy and poisonous from sulfur fumes, but despite this, there are those who want to look at the enchanting beauty of the valley.

Giraffe Center in Kenya

The Kenya Giraffe Sanctuary was established in 1983. In the park, you can climb the bridge, from where you have a unique opportunity to take a closer look and even feed the animal right from your hands.

Valley of the Whales Wadi al-Khitan

Wadi al-Hitan is located one hundred and fifty kilometers from Cairo. The valley is a significant paleontological find discovered in 2005. The value of the find lies in the huge accumulation of the remains of ancient cetaceans, according to which scientists managed to recreate a picture of the evolution of this animal species. In addition to the remains of whales, the skeletons of turtles, crocodiles and many animals of the local fauna have also been preserved here.

Baobab Sunland

Baobab Sunland is located in South Africa, in Limpopo. The peculiarity of this tree is its incredible size. Its height is more than twenty meters, and the volume is one hundred and fifty-five. In addition, the Sunland baobab is one of the oldest plants on the planet. Many stories and legends are associated with it. Interestingly, inside the tree there is a bar with a capacity of up to forty people.

Kirstenbosch garden

The Kirstenbosch Garden in South Africa is one of the most beautiful natural areas. The reserve includes more than seven thousand representatives of the plant world of the planet. In the garden there are many houses for tourists.