Facts about the continent of Africa - Africa climate zones - Africa map physical, in short Facts about the continent of Africa.

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| Quick facts: The largest, highest, greatest and mostest! | Countries and Territories. |
| Principal Mountains. | Principal Islands. | Principal Rivers. | Principal Lakes. |

This site give you quick facts about the continent of Africa, facts about the country and number of countries in Africa, the principal mountains of Africa, the Islands of Africa, the Rivers of Africa and the Lakes of Africa.

Africa is the second largest continent, after Asia, covering about one-fifth of the total land surface of the earth. It is bound in the North by the Mediterranean sea, in the East by the Red sea and the Indian Ocean, in the South by the boundary of the Atlantic and Indian oceans off the Cape peninsula, and in the West by the Atlantic Ocean. In the north-east, untill the construction of the Suez Canal, Africa was joined to Asia via the Sinai Peninsula until the construction of the Suez Canal.

A number of islands off the coast of Africa are also considered as part of the continent. The Island of Madagascar, lying to the south-east, just in front of the "mouth" of the "face", is the largest.

Africa has an average elevation of 670 m (2,200 feet), but actual elevation ranges from 157 m (516 feet) below sea level at Lake Assal in Djibouti, to zero at the coast, to 5,896 m (19,340 feet) at Mount Kilimanjaro, its highest mountain, located in Tanzania.

The continent lies astride the equator, so that Most of Africa lies between the latitude 35º S (tropic of Cancer) and the latitude 37º N (tropic of Capricorn). This leads to a tropical climate with relatively high temperatures through-out the year.

Africa's climate is greatly affected by its position astride the Equator. Temperatures are high for most of the year, but due to the high elevation above sea-level, temperatures are more moderate than one would expect from the they are modified by elevation in the mountains and by the influence of ocean currents on the coasts. The climatic regions in Africa varies from hot desert, semiarid, tropical wet-and-dry, equatorial (tropical wet), Mediterranean, humid subtropical marine, warm temperate upland, and mountain regions.

Just like the Americas, facts about the continent of Africa reveals that it consist of many different Africa tribes, different Africas countries and various Africa climate zones. Unlike the Americas, however, North Africa and South Africa is part of the same continent.

Blank maps of Africa

As you can see from the map on facts about the continent of Africa, Africa appears to be made up of an almost eliptical horizontal part running accross the screen, and a tapered lower part, which includes South Africa.

Facts about the continent of Africa show the resemblance of this continent to what can only be identified as an African face, with a cloth wrapped around the bulging back of the head, complete with the nose and the surprised opening of the mouth, with the island of Madagascar posed in front of the mouth like an escaping morsel of food!

The lower part of the face as seen on the outline map of Africa, given on facts about Africa, represents south Africa and the shaded area, roughly where the jaw hinge of the africa face would have been, represents the exotic kalahari desert, the magical kalahari desert and the mystical Kalahari desert about which I will give you more info on other pages.Kalahari index.html

Let us consider other facts about the continent of Africa. To understand the weather of Africa, the climate of Africa and the people of Africa, which has responded to the physical map of Africa by adapting their lifestyles and customs to the climate of Africa, you must understand the factors that influence Africa's weather and climate.

Africa is of course known for its Safariss - A long line of native cariers snaking behind an intrepid explorer. Although you won't find the classical type of safariss, namely on foot, with every conceivable luxury being carried by a long line of porters, the magic is still there. Let me guide you to an unforgettable once in a lifetime experience in exotic Africa.

More facts about the continent of Africa:- The weather of Africa and the climate of Africa is regulated mainly by five factors:

The Distance from the sea (distance inland)
The presence of athmospheric high pressure cells and low pressure cells
The wind direction. Depend on previous factor.
Presence of hot or cold sea currents.
Elevation above sea-level

Quick facts: The largest, highest, greatest and mostest!

Area: 30.258.010 Km² Population: 821.050.000 Density: 27 pop/Km² Major City: Cairo (13.000.000 pop.) Highest Mountain: Kilimanjaro 5895 m Longest River: Nile 6671 Km Largest Lake: Victoria 68.100 Km² Largest Island: Madagascar 586.500 Km²

Countries and Territories

Number of countries in Africa? There are 53 countries in Africa :-

Algeria, Gabon, Nigeria, Angola, The Gambia (please note the name is not "Gambia"), Reunion, Benin, Ghana, Rwanda, Botswana, Guinea, Saint Helena (Island), Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, São Tomé and Principe, Burundi, Kenya, Senegal, Cameroon, Lesotho, Seychelles (Island), Cape Verde (Island), Liberia, Sierra Leone, Central African Republic, Libya, Somalia, Chad, Madagascar (Island), South Africa, Comoros (Island), Malawi, Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Congo (previously Zaire), Mali, Swaziland, Mauritania, Tanzania, Cote d'Ivoire or Ivory coast, Mauritius (Island), Togo, Djibouti, Mayotte, Tunisia, Egypt, Morocco, Uganda, Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique, Western Sahara, Eritrea, Namibia, Zambia, Ethiopia, Niger and Zimbabwe

Principal Mountains


    Mountain              Mountain chain    Height     Country/countries  
                                             (m)
    Kilimanjaro           Rift Valley        5895       Tanzania  
 
