Articles

                                        AFRICA
THE SECOND LARGEST CONTINENT after Asia, Africa is dominated in the north by the vast Sahara Desert and in the east Great Rift Valley. A belt of rain forest lies along the Equator, and grasslands provide grazing for heard of wild animals. Africa is home to many different peoples, each with their own distinctive languages and customs. Islam and Christianity are widespread, but many Africans adhere to their own traditional beliefs.
Physical features
Most of Africa is a high plateau covered with deserts, lush rain forests, and dry grasslands. It is crossed by rivers, which bring water to dry regions and provide communications. Although they lie on the Equator, the high peaks in the year. Africa has several volcanoes.
Sahara
The world's largest desert, the Sahara, covers much of northwestern Africa. It has an area of 9,065,000 sq km(3,263,400 sq miles) and is rapidly expanding as land at its edges is overgrazed. With less than 100 mm (4 in) of rainfall every year and daytime temperatures of up to 50°C (122°F), only a few specially adapted plants and animals survive here.
River Nile
The Nile is the world's longest river. From its source in Lake Victoria, it flows 6,695 km
(4,160 miles) north through Uganda, Sudan, &Egypt to the Mediterranean Sea. Africa's third longest river, the Niger, flows 4,180 km (2,597 miles) in Nigeria in a delta bigger than that of the Nile.
Great Rift Valley
The mountains of Ethiopia are divided by the Great Rift Valley that stretches 6,000 km (3,750 miles) north from Mozambique, through east Africa and the Red Sea, into Syria. The valley is formed by massive cracks in the Earth's crust.It is up to 90 km (55 miles) wide, and in millions of years will eventually divide the Africa continent.
Okavango Delta
Many rives end in deltas at the sea, but the Okavango River in southern Africa has a delta that forms a swamp in the Kalahari Desert. The Okavango rises in Angola and flows 974 km (605 miles) to Botswana, where its delta and swamps cover more than 22,000 sq km (8,500 sq miles).
AFRICA FACTSAREA30,335,000 sq km (11,712,434 sq miles)
POPULATION811,600,000
NUMBER OF COUNTRIES
53
BIGGEST COUNTRYSudan
SMALLEST COUNTRY
Seychelles
HIGHEST POINTKilimanjaro (Tanzania) 5,895 m (19,560 ft)
LONGEST RIVERNile (Uganda/Sudan/Egypt) 6,695 km (4,160miles)
BIGGEST LAKELakeVictoria (East Africa ) 68,880 sq km (26,560 sq miles)
Cross-section through Africa
Africa rises sharply from the Atlantic Ocean up to about 1,000 m (3,280 ft) before dropping down into the marshes of the Zaire Basin. The Ruwenzori Mountains and Great Rift Valley lie to the east, and the plateau falls gently to the Indian Ocean.
Climatic zones
Although most of Africa is warm or hot all year round, the climate varies greatly because of the wide range of landscapes. Parts of the north coast have hot, dry summers &coolers, moist winters. Desert regions have cold nights, scorching hot days, and almost no rain at all. On the Equator the climate is hot and humid, with high rainfall. Mountain regions have warm summers & coll winters.
Scrub land
Much of the northern coast of Africa has a warm Mediterranean climate. Coastal cliffs and hills are covered in sparse, low-growing, often fragrant plants and shrubs that are able to thrive in the poor, stony soils. Many of the plants have thorns and small,leathery leaves to prevent them from drying out in the fierce heat of the sun and frequent sea breezes.
Deserts
About 40% of Africa is desert. The Erg of Bilma in Niger is part of the vast Sahara. In Arabic, erg means a sandy expanse. The sand is blown by the wind into ripples and into huge dunes, some of which may be nearly 200m (650ft) high. Two other main desert areas are the Kalahari and the Namib,both in southern Africa.
Savannah
About 40% of Africa is covered with savannah, which is the name given to grassland with scattered trees and shrubs. This type of land forms a wide loop around the Zaire (Congo) basin. Vast herds of grazing animals, such as antelopes and zebras, move around the savannah seeking fresh grass to eat.
Tropical rain forest
Dense, tropical rain forest covers less than 20% of Africa. The most extensive areas lie close to the Equator in West Africa and in central Africa's Zaire (Congo) Basin. Thousands of species of tree flourish in the hot, humid climate, which produces rain all year round. however, large scale felling if trees for timber hardwoods, such as teak and mahogany, threatens to destroy this environment.
Mountain
Africa's highest ranges include the Drakensberg, in southern Africa, which runs for about 1,130km (70 miles)through South Africa and Lesotho and forms part of the rim of the great South African Plateau. The highest point is Thabana Ntlenyana at 3,482m (11,424 ft). Even higher mountain range in Morocco, and the Ruwenzori on the between Uganda and Congo (Zaire).
People
One in eight of the world's people lives in Africa, mostly along the north & west coasts, and in the fertile river valleys. Although traditionally people live in small villages, a growing number are moving to towns and cities to look for work. Birth rates in many countries are families are large. About half the population is under 15 years old.
Resources
Africa has many resources, but they are unevenly distributed. Libya and Nigeria are leading oil producers, southern Africa is rich in gold and diamonds, and Zambia is a leading copper producer. Tropical forests yield valuable timber but are being felled at an alarming rate. Africa is a leading producer of cocoa beans, cassava, bananas, coffee, and tea.

