African Geography

Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia. With 1.3 billion people as of 2018, it accounts for about 16% of the world's human population. Africa's population is the youngest amongst all the continents; the median age in 2012 was 19.7, when the worldwide median age was 30.4. Despite a wide range of natural resources, Africa is the world's poorest continent per capita, in large part due to diseases, climate change, corruption and conflict.

The geography of Africa is diverse, with a wide variety of landscapes and climates. The continent is home to a number of iconic animals, including lions, elephants, and gorillas. Africa is also home to some of the world’s poorest countries, as well as a number of conflict zones.

From the Sahara desert to the jungles of the Congo, there is much to learn about this amazing continent. Here are a few key points to get you started on your journey of learning African geography.

The African continent is the world’s second largest continent, covering an area of over 11 million square miles.

Africa is home to the world’s longest river, the Nile, as well as the world’s largest desert, the Sahara.

The African continent is home to a wide array of wildlife, including lions, elephants, and gorillas.

Africa is a continent of great cultural diversity, with over 3000 different ethnic groups.

The official languages of Africa are Arabic, English, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Swahili, and Zulu.

Africa is a continent of 54 countries and enormous diversity, so resist treating it as one place. A good sequence is to start with the big picture — the major regions (North, West, East, Central, Southern), the Sahara, the Sahel, the great rivers (Nile, Congo, Niger), and the Rift Valley — then zoom into individual countries.

Use maps constantly; geography is spatial and sticks better when you can see it. Pair physical geography with human geography — cultures, languages, economies, and history — so the continent comes alive as more than landforms. Blank-map practice for countries and capitals builds recall, while documentaries and books about specific nations add the depth that makes the facts memorable.