    Mount Kenya           Rift Valley        5199       Kenya  
 
    Ruwenzori             Mitumba Mountains  5119       Uganda/Dem.Rep.of Congo  
 
    Ras Dascian           Simen Mountains    4620       Ethiopia  
 
    Karisimbi             Mitumba Mountains  4507       Rwanda  
 
    Jebel Toubkal         High Atlas         4167       Morocco  
 
    Mont Cameroun         Adamoua            4070       Cameroon  
 
    Thaba Ntlenyana       Drakensberg        3482       Lesotho  

    Injasuti              Drakensberg        3446       South Africa  

    Emi Koussi            Tibesti            3415       Chad  
 
    Kinyeti               Al Istiwa'iyah     3187       Sudan  
 
    Jabal Marrah          Jabal Marrah       3088       Sudan  
 
    Piton des Neiges      Reunion Island     3069       Reunion (France)  
 
    Pico de Santa Isabel  Bioko Island       3008       Equatorial Guinea  
 
    Satipwa Peak          Mulanje Mountains  3002       Malawi  
 
    Tahat                 Ahaggar            2918       Algeria  
 
    Maromokotro           Tsaratanana        2876       Madagascar  
 
    Pico de Fogo          Fogo Island        2829       Cape Verde  
 
    Jabal Hamoyet         Red Sea Hills      2780       Eritrea  
 
    Serra Môco            Planalto do Bié    2620       Angola  
 
    Brandberg             Namib Desert       2606       Namibia

Principal Islands


      Island             Km²       Country        (Belongs to:)  
 
      Madagascar        586.500     Madagascar  
 
      Socotra             3.600     Yemen  
 
      Reunion             2.512     France  
 
      Tenerife            2.034     Canary Islands  (Spain)  
 
      Bioko               2.017     Equatorial Guinea  
 
      Mauritius           1.865     Mauritius  
 
      Fuerteventura       1.660     Canarias (Spain)  
 
      Zanzibar            1.660     Tanzania  
 
      Gran Canaria        1.560     Canarias (Spain)  
 
      Grande Comore       1.148     Comoros  
 
      São Tiago             991     Cape Verde  
 
      Pemba                 984     Tanzania  
 
      Lanzarote             846     Canarias (Spain)  
 
      São Tomé              836     São Tomé and Principe  
 
      Santo Antão           779     Cape Verde  
 
      La Palma              708     Canarias (Spain)  
 
      Sherbro               670     Sierra Leone  
 
      Boa Vista             620     Cape Verde  
 
      Ukerewe               560     Tanzania  
 
      Djerba                514     Tunisia

Principal Rivers


   River           Km         Countries  
  
   Nile           6671    Burundi, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda, Sudan, Egypt  
 
   Congo (Zaire)  4374    Dem. Rep. of Congo, Rep. of Congo, Angola  
 
   Niger          4184    Guinea, Mali, Niger, Benin, Nigeria  
 
   Zambezi        2736    Zambia, Angola, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique  
 
   Ubangi-Uele    2300    Dem.Rep. of Congo, Central African Republic,
                          Rep. of Congo  
 
   Orange         2092    Lesotho, South Africa, Namibia  
 
   Wabe Shebele   2050    Ethiopia, Somalia  
 
   Kasai          1950    Angola, Dem. Rep. of Congo  
 
   Cubango        1800    Angola, Namibia, Botswana  
 
   Jubba          1650    Ethiopia, Somalia  
 
   Limpopo        1600    South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique  
 
   Black Volta    1600    Burkina Faso, Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire  
 
   Lomami         1500    Dem. Rep. of Congo  
 
   Senegal        1440    Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Senegal  
 
   Benue          1400    Cameroon, Nigeria  
 
   Chari          1400    Central African Republic, Chad  
 
   Blue Nile      1370    Ethiopia, Sudan  
 
   Ogooué         1200    Rep. of Congo, Gabon  
 
   Oum er Draa    1200    Morocco, Algeria  
 
   Sangha         1200    Central African Republic, Cameroon, Rep. of Congo  
 
   Gambia         1100    Guinea, Senegal, The Gambia  
 
   Cunene         1020    Angola, Namibia  
 
   Cuanza         1000    Angola  
 
   Kwango         1000    Angola, Dem. Rep. of Congo  
 
   Rovuma         1000    Mozambique, Tanzania  
 
   Sanaga         1000    Cameroon

Principal Lakes


    Lake                 Km²        Country  
 
   Victoria            68.100   Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda  
 
   Tanganyika          32.893   Burundi, Tanzania, Dem.Rep. of Congo, Zambia  
 
   Malawi (or Nyasa)   30.800   Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania  
 
   Chad                16.300   Cameroon, Chad, Niger, Nigeria  
 
   Turkana (or Rudolf)  6.400   Ethiopia, Kenya  
 
   Albert               5.400   Uganda, Dem. Rep. of Congo  
 
   Bangweulu            5.000   Zambia  
 
   Mweru                4.920   Dem. Rep. of Congo, Zambia  
 
   Shatt al Jarid       4.900   Tunisia  
 
   Rukwa                3.700   Tanzania  
 
   Tana                 3.630   Ethiopia  
 
   Kivu                 2.650   Rwanda, Dem. Rep. of Congo  
  
   Edward               2.200   Uganda, Dem. Rep. of Congo  
 
   Kyoga                1.300   Uganda  
 
   Eyasi                1.200   Tanzania  
 
   Abaya                1.000   Ethiopia