Africa - Afryka

Africa

Africa - the second largest continent in the world surrounded by the waters of the Mediterranean Sea, the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean, bordering the Suez Canal in Egypt With Asiaand, through the Strait of Gibraltar, separated from Europe.

Africa is diverse in terms of landscape and culture, considered an exotic region, the "Black Continent". It attracts tourists with historical buildings of ancient civilizations (North Africa, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe), wildlife, landscapes. Here is the largest desert in the world, the Sahara, or the longest river - the Nile. Numerous national parks and nature reserves attract lovers of fauna and flora, who often get to know it on safari. The continent's tourist attractiveness is reduced by: relatively poorly developed infrastructure, poverty, conflicts, and numerous stereotypes. In recent decades, however, the situation has improved and some countries have a standard of living and infrastructure similar to that of the poorer parts of Europe. Tourism is growing faster and faster, especially in Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Cape Verde, Botswana, Namibia, if Seychelles. Also subordinate to Portugal Madeira, Spain Canary Islands and France Reunion have grown in popularity.

Characteristic

Geography

Zebras in Botswana

The second largest continent (30.37 million km²), occupying 1/5 of all land on Earth. Africa is crossed by the 0 ° meridian, both tropics and the equator. The continent is mostly upland, with a smaller proportion of coastal lowlands and mountains. The most important massifs are located along the Great African Rift in the east of the continent, the Atlas Mountains in the northwest and the mountains associated with the Great Edge (Cape Mountains, Drakensberg Mountains) in the south of the continent, remnants of an older tectonic ditch from the break-up of the Gondwana supercontinent. The highest peak is Kibo (5895 m above sea level) in the Kilimanjaro massif. Apart from that, single mountain ranges, mainly of volcanic origin. The highlands of Africa are divided into the higher, south-eastern and lower northwest.

History

The continent has a long, complicated and in many ways poorly understood history. The oldest human remains were found in Ethiopia, and the oldest traces in South Africa homo sapiens going back 200,000 years. About 60 thousand years ago, the rational man left the African continent. Throughout history, many cultures and civilizations have developed in Africa, such as Ancient Egypt, Nubia, Aksum, Mali, Greater Zimbabwe, Congo. The northern part of the continent has been linked for millennia with the Mediterranean cultural circle and has had a huge impact on the history of the world.

In the 15th century, the Portuguese began exploring the continent's shores, establishing the first colonies and trading factories. Other European countries followed in its footsteps, but by the mid-19th century only 5% of Africa was subject to European colonization. White settlers in the Dutch Cape Colony around Cape Town developed a sense of Afrikaans ethnicity over time, which is the only such case in Africa. This first colonization had a significant impact on the continent due to the transatlantic slave trade. As a result, over a dozen million people were forcibly displaced, disrupting the economic and social structure of some regions. The Arabs also traded slaves on a similar scale through the Sahara and the Indian Ocean, and to a lesser extent the rulers in India. States that specialized in selling slaves also developed, such as Dahomey, Ashanti, and Zanzibar.

Beginning in the 1880s, the rapidly industrialising European countries began the "race for Africa" ​​and in three decades Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Belgium and Spain took over another 90% of the continent. Only the Empire of Ethiopia was able to resist the foreign invasion and was recognized internationally. Liberia also retained its independence, but it was a state founded by Americans who settled some of the former slaves there, and the role of the local population in power was marginal. European colonization was tragic for Africa in many respects - indigenous social, ethnic and economic relations were disturbed, the economy was subordinated to European interests, and the local population was usually treated as primitive and inferior.

After World War II, the continent was decolonized. There are currently 54 fully recognized independent states in Africa, two states with an undetermined status (Western Sahara and Somaliland) and several small dependent territories. Independence, for various reasons, did not live up to the hopes placed on it, and by the turn of the century, an increasing number of people became impoverished. Many parts of the continent suffered from wars, epidemics, dictatorships, ineffective management, intrigues of foreign powers (mainly the USA and the USSR and former colonial states), and the exploitation of foreign capital. From the twenty-first century on, the economies of many African countries began to develop at a rapid pace and the situation of the population began to gradually improve. Despite this, civil wars are still ongoing in several African countries, with the largest number of casualties in 2017 being conflicts in Somalia, Libya, northern Mali, Sudan, northern Nigeria, Egypt, the Central African Republic, South Sudan, and eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Demography

The countries of Africa are inhabited by a total of about 1.1 billion people, or 1/7 of the entire population of the Earth. It is also the least urbanized continent (approx. 39%). The biggest state is Algeria (2,381,740 km²), the most populous - Nigeria (186 million), the most densely populated - Mauritius (610 people per km²); the smallest and least populous - Seychelles (455 km², 83 thousand), the least populated - Western Sahara (1 person / km², disputed territory de facto under the control of Morocco). Africa has the highest birth rates in the world and the lowest average age of its population.

