Africa: a continent of contrasts
Africa: scale and diversity
This lesson looks at the geography of Africa.
Key questions:
- Where is Africa and what countries does it contain?
- What human, physical and environmental conditions are found in Africa?
Key concepts:
Place
Space
Scale
Diversity
Where is Africa and what countries does it contain?
Africa is one of seven continents: North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceania, Antarctica
It contains the countries of: Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Democratic Republic, Congo, Republic of , Côte d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
What human, physical and environmental conditions are found in Africa?
Africa sits astride the Greenwich Meridian and the Equator. It stretches from 38° N to 34° S. There are many different climate zones and many different ecosystems which change mainly from north to south but are also affected by relief. Contrary to popular belief it is possible to be very cold in some parts of Africa. Water resources vary enormously from one country to another but water is scarce in the desert and semi-desert areas. Population density is generally low compared to other regions of the world.
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