Africa: a continent of contrasts
Dealing with common misconceptions of Africa
This lesson looks at the common misconceptions and stereotypes of Africa
Key questions:
- Is Africa a Country or a Continent?
- What are the common misconceptions about Africa?
Key concepts:
Place
Space
Physical and human processes
Diversity
What are the common misconceptions about Africa?
Africa is all too often referred to as if it is a country and people forget or do not realize that there is great diversity within this continent.
Diversity, as already stated starts with the physical environment and the spread of people but there are also huge variations in culture, language, religion and lifestyle. There is great wealth in many parts of the continent but it is shared unevenly between the countries and between the people within countries.
Although the majority of people still live in rural areas, the percentage of people in towns and cities is growing fast and many of the people are strongly influenced by western lifestyles in the urban areas.
The opportunities and the challenges faced by African countries vary widely.
Click on an activity
Downloads:
Wealth and hdi data excel spreadsheet