AFRICA,HISTORY
AFRICA,HISTORY OFCIVILIZATION IN AFRICA BEGAN TO appear More than 5,000 years ago with the rise of ancient Egypt. From about 2,500 years ago in sub-Saharan Africa, many other different kingdoms also developed . The Sahara acted as a barrier to arrival of Arab traders in the 8th century. From the 15th century, the arrived of Europeans, the subsequent slave trade,and European imperialism had a profound effect on the continent. Since the 1950s, all African nation have reclaimed independence, although modern Africa continues to struggle with its post-colonial legacy and environmental problems.

Ancient empires

North Africa was in a good position to trade western Asia. This caused rich empires to develop,including Meroe (modern Sudan,c.600 BC-AD 350), and Aksum (a trading state in northern Ethiopia, c.100 BC-AD 1000). The ancient empire of Ghana (in West Africa,c.500-1300) developed for similar reasons

Meroe

From the city of Meroe, the Kushites controlled trade in the Red Sea and the Nile River from 600 BC. They exported luxury goods, such as ostrich feathers and leopard skins, and flat-topped pyramids over the graves of their dead.

Ghana

Ghana (than located on the border of modern Mali and Mauritania) was one of Africa's most important empires. It controlled the trans-Saharan trad in gold, and surviving gold artifacts show the incredible wealth of this kingdom. Ghana's kings wore gold jewellery, and gold-embroidered clothes and turbans.

Aksum

From c.300, Christianity was introduced to Aksum, which under the region of King Ezana become known as a holy city. During this period, Aksum took over the empire based at Meroe. Aksum's people built tall, stone stelae (monuments) to mark the tombs of dead kings.

Early inhabitants

Humans have inhabited Africa for 4 million years. The Sahara was once a fertile land rich in plants and animals. But thousands of years ago, it dried up, and people moved south to the savannah to farm there

Rock painting

Rock and bone pictures often dancing,hunting animals,and fast coloured with vegetable dyes.

Nok culture

The earliest evidence of Iron Age settlement is called the Nok culture (500 BC-AD 200), which existed in what is now central Nigeria. Nok people lived in farming communities. They made iron weapons and tools for farming,and also produced fine terracotta sculptures.

Spread of religious

From the 8th century, trade, conquests, and colonialism spread religious such as Islam in Africa. In North Africa, Islam completely replaced traditional religious, which often included the worship of ancestors.

Ancestor worship

In many parts of Africa, communities had sacred shrines where they placed offerings for the spirits of their dead ancestors. Today, during certain annual festivals, members of the community wear special masks, sing, dance, and tell stories in honour of their ancestors.

Islam

By c.800, Middle Eastern Arabs had taken Islam to North Africa. From the 11th century, trade helped spread Islam across the Sahara into West Africa and up the River Nile and Sudan.

Slave trade

By the 1470s, the Portuguese were trading copper, brass, gold, and slaves with Benin in West Africa. In the 1480s, the Portuguese arrived in the islands of Principal and Sao Tome in the Gulf of Guinea, just off the west African coast. They established sugar plantations, and forced African captives (mainly kidnapped in Senegal and Gambia) to work as slaves on the plantations. This was the beginning of European domination in Africa.

Plaque showing Portuguese soldier, 1500s

Colonialism

During the 1800s, Europeans colonized areas in Africa introducing Christianity, and taking economic control. They used African workers to grow or mine precious raw materials, but sent the materials to be manufactured in Europe and America-where profits stayed. During this period, slavery was at its height and many Africans were kidnapped to work in the Americas.

African Diaspora

The slave trade scattered more than 20 million Africans throughout the Americas and Europe, undermining African culture in the process. Over the centuries, the dispersed descendents of these slaves became known as the Diaspora.

