Introduction
Africa is the second largest continent in size, next to Asia and occupies more than one-fifth of the Earth’s total area. In the past, Africa was called the “Dark Continent” because this continent was unexplored and unknown till the 19th century. Explorers faced many difficulties while exploring Africa. The impenetrable Sahara desert in the north, undulating plateaus and fast flowing rivers with waterfall made it difficult for explorers to discover Africa.
It is also called the “Hottest Continent” because the equator passes almost through the middle of the continent that makes most parts in this region experience a hot, wet and humid climate.
Location
Africa is the only continent which is almost divided into two equal parts by the equator. It extends from 37°N to 35°S latitudes. Three of the major lines of the Earth: Equator (0°), Tropic of Cancer (23.5°N) and Tropic of Capricorn (23.5°S) lie in Africa continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean in the east and Atlantic Ocean in the west. The Mediterranean Sea in the north and the Strait of Gibraltar in the north-west separate Africa from Europe. The Isthmus of Suez connects Africa with Asia in the north-east. Now the man made canal, the Suez Canal separates the two continents Asia and Africa. The southernmost tip of Africa is called the Cape of Good Hope.
Physical Features
The major part of Africa is a plateau composed of ancient rocks. An area of high ground with fairly level surface is called plateau. Towards the narrow coasts, the plateau descends in the form of steps. In general, the plateau of Africa is lower in the north and higher in the south. The Africa continent is called a “Plateau Continent” because much of the land is raised well above sea level, dropping off sharply near the coastline. There are many plateaus in Africa continent. Thus, it is also called “Plateau of plateaus”. Africa can be divided into the following physical divisions:
1. The Atlas Mountain:
The Atlas Mountain lies in North-Western Africa. There are young fold mountains. It comprises of three parallel ranges. The highest peak in the Atlas Mountains is Mt. Toubkal, which remains snow covered most of the year.
2. The Central Plateau:
The Central Plateau extends from the Atlantic Coast in the west to the Nile Valley in the east. The Sahara Desert forms a part of this plateau. The Tibesti Mountain and the Tassili Plateau are located in this region.
3. The High Plateau:
The High Plateau of the south is divided into the Ethiopian Plateau, the Central Lake Plateau and the South African Plateau. This plateau of the south ends with the Drakensberg Mountains which form the high eastern edge of the plateau. The Namib and Kalahari Deserts are part of this plateau. Mt. Kilimanjaro (5,895 m), a snow-capped mountain near the equator, lies in this place.
4. The Great Rift Valley:
The Great Rift Valley of Africa is a special feature of the southern plateau. It is a long narrow valley formed as a result of
vertical cracks developed because of the movement within the earth. It extends for a distance of about 5,000 km. Many freshwater lakes like Malawi, Rudolf and Tanganyika are found here.
5. The Nile and Zaire Basins:
The Nile and Zaire Basins have been built by these two big rivers of Africa. The Nile Basin is a flat dry region that borders the River Nile and its tributaries in north-eastern Africa. It is a very fertile land. The Zaire Basin (Congo) in the west-central Africa includes most of the land drained by the River Zaire (Congo) and its tributaries. Tropical rainforests cover much of the river basin.
Rivers and Lakes
The River Nile is the world’s longest river (6,670 km.) that flows northwards from east-central Africa to the Mediterranean Sea. Though it flows through a desert for a greater part of its length, it has water throughout the year because its source is Lake Victoria in the rainy equatorial region.
Most of Africa’s other major rivers including the Congo (Zaire) and Niger enters into the Atlantic Ocean. The rivers Limpopo and Zambezi flow into the Indian Ocean. The Chari flows into Lake Chad, forming an inland drainage area. The river Okavango flows through the Namib Desert. It is fed by rains in the mountains of Angola. Orange and Senegal are also important rivers in Africa. Most of Africa’s large lakes lie in the east in the rift valley. Lake Victoria is the largest lake in Africa. It is the world’s second-largest freshwater lake covering an area of 69,490 sq. km. Lake Tanganyika is another important lake, which is also one of the longest freshwater lakes in the world. Other large lakes occupying the Great Rift are
Nyasa, Albert and Turkana.
