The Geography of Africa
Africa is a large and incredibly diverse continent. It features a wide range of geographic features, including towering mountains, dense rainforests, vast deserts, and winding rivers.
The continent can be divided into four or five distinct regions, each with its own unique physical geography.
North Africa borders the Mediterranean Sea and includes Africa's northern coast along with vast stretches of desert. This region is known for its arid climate. Dominating a large portion of it is the the Sahara, the world's largest desert. The region is also home to the Atlas Mountains, which run through the northwest.
On the eastern edge of North Africa is the Nile River and its delta region. The Nile is Africa's longest river and it stretches south over 4,000 miles into East Africa.
West Africa also includes a large portion of the Sahara Desert along with the Sahel. The Sahel is the of transition between the Sahara to the north and tropical savanna to the south. It is a belt of dry grassland with a hot semi-arid climate and stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea.
The Niger River is an important waterway in this region. Africa's third largest river, it covers over 2,600 miles from the Guinea Highlands to the Atlantic Ocean in the Gulf of Guinea.
Central Africa is home to the Congo River Basin, which is the second-largest river basin in the world after the Amazon. The Congo River is Africa's second longest at about 2,900 miles in length.
This region is characterized by dense tropical rainforests, savannas, and a hot and wet climate. It is also home to iconic wildlife such as gorillas, chimpanzees, and elephants.
Eastern Africa is known for its diverse landscapes, including highlands, savannas, and coastal plains. It is home to famous landmarks like Mount Kilimanjaro, the Serengeti, and the Great Rift Valley, as well as a variety of wildlife and ethnic groups.
The Horn of Africa is a large peninsula in East Africa along the southern boundary of the Red Sea that extends into the Indian Ocean.
South Africa is characterized by its desert, grasslands, and savannas, and it features natural wonders like Victoria Falls and the Okavango Delta.
The Kalahari Desert makes up a large portion of the region, with flat plateaus of rolling grasslands and tree-dotted plains called the veld surrounding it.
The Cape of Good Hope lies off the southernmost tip of Africa. The Zambezi River is the longest river in this region and flows east into the Indian Ocean.