Christianity

Europe sent missionaries to Africa to set up schools and churches, and to convert Africans to Christianity. They also tried to abolish African traditional those who still practised them.

Voodoo
In 19th century Caribbean colonies, traditional ancestor worship combined with Christianity to produce a religion called voodoo.
World Wars I and II
Although both wars were European, thousands of World War I was German resenent against other European countries during colonization. In World War II, north africa became battle ground, as german and Italian forces invaded British- and french- ruled territories.
World War I
At the time world war I broke out in 1914, the Ottoman Empire controlled North Africa. The egyptions colludiate with the British to overthrew Turkish rule, and were helped from 1916 to 1918 by eccentric soldire and auther Thomas Edward Lawrance of Arabia. After the war, Egypt became a british protectorate but signed a treaty for indepedence in 1922.
African resistance
African stermously resisted colonialism. The Ethopians fought to stay independent and won (1896);Zimbawe and Sudan rebelled against the british (1896 and 1920);tribes in Angola tried to overthrow the portuguese (1902); tribes in angola tried to overthrow the portuguese (1902); in Nambia and Tanzania, thousands were killed in upsprings against the Germans (1904-1908); and in Nigeria, tribes resisted the French rule of sorrounding areas (1920s).
Halie Selassie
Emperor Halie Selassie of of Ethopia (r.1930-74) led his troops against the italian invasion of 1935. The Italians forced the emperor into exile in 1936, but he returned in 1941. Haile Selassie instituted reforms, supperessed salvery, and worked with the Organization of African Unity. In 1974, the army overthrew the emperor, installed military rule, and later had him execute.

                                    Africa, Central
THE EQUATOR RUNS THROUGH Central Africa, affecting not only climate but also ways of life. There are ten countries. All were european colonies with a history of a cruel slave trade. Although these c0untries were all independent by the end of the 1960s, they have experienced mixed fortunes. Cameroon is stable, while Democretic Republic of Congo and the Central Afrcan Republic, have suffered dictatorships. Most Central African live by farming.
Physical features
The landscape varies according to its distance from equator. Much of the region s rolling hills and valleys, with craggy mountains in the north and east. The arid sahara desert and Sahel cover the extreme north. Farther south, in the vast ezuotorial basin of the River Congo, sorrounded by some unspoilt tropical rainforest.
Dry woodland
Tropical rainforests give way to woodland, where the climate is much drier. Acecia and baobab trees grow in this region. The baobabs have very thick truncks that can hold water to feed themselves. Some camaroon's central plateau live for 1,000 years.
River congo
One of the longest rivers in the world, the Congo formerly the Zaire, flows in the the great curve for 4,666 km(2,900 miles), crossing the equator twice. It drains an area of about 3,630,000 sq km (1,400,000 sq miles).
Tibesti
The dramatic cliffs of the volcanic Tibesti Mountains dominate the border between Chad and Libya, in the Sahara Desert. At 3,415 m (11,204 ft) above sea level, Emi Koussi is the hoghest peak.
Equotorial rainforest
The hot, humid basin of the River Congo is Africa's largest remaining region of tropical rainforest. Competing for light, a wide variety of trees grow tall, forming a protective canopy that teams woth plants and animal life.
Regional climate
The north of the region, the Sahara and Sahel area, is a broad band of dry, dusty land that is satrved of rain. By contrast, in the steamy equotorial forests more than 38 mm(1.5 in) of rain falls every day in places. The south experiences the monsoon season between May and October.
Ethnic diversty
There are hundreds of different peoples in Central Africa, each with their own costums and languages. Large groups includeth Kongo and Luba, and there are several pygmy groups including the Twa, BaKa, and Mbuti, who live in clearings deep in the rainforests. A growing number of people are moving to towns escape war, drought, or famine, and because and because larger centres offer more jobs and food.

                    AFRICA, SOUTHERN CENTRAL
Southern Central Africa is made up of seven countries that form part of the African mainland, and the islands of Madagascar and Comoros in the Indian Ocean. Farming is still an important source of income in these countries, but major deposits of minerals such as diamonds, copper, Uranium, and iron have led many people to move to the towns and cities language , customs ,and believes , live in the southern central region.
Physical features
Although lowlands fringe the coast, most of the region lies 400-1,500 m (1,200-4,500 ft) above sea-level. The landscape includes the Namib and Kalahari deserts in the west and centre, dry savannah and woodland, and humid, subtropical forests in the north.