Climate
a. Equatorial Climate:
The continent of Africa experiences several types of climates. The Zaire Basin, the coastal region of Gulf of Guinea and coastal region of Kenya has Equatorial type of climate. It is characterised by a high temperature throughout the year and heavy rainfall annually. Convectional rainfall occurs daily and mostly in the afternoon. This type of rainfall is the result of intense heating of land surface. During the day, there is lot of evaporation. By afternoon, when it starts cooling, the vapour condenses and falls as rain.
b. Savanna Climate:
This type of climate is found on either side of the equator. It is also called the Sudan type as it is mostly experienced in Sudan. Summers are hot and rainfall occurs mainly in hot season. Winters are short and dry.
c. Tropical Desert Climate:
The Sahara Desert in the north and the Kalahari Desert in south-central Africa experience the Hot Desert type of climate. Summers are hot and winters are cool. There is hardly any rainfall. The days are hot and nights are cold.
d. Mediterranean Climate:
The coastal areas of north-west Africa and a small area in the south-west of South Africa experiences Mediterranean type of climate. Summers are hot with plenty of sunshine but no rainfall. Winters are mild and wet. Westerly brings rainfall to these regions in winter season.
e. Temperate Grassland:
The high plateau of South Africa has Temperate Grassland type of climate. Summers are hot with rainfall and winters are cold with little or no rainfall. Due to the distance from the sea, there is great variation between summer and winter temperature.
Natural Vegetation and Wildlife
The natural vegetation and wildlife of Africa is highly influenced by climate. The large continent which extends in both side of the equator has several climatic regions. Each climatic region has its own special kinds of vegetation and animal life.
a. Tropical Rainforest and Wildlife:
The Equatorial climatic region of Gulf of Guinea and Congo Basin has vegetation consisting mainly of hardwood, broad-leaved and evergreen trees. Since this forest is a result of abundant rainfall and sunshine, it is also called Tropical Rainforest.
Mahogany, ebony, rubber, coconut, palm and cocoa are some important trees found here. There is absence of large animals like elephants and wild cats as the jungle is very dense and it restricts their free movement. However this region abounds in animals such as chimpanzees, gorillas, monkeys, crocodiles, alligators, snakes and brightly coloured birds like parakeets and insects.
b. Savanna Grassland and Wildlife:
The Tropical Grassland region of Sudan has a vast plain area with tall coarse grasses also known as Savanna. Many different types of grass grow here with scattered trees, such as, acacia and baobab. The presence of abundant grass attracts herbivorous animals such as deer, giraffe, elephant and zebra which in turn attracts carnivorous such as lion, leopard and cheetah. Thus, this region supports a variety of animals and this region is often referred to as the “Zoo of the World”.
c. Desert Vegetations and Wildlife:
The Hot Deserts of Sahara and Kalahari have high temperature but no rainfall. So, it has very nominal vegetation. In fact, most of the trees and plants that grow in this region are highly modified to survive in the harsh desert climate. Some of the vegetations found in this region are cactus, rough grasses, thorny bushes and scrubs. Date palms are found only near oasis. The most important and largest animal of this region is camel. Camels are used in the desert for milk, food and transportation. It is also called as the “Ship of the Desert”. Other animal found in the desert includes desert foxes, rats, scorpions, snakes and insects.
d. Mediterranean Vegetation and Wildlife:
The Mediterranean region is characterized by hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. So, this region support trees and plants that can withstand long summer droughts such as cork, olive, fig, etc. Citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, grapes, etc also grow well here. As forests are not extensive and most of the natural vegetation has been cut down, not much wildlife is found in the Mediterranean region.
e. Temperate Grassland Vegetation and Wildlife:
The natural vegetation of the Temperate Grassland of the plateau of South Africa comprises mostly of short and coarse grasses called Veld. The little rain that falls mostly in summer cannot support tall trees. However, the hill slopes which receive slightly more rainfall than the interior have trees such as poplar, willow, etc. Antelope and donkeys are the common animals found in these grasslands.