Africa

Author: Di Xiangping, Chief Editor of Changzhi Prefecture
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-02-01
Features: Africa's full name is the African continent, located in the southeastern part of the Eastern Hemisphere, with the equator passing through it. Some parts in the northwest and islands extend into the Western Hemisphere. It covers an area of approximately 30.2 million square kilometers, accounting for about 20% of the world's total land area and is the second-largest continent after Asia. Africa's coastline is relatively straight (compared to Europe, Africa is three times larger in area but has a shorter coastline), with few peninsulas and bays. The terrain is relatively flat, forming a highland continent. The Ethiopian Plateau is known as the "Roof of Africa," with an elevation of over 1,000 meters. Mount Kilimanjaro is Africa's highest peak, reaching an altitude of 5,895 meters. Africa has the world's largest desert, the Sahara Desert. The Sahara Desert is located in northern Africa, spanning the entire continent, with an area of 9.2 million square kilometers, accounting for one-third of Africa's total area. The southwestern part also has the Namib Desert and the Kalahari Desert. The East African Rift Valley is the world's longest rift valley, with its eastern branch starting from the mouth of the Shire River, extending northward across the Red Sea to the northern part of the Dead Sea, covering a length of about 6,400 kilometers. The rivers in Africa are characterized by gorges, rapids, and waterfalls, with abundant hydropower resources but not suitable for navigation. Major rivers include those flowing into the Atlantic, such as the Nile, Congo, Niger, Senegal, and Volta rivers; and those flowing into the Indian Ocean, such as the Zambezi, Limpopo, and Jubba rivers. Africa's lakes are concentrated in the East African Plateau, which is also part of the rift valley: Lake Malawi, Lake Tanganyika, Lake Kivu, Lake Edward, Lake Albert, Lake Victoria, and Lake Turkana. Lake Victoria is Africa's largest lake and the world's second-largest freshwater lake. Lake Tanganyika is the world's second-deepest lake. Additionally, Lake Tana, located on the Ethiopian Plateau, has an elevation of 1,830 meters and is Africa's highest lake. Lake Chad is the largest lake in an inland basin. Africa has a climate characterized by high temperatures, low rainfall, and dry conditions, earning it the nickname "the Tropical Continent." However, in some regions, such as certain Mediterranean coastlines and highland areas, the climate is cool and even enjoys a spring-like weather year-round. Africa is rich in natural resources, with substantial reserves of oil, natural gas, iron, manganese, chromium, cobalt, nickel, vanadium, copper, aluminum, zinc, tin, uranium, and phosphates. Gold and diamonds are particularly renowned. Africa has more than 40,000 plant species, many of which are rare or unique. Forests cover 21% of Africa's total area, with a variety of valuable timber such as teak, ebony, rosewood, copal, blackwood, camphorwood, oak, walnut, and mahogany, all abundant in supply. Africa's grasslands are vast, covering 27% of the continent, with great potential for livestock farming. Africa's fishery resources are also abundant. The economy of Africa is underdeveloped, making it the continent with the lowest level of economic development in the world. According to the United Nations, most of the world's least developed countries are in Africa. Agriculture is the backbone of Africa's economy, with most countries being agrarian. The cultivation of cash crops such as coffee, cocoa, sugarcane, cotton, peanuts, palm oil, cashews, and sisal accounts for a significant portion of agricultural output. Industrial infrastructure is weak, with outdated management and technology. Transportation is also in a backward state. Africa is both ancient and young. It is called ancient because it is one of the birthplaces of humankind, where African people created splendid ancient civilizations. More than 200,000 years ago, "South Africans" in southern and eastern Africa began using stone tools. Many regions established well-governed slave states before the Common Era. River valleys, such as the Nile and Niger river basins, developed their own brilliant ancient civilizations. After the Common Era, most regions successively formed tribal states. Regrettably, starting from the modern era, African countries one by one fell under European colonial rule, losing their independence, a state of affairs that lasted for more than a century. As a result, when people opened maps from the 1950s, they would find that there were very few independent countries in Africa at that time. Most countries gained independence after 1960, and many of them have only been established for less than 40 years. In this sense, Africa is a young continent. The national independence movements that rose in Africa in the 1960s were one of the world's great political events of the 20th century. Ultimately, they overthrew Western colonial rule and hold significant historical importance for the advancement of humanity. Africa has a population of 748 million, making it the second-most populous continent in the world. Africa's ethnic issues are highly complex. Most ethnic groups remain in a tribal state. The number of tribes in Africa is unparalleled in the world. Some sources estimate there are as many as 3,000 tribes, while the conservative figure is 250. The vast difference in numbers is due to the fact that some tribes are very similar, making it possible to classify them as multiple tribes or a single tribe. Each tribe has its own distinct characteristics, including customs and traditions. Generally, tribes have their own traditional "territories" and can coexist peacefully, at least in a state of peaceful coexistence. However, in some regions, deep-rooted conflicts exist between tribes, leading to constant clashes and even tribal wars, with casualties sometimes numbering in the tens of thousands and occasionally exceeding a million. Africa's complex terrain and long history have provided humanity with numerous natural and cultural landmarks. The vast and underdeveloped regions of Africa have offered vast spaces for wildlife to thrive. Many areas have been designated as wildlife sanctuaries.