Most people in Africa profess Islam or Christianity, but often mixed up with local animistic beliefs. Muslims dominate the north and east of the continent, and Christians dominate the west, center and south.

Regions

Map-Africa-Regions-Islands.png
North Africa (Algeria, Egypt, Spanish possessions in North Africa (Ceuta, Melilla, Canary Islands) Libya, Madeira (Portugal), Morocco, Western Sahara (disputed area), Tunisia)
A Muslim-majority area bordered by the Mediterranean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, separated from the rest of the continent by the Sahara Desert. There are numerous traces of ancient civilizations, the high Atlas Mountains and the fertile Nile delta. It is one of the more developed parts of the continent with good tourist infrastructure.
Sahel (Chad, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Sudan)
Border between the desert Sahara and the savannas, populated mainly by semi-nomadic tribes professing mostly Sunni Islam. In antiquity, the Nubian civilization developed on the Nile. During the Middle Ages, the heyday of numerous kingdoms controlling the Trans-Saharan trade in salt, gold and slaves. King living at the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries MaliMansa Musa is considered the richest man in History.
West Africa (Benin, Burkina Faso, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Livery, Nigeria, Cape Verde, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo, Ivory Coast)
It includes countries located in the zone of savannas and tropical forests in the west of the continent. The economy of many countries is based on the production of palm oil, cocoa, coffee and the extraction of oil and other minerals. It is a border area between the Muslim and Christian populations, highly ethnically diverse, with many contrasts.
Central Africa (Angola, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, democratic republic of Kongo, Congo Republic, Central African Republic, South Sudan, Sao Tome and Principe)
A culturally, ethnically and landscaped region known for its wealth of natural resources and political instability, especially in the East. The Congo Basin is home to the world's second largest tropical forest, moreover, a mosaic of other plant formations rich in flora and fauna, including volcanic mountain ranges such as Cameroon and Virunga.
East Africa (Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, Tanzania, Uganda)
The area in the eastern part of the continent, which includes the countries of the Horn of Africa, the Swahili Coast, the Great African Rift. The area is diverse in terms of landscape and history, a probable place of the origin of the human species. History Ethiopia, one of the oldest countries in the world and the only one not colonized by Europeans, is at least 3,000 years old, and distinctive civilizations also arose in Somalia and on the Swahili Coast to the east Kenya and Tanzania. Here are the continent's highest mountains, with the famous Kilimanjaro, as well as numerous well-known protected areas such as Semien in Ethiopia, Masai Mara in Kenya, and Serengeti in Tanzania.
East African Islands (British Indian Ocean Territory, Comoros, Madagascar, Mayotte (France), Mauritius, Reunion (France), Seychelles, Socotra (Yemen), Somalia, Somaliland, (disputed territory), French Southern and Antarctic Territories (only a small part of the territory - Scattered Islands))
The island of Madagascar forms a separate tectonic plate and can be treated as a microcontinent. The island is known for its biodiversity and unique flora and fauna. The remaining, much smaller islands are of volcanic origin and are one of the most economically and touristy areas in Africa.
South Africa (Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha (overseas territory Great Britain) Zambia, Zimbabwe)
A region of Africa known for the mining of diamonds and gold. There are KhoiSan peoples in the west, also known as the Bushmen and Hottentots, who are known for their unique and archaic hunter-gatherer culture. In the east, the Bantu peoples formed numerous kingdoms, the most famous of which are the Greater Zimbabwe and Zulu. A large part of the area was inhabited by Europeans, which resulted in quite good infrastructure in some countries, but also high tension between the white and indigenous population. Table Mountain in Cape Town has been recognized as one of the new seven natural wonders.