Regional Climate
Most of the region lies in the tropics, where the climate is always hot, but there are two reasons: wet and dry. Rain is heavy in the wet season. Most of Botswana and Namibia has a semi-arid climate, and much of Namibia is desert. Eastern Madagascar has a tropical wet climate.
Namib Desert
The Namib Desert extends 1,900 km (1,100 miles) in a narrow strip from southwestern Angola, along the Skeleton Coast of Namibia, and down to the border of South Africa. Although it rarely rains, the climate on the coast is humid with cold, morning fogs. Sand dunes reach down to the edge of the Atlantic and the only practical means of transport is the camel.
Savannah
Much of the region is covered by grassland, or savannah. The most common trees in these areas are thorn trees, especially acacias. They are suited to the dry conditions and grow on the edges of the Kalahari and other semi-desert regions.
Women’s roleThe traditional role of African women was to look after the home and bring up the children. Many were also expected to cultivate the crops, and some built their own houses. Today, many women in southern central Africa have additional responsibilities, because their husbands are away working in mines and cities. Despite the domestic power of women, few have official jobs or own property.
AngolaIn 1975, after a long war, Angola became independent of Portuguese colonial rule. With fertile land and huge reserves of diamonds, oil, and natural gas, the country should have become prosperous. However, Angola was torn apart and economic development was restricted by the fighting that continued after independence. Civil war erupted between rival ethnic groups and continues today.
Oil and diamonds Most of Angola’s oil is produced in Cabinda, a tiny Angolan enclave in Dem. Rep. Congo. Petroleum provides 90% of Angola’s exports. Angola also ranks highly in world output of diamonds, its second largest export.
LuandaFounded by the Portuguese in 1575, Angola’s capital and largest city is home to more than 2,500,000 people. Once used for shipping slaves to Brazil, it is still a major seaport. Modern Luanda is an industrial centre with its own oil refinery.
ANGOLIA FACTSCapital City: Luanda
Area: 1,246,700 sq km (481,351 sq miles)
Population: 13,500,000
Main Language: Portuguese
Major Religions: Christian, traditional beliefs
Currency: Readjusted Kwanza
Zambia Bordered to the south by the Zambezi River, Zambia is the country of upland plateaus, 80% of which are grassland and forest. About 50% of people live by subsistence farming, constantly threatened by drought. Tobacco is the main exported crop. Hydroelectric power much of Zambia’s Energy. Low copper prices in the 1980s upset finances.
Copper and cobaltZambia is the world’s sixth largest producer of copper. Seam of copper ore where the metal is mined, the copper belt, is 320 km (200 miles) long. The second largest producer of cobalt, Zambia also mines lead, silver and zinc.


Urban livingAbout half of Zambia’s people, a mix of more than 70 different ethnic groups, live in towns and cities. The most populated area is the copperbelt, where most of them work. The capital, Lusaka, a thriving industrial and business centre, is home to 1,800,000 Zambians.

ZAMBIA FACTSCapital City: Lusaka
Area: 752,614 sq km (290,584 sq miles)
Population: 10,600,000
Main Languages: English, Bemba, Tonga, Nyanja, Lozi, Lunda
Major Religions: Christian, traditional beliefs
Currency: Zambian Kwacha
NamibiaAn ex-German colony, and ruled for 7 years by South Africa, Namibia won its independence in 1990. Rich mineral resources make mining the country’s leading industry. One in seven people lives on the land, mainly rearing livestock, although drought and the expanding desert make farming difficult. Fishing is good off the Atlantic coast.
UraniumThe Rossing Uranium Mine in the Namib Desert is the world’s largest, producing 2,000 tonnes (2,200 tons) of Uranium every year. Namibia is the world’s fifth largest producers of diamonds.
PeopleNamibia has a peaceful multiracial society. The white minority lives mostly in Windhoek, in European-style houses. Black Namibians include many groups, the largest of which are the northern Ovambo. To the west, the semi-nomadic Himba raise cattle.
NAMIBIA FACTS
Capital City: Windhoek
Area: 600,370 sq km (231,803 sq miles)
Population: 1,600,000
Main Languages: English, Afrikaans, Ovambo, Kavango
Major Religion: Christian
Currency: Namibian dollar
BotswanaSouthwest Botswana is covered by the Kalahari Desert. To the north is the marshy delta of the Okavango River, a haven for wildlife, however, Botswana suffers droughts. Most people live in the more people fertile east. Production of diamonds – the third largest in t6he world – has helped to stimulate Botswana’s economy.
SanThe original inhabitants of Botswana are the nomadic San people, once known as Kalahari Bushmen, one of Africa’s only remaining groups of hunter – gatherers. There are fewer than 50,000 San today, but small groups still roam the Kalahari Desert hunting small animals and eating edible plants and insects. Many San now work on cattle ranches.
Food
The Tswana people, who make up the majority of Botswana’s population, live mostly by subsistence farming, raising cattle, and growing enough maize, sorghum, and millet for their own use. Their staple diet consists of meat stews served with a kind of porridge made from cereals. Fresh vegetables are rare.
BOTSWANA FACTSCapital City: Gaborone
Area: 600,370 sq km (231,803 sq miles)
Population: 1,600,000
Main Languages: English, Tswana, Shona, Khoikhoi, Ndebele
Major Religions: Traditional beliefs, Christian
Currency: Pula
ZimbabweIn 1980, the former British colony of Rhodesia became independent and took the name Zimbabwe, after the ancient city of Great Zimbabwe. About 70% of Zimbabweans live from farming. Coal, gold, asbestos, and nickel are mined for export. Zimbabwe has recently suffered great disruption over the issues of government and land re-distribution.
TourismZimbabwe main tourist attractions are they spectacular Victoria Falls, the Kariba Dam, national parks, and the ruins if the city of Great Zimbabwe. Tourists enjoy action holidays, such as canoeing and rafting, on the Zambezi.
HarareFormerly called Salisbury, the capital is Zimbabwe’s commercial and industrial centre and to almost two million people. It is a clean and sophisticated city that is characterized by flowering trees, colourful parks, and modern, buildings.
ZIMBABWE FACTSCapital City: Harare
Area: 390,580 sq km (1580,803 sq miles)
Population: 12,900,000
Main Languages: English, Shona, Ndebele
Major Religions: Traditional beliefs
Currency: Zimbabwe dollar
MozambiqueAS a result of years of civil war, flooding, and drought, Mozambique is now one of the world’s poorest countries, with a high birth rate. The land, though largely unexploited, is fertile and rich in minerals. The ports and railways provide a trade link for land-locked Swaziland, Malawi, and Zimbabwe.
FishingOne if Mozambique’s key industries is fishing and shrimps account for more than 40% of export earnings. The country’s total annual fish catch averages 24,170 tonnes (26,643 tons). Other exports include cotton, tea, and sugar.
MOZAMBIQUE FACTSCapital City: Maputo
Area: 801,590 sq km (309,494 sq miles)
Population: 18,600,000
Main Language: Portuguese
Major Religions: Traditional beliefs, Christian, Muslim
Currency: Metical
MalawiWith few natural resources, Malawi has a rural society, despite the constant threat of drought. Light industries, such as food processing, textiles, and manufacturing farm tools, are developing. Fish from Lake Malawi, which covers one-quarter of the country, is a source of food.
FarmingAlmost 86% of the Malawi labour force works in agriculture, growing cash crops, such as tea, tobacco, coffee, cotton and sugar as well as subsistence crops of maize, rice, cassava, and plantains. The country is self-sufficient in food.
MALAWI FACTSCapital City: Lilongwe
Area: 118,480 sq km (45,745 sq miles)
Population: 11,600,000
Main Languages: Chewa, English
Major Religions: Christian, Muslim
Currency: Malawian Kwacha
ComorosThe three islands and few islets of the Comoros archipelago lie north of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. They were governed by France until 1975. The economy is underdeveloped, and most of the people live by subsistence farming.
Ylang-ylang
Comoros is the world’s largest grower of ylang-ylang, an aromatic tree with greenish-yellow flowers that produce a pleasantly scented oil used to make perfume.
COMOROS FACTSCapital City: Moroni
Area: 2,170 sq km (838 sq miles)
Population: 707,000
Main Languages: Arabic, French, Comoran, local languages
Major Religions: Muslims
Currency: Comoros franc
MadagascarThe Fourth largest island in the world, Madagascar is home to some unique wildlife because of its isolated position off Africa’s east coast. A high plateau runs the length of the island, dropping to a narrow, fertile strip in the east, where most people live. The country’s economy is based on growing crops and raising livestock.
VanillaMadagascar is the world’s largest exporter of vanilla. The pods of the plants are used to flavour ice-cream and crops are cloves, sisal, cocoa, and butter beans.
Rural societyMost Madagascans are descended from Asians from Malaysia and Indonesia, who began to settle on the island almost 2,000 years ago. Later waves if mainland Africans intermixed to produce a uniquely multiracial society. Three – quarters of the Madagascan labour force works on the land growing subsistence crops, such as cassava and rice.
MADAGASCAR FACTSCapital City: Antananarivo
Area: 587,040 sq km (226,656 sq miles)
Population: 16,400,000
Main Languages: Malagasy, French
Major Religions: Traditional beliefs, Cristian, Muslim
Currency: Malagasy franc

                                 AFRICA, Northwest

MOROCCO, ALGERIA, TUNISIA, and Libya, plus the disputed territory of Western Sahara, make up the northwest corner of Africa. The region has been Dominated by Arabs and their religion, Islam for more than 1,300 years. Algeria and Libya are huge countries, but much of the land is desert. However, they and Tunisia have abundant reserves of oil and natural gas.. Farming, made possible by irrigation projects, is still important to the region. Many people lead nomadic lives roaming the land with their herds of animals.
Physical features
Along the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts is a fertile strip where most of the people live. The atlas Mountain Chane runs across Morocco and continues as rolling hills in Algeria and Tunisia. The rest of the land is desert, broken by oases and bleak mountain ranges.
Regional climate
Along most of the coast and on high ground, summers are hot and dry and winters are warm and wet. Daytime desert temperatures average about 38°C (100°F); at night they are low. Desert rainfall may be as little as 2.5 cm(1 in.) a year, and irregular.
Mediterranean coast
Once occupied by the Phoenicians, Greeks and Romans, north west Africa's Mediterranean coast has many ancient ruins that are particularly popular with tourists in Morocco, Algeria,and Tunisia. Most peoples live on the coastal plains, which has fertile land and a warm climate.
Atlas mountain
The atlas mountains consists of several chains of mountains that stretch 2,410 km (1,500 miles) from the Atlantic coast of Morocco to Cape Bon in eastern Tunisia. The highest peak is Djebel Toubkal at 4,167 m (13,665 ft), which lies in high atlas range in southern Morocco.
Sahara
The Sahara desert covers about 9,065,000 sq km (3,263,400 sq miles). Only about one-fifth is sand. The rest includes vast, flat expanses of barren rock and gravel and mountains such as Algeria's Ahaggar range peaking at 2,918 m (9,573 ft). Crops are grown in 90 large oases.


Berbers
The original people of northwest Africa are the Berbers. Today, about 15,000,000 Berbers still live in the mountains and desert of the region. Most are Muslims, but retain their own language and dialects. The Tuareg are a group of nomadic Berber herders who room the North African desert.

COUNTRIES

Morocco

A mix of African, Islamic, Arab, Berber, and European influences, Morocco attracts more than four million tourists each year. The country's strengths are farming and phosphate mining. Founded in Fes, in AD 859, Karueein University is the oldest in the world.

Mint tea

The traditional drink in Morocco is a refreshing mint tea, served in glasses or posts, with plenty of sugar and a spring if mint. It is offered free of charge in the souks(markets), when bargaining is about to begin.

Carpets

Hand-knotted woollen carpets are one of Morocco's great craft industries. The leading carpet have bold colours and symbolic, abstract Islamic patters. Though sold by men, most rugs are made by women.

Western Sahara

Morocco has occupied the ex-Spanish colony of Western Sahara since 1975. Polisario Front guerrillas began fighting for independence in 1983, to resit mass settlement of the area by Moroccans keen to hold on the phosphate-rich territory.

MOROCCO FACTSCapital City: Rabat
Area: 446,300 sq km (172,316 sq miles)
Population: 30,400,000
Main Languages: Arabic, France, Berber
Major Religion: Muslim
Currency: Moroccan dirham

Tunisia
A former French colony, Tunisia is the smallest country in the region and one of the more liberal Arab states. Although not politics, Tunisian women enjoy a high level of equality, making up 31% of the work force.

Couscous
The staple food in Tunisia is granules or Semolina called Couscous. Originally a Berber dish, Couscous is served with a meat or vegetables sauce. Tunisians like their food spicy.After this main course, dates stuffed with almond paste, or sweet pastries filled with honey and nuts are served.

Souk
A feature of Tunisian cities-and indeed all northwest African cities-is the souk, or market. This is traditionally a tangle of narrow streets flanked by open-fronted stalls, where people can buy anything from food to carpets or hand-made jewellery.

TUNISIA FACTS

Capital City: Tunis

Area: 163,610 sq km (63,169 sq miles)

Population: 9,600,000

Main Languages: Arabic, French

Major Religions: Muslim

Currency: Tunisian dinar

AlgeriaUnder French rule from 1830, Algeria won independence in 1962. The country has a high birth rate and a young population:86% are are below the age of 44. Crude oil and natural gas are an important source of income. Increasingly groups pose a threat to non-Muslims.

Overpopulation

Since more than four-fifths of Algeria is desert, 9% of Algerians live in the far north of the country, where it is cooler. However, as Algeria's population continues to incrase at a rate of more than 1.7% a year, many northern towns, like Constantine, are struggling to house everybody, and slum areas are growing.

Dates

Algeria is the world's sixth largest producer of dates. They are grown in the fertile north as well as in the many oases of the Sahara, and provide a main source of income. Date palms also yield timber; their leaves are used to thatch buildings.

ALGERIA FACTS

Capital City: Algiers

Area: 2,381,740 sq Km (919,590 sq miles)

Population: 30,800,000

Main Language: Arabic, Berber, French, Tamazight

Major Religion: Muslim

Currency: Algerian dinar

Libya

Since 95% of Libya is desert, the Great Man-made River Project was set up to irrigate farming land. Water is pipped from beneath the Sahara to populated coastal regions.

Oil and gas

The discover of oil and natural gas in 1959 transformed Libya into a wealthy nation, and many people moved to the towns in search of work. In 1992, trade with the West was severely disrupted when the UN imposed sanctions because of leader Colonel Gaddafi's alleged links with international terrorist groups.

Roman ruins

Libya was abandoned by the Romans after the Arab conquest of AD 643 and was an Italian colony between 1911 and 1951. Today, some of the finest Roman ruins outside Italy can be seen at Leptis Magna, now called Labdah to the east of the capital, Tripoli.

LIBYA FACTS

Capital City: Tripoli

Area: 1,759,540 sq km (679,358 sq miles)

Population: 5,4000,000

Main Languages: Arabic, Tuareg

Major Religion: Muslim

Currency: Libyan dinar

                                  AFRICA, EAST
ONE OF THE WORLD'S OLDEST civilization, Egypt, Occupies the northeastern corner of east Africa, while Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda sit farther south. Along the Horn of Africa, a piece of land that just out into the Indian Ocean, are four of the world's poorest countries - Eritrea, Somalia, Ethiopia, and Djibouti. In recent years, Somalia, Sudan, and Ethiopia have been devastated by drought and war. Most East Africans scrape a living from farming, and some rely on food aid from aboard.

Physical features

Running through eastern Africa is the Great Rift Valley, a huge gash in the Earth that continues north through the Red Sea. Other features include the Nile, the world's longest river, and Lake Victoria, Africa's largest lake. The varied landscape includes deserts, grassland, mountain, and swampes.

River Nile

At 6,695 km (4,160 miles) long, the Nile supports the thousand of people who live on its fertile banks. The river flows north from Lake Victoria to the Mediterranean Sea. The Blue Nile Falls is on an important branch of the Nile in Ethiopia.

Savannah

The southern countries of East Africa contain large areas of Savannah, or grassland scattered with acacia and baobab trees. This region is home to much of Africa's wildlife, including antelopes, giraffes, and zebras,and their predators such as lions and hyenas.

Kilimanjaro

Africa's highest peak at 5,895 km (19,341 ft) the snow-capped Mount Kibo is one of the Kilimanjaro group of three volcanoes. T^he group dominates Arusha National Park in Tanzania, on the border with Kenya. Steam and fumes smoking from Kibo's crater indicate that the volcano is not yet extinct, adding to the attraction for mountaineers.

Regional climate

East Africa's climate is affected by altitude. Dominated by desert, Djiboti, and parts of Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Sudan, and Somalia are plagued by droughts. South Sudan and western Ethiopia receive seasonal rainfall, while parts of Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda are hot and dry; their highlands are wet.

Nomadic herding

Many of the origin peoples of eastern Africa, particularly the Dinka of nomads, who move from place3 to place with their herds of cattle in their search of water and grazing land. However, competition for land is forcing many nomads to seek alternate lifestyles. Some men now take now take occasional work in cities or on construction sites.

COUNTRIES

Egypt

Today, as throughout its 5,000-year history, Egypt depends on the River Nile for much of its water, food, transport, and energy now generated at the massive Aswan Dam. Egypt controls the Suez Canal, an important shipping route that links Africa, Europe, and Asia and brings money into the country. About 99%b of Egypt's people live along the lush, fertile banks of the oil industry and tourist trade provide a growing number of jobs.

People

Several ethnic groups live in Egypt. Most people speak Arabic, but there are Berber and Nubian urban women were among the most liberated in the Arab world, but that may change with the rise of Islamic fundamentalism. In rural families, men go out to work, while women cook and feth water.

Farming

Egypt is one of the world's leading producers of dates, which are mostly grown in oases, along with melons, While some farmers use modern methods, many fellahin, or peasant farmers, use centuries-old techniques such as this one, where the donkey drives a wheel that scoops up water for irrigation.

Food

Reputed to be as old as the pyramids, the traditional Egyptian dish of full madams is made by boiling broad beans with garlic, onion, olive oil, and spices. The beans are served with hard-boiled eggs, lemon, and unleavened bread. Food is often accompanied by sweet tea and coffee.

Tourism

Millions of people flock to Egypt every to see the pyramids and other remains of the country's ancient past, such as the tombs in the Valleys of the Kings and Queens, and the temples at Karnak and Luxor. the oldest pyramid is the Step pyramid at Saqqara, which was built about 2650 BC as a tomb for King Zoser.

Suez canal

More than 20,000 cargo ships sail through the Suez Canal each year. The canal, built by French engineers in 1969, is 190 km (118 miles) long and provides a short cut for ships between the Gulf of Suez and the Mediterranean Sea.

Cotton

Although only five percent of Egypt's land can be farmed, the country is a leading producer of cotton. Quality cloths are exported or made into cool garments like jalebas, or tunics, often worn by locals.

EGYPT FACTS

Capital City: Cairo

Area: 1,001,450 sq km (386,660 sq miles)

Population: 69,100,000

Density: 69 people per sq km (154 per sq miles)

Main Language: Arabic

Major Religion: Muslim

Currency: Egyptian pound

Life Expectancy: 67 years

People per Doctor: 625

Government: Multi-party democracy

Adult Literacy: 55%

Sudan

Sudan is the largest country in Africa, measuring 2,050 km (1,274 miles) long from north to south. Desert in the north give way to a central, grassy plain. Marshland covers much of the south. Two branches of the Nile (The white Nile and the blue Nile) meet at a capital, Khartoum, providing fertile soil fro farming. The country has good oil and mineral resources, but war and drought have a weakened it.

People

There are more than 500 Sudanese ethnic groups, speaking about 100 languages and dialects. Some are nomadic herders, many of whom have now settled on farms. Most own their own plots, and live in villages of mud huts along the Nile where the farming is combined with fishing. The produce is sold at markets. Civil war and famine in the south of Sudan have created refugees.

Religious conflict

The ruling people of the north are Arab Muslims, and the tall minarets of their beautiful mosques dominate the landscape. Farther south, the majority are divided into many ethnic groups and follow Christianity or traditional African religions. The religious, cultural and the language differences between north and south have caused bitter fighting.

SUDAN FACTS

Capital city: Khartoum

Area: 2,505,810 sq km (976,493 sq miles)

Population: 31,800,000

Main language: Arabic

Major religions: Muslim, traditional beliefs, Christian

Currency: Sudanese pound or dinar

Eritrea
A small, hot country on the Horn of Africa, Eritrea won independence from Ethiopia in 1993 after a 30-year war with Ethiopian troops, which left a legacy of destruction and further war. Vast, but as yet, unexploited copper resources around the rugged mountains have potential for development. Eritrea's strategic Red Sea coastal position gives it access to the sea's oil fields, fishing grounds, and useful trade routes.
Subsistence farming
More than 80 percent of Eritreans live by subsistence farming, many of them as nomadic herders. Farmers depend on September rains to create seasonal rivers that water the harvest, but recurring droughts have meat that Eritrea has been forced to rely on food aid from overseas.
People
The long war independence developed a strong sense of nationalism among the people, although they belong to several ethnic groups speaking different languages. Women, 30,000 of whom fought in the war, many at leadership level, have been pressing the government for equal rights in the country's new political constitution.
ERITREA FACTS
Capital City: Asmara
Area: 121,320 sq km (46,842 sq miles)
Population: 3,800,000
Main Languages: Tigrinya, Arabic
Major Religion: Christian, Muslim
Currency: Nakfa
Ethiopia
The Great Rift Valley, a high plateau, and an arid desert dominate Ethiopia. The country has suffered famine, drought, and civil war, but farming reforms and good seasonal rains have enabled Ethiopians to depend less on aid from abroad. Four-fifths of the population make their living through farming. Unique traditions like storytelling, music, and dance are an important part of everyday life.
Food
Spicy foods are standard in Ethiopia. A