AFRICA: LAND OF CONTRASTS
| The continent of Africa is immense. Covering over 11,714,000 square
miles (29,987,840 square kilometers) or more than one-fifth of all the
earth's land surface, it is the second largest continent on earth. Contained
within its borders are 46 countries and territories with a total population
of more than 817,000,000 people. People and cultures are diverse, ranging
from desert nomads to pygmies of the rain forest to tribesmen of the central
plains. Most of Africa lies between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic
of Capricorn, 23.5 degrees north and south, respectively, from the equator.
These belts mark the northern and southernmost points on the earth that
have the sun overhead at noon on at least one day of the year. The area
in between these belts is called the tropics; it receives large amounts
of sunlight throughout the year and consequently has high temperatures.
The narrow strip of Africa bordering the Mediterranean Sea (north of the
Sahara) and the tip of South Africa have a climate similar to southern
California, with winter rains and moderately warm temperatures. Because
it is typical of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, this climate is
known as a Mediterranean climate.
Most of Africa is covered by desert or grassland; forest covers less than 10 percent of the land. Much of the continent is dominated by vast areas of plains that have uniform vegetation and landscape. Many animals inhabit Africa, including more than 1 570 species of mammals. Africa is linked to Asia in the northeast by the Sinai Peninsula and separated from Europe by the Mediterranean Sea. |
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