The biggest cities

Johannesburg
  • Abidjan - the biggest city Ivory Coast, being its economic and cultural capital
  • Addis Ababa - founded by Emperor Menelik II in 1886, the capital and the largest city Ethiopia
  • Accra - the capital and the largest city Ghana, attracting over a million tourists annually
  • Alexandria - the second largest metropolis Egypt and one of the greatest cities of antiquity
  • Algiers - the capital and the largest city Algeria
  • Khartoum - the capital located on the Nile Sudan and the center of one of the most populous metropolises in Africa
  • Dakar - the capital and the largest city Senegal situated on Cape Verde, the westernmost point of the continent; the cultural capital West Africa
  • Dar es Salaam - main port and largest city Tanzania, known for its multiculturalism and bazaars
  • Johannesburg - the biggest city South Africa, the center of commerce, business and finance
  • Casablanca - the economic capital and the largest city Morocco and the entire Maghreb, made famous by the 1942 film Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman starring
  • Cairo - the largest city in Africa, in its vicinity (Giza) are the famous Egyptian pyramids
  • Capetown - picturesquely situated at the foot of the Table Mountain, the city founded by the Dutch in the mid-18th century attracts with its Mediterranean climate, cuisine and a rich tourist offer
  • Kinshasa - the capital and the largest city The Democratic Republic of the Congo; on the other side of the river is located Brazzaville, capital city Congo
  • Lagos - the largest metropolis in Africa and one of the fastest-populated cities in the world
  • Luanda - the capital of Angola, being the third largest Portuguese-speaking city in the world and the largest Portuguese-speaking capital
  • Nairobi - founded by the British, the capital of Kenya is an important economic center; one of the four headquarters of the United Nations (next to Geneva, New York and Vienna) is located here.

Drive

The easiest way to get there is by air. Due to low competition and relatively little interest, flights to many Sub-Saharan African countries are relatively expensive. The countries of North Africa can be reached by budget lines and charter, and to selected countries of Sub-Saharan Africa, such flights are from Germany, Great Britain, Italy and France. By land, you can cross the continent's border via Israel down Egypt (We will find ourselves in Africa only after crossing the Suez Canal). You can also sail through the Strait of Gibraltar (Spain – Morocco), and also take the ferry from Winding down Libya or z ItalianSicily down Tunisia.

Transport

Infrastructure in many parts of Africa is underdeveloped or neglected, but there are regions with a decent network of roads and railways. The fastest way to travel longer distances is by plane, and the fastest way to travel across the regions is by a car (often 4WD). Passenger railways operate fairly well in the countries of North Africa or South Africa, and individual connections also exist in other countries. Common means of transport are collective taxis and minibuses, although some cities have metro networks (Algiers, Cairo) or city railways (Addis Ababa, Alexandria, Algiers, Johannesburg, Cairo, Casablanca, Constantine, Oran, Discount, Tunis, others under construction or in a project). Many countries have intercity bus connections, although their quality may vary. River transport is well developed in some regions.

Worth seeing

World Heritage Sites in Africa

Below is a selection of attractions that are among the most visited on the continent. Most of them are inscribed on the World Heritage List (135 such places are recognized in total, most of them in Morocco, Ethiopia and South Africa).

National parks and nature reserves

  • Chobe National Park (Botswana) - protecting the nature of the Okavango Delta
  • Etosha National Park (Namibia)
  • Gorongosa National Park (Mozambique)
  • Table Mountain National Park (South Africa) - protecting the iconic mountain dominating over Cape Town and the Cape of Good Hope; a popular place for hiking, exploring the unique flora and fauna, including the African penguin colony
  • Kilimanjaro National Park (Tanzania) - protecting the highest peak of Africa
  • Kruger National Park (South Africa) - South Africa's largest national park
  • Lake Malawi National Park (Malawi) - protecting the precious aquatic ecosystems of the third largest lake in the continent
  • Masai Mara National Nature Reserve (Kenya)
  • Masoala National Park (Madagascar) - the country's largest national park protecting Madagascar's endangered wet forests
  • Reunion National Park (Reunion, France) - protecting the precious ecosystems of the volcanic island
  • Semien National Park (Ethiopia) - protecting the highest mountain range of the Abyssinian Upland
  • Serengeti National Park (Tanzania) - world famous for its African savannah fauna
  • Taï National Park (Ivory Coast) - protecting one of the last well-preserved fragments of the West African tropical forest
  • Teide National Park (Canary Islands, Spain)
  • Toubkal National Park (Morocco) - protecting the highest peaks of the Atlas Mountains
  • Virunga National Park (democratic republic of Kongo) - a park known for its mountain gorillas located in the east of the largest country in Sub-Saharan Africa
  • Niger National Park (Benin, Burkina Faso, Niger) - a cross-border national park protecting 10 thousand. km² of area in the meanders of the Niger River

Historical monuments

Historical cities

Cultural areas

  • Ashanti (Ghana) - an area of ​​a historical kingdom with preserved traditions and monuments
  • Dogon country (Mali) - An area along the Bandiagara Fault, known for its traditions, architecture and masks
  • Kalahari (Botswana, Namibia, South Africa) - a desert area inhabited by the people of KhoiSan
  • Karoo (South Africa) - semi-desert known from small towns from the times of Dutch settlement and one of the darkest nights in the world
  • Omo Valley (Ethiopia) - known for the discoveries of the oldest human remains and traditional culture
Geographical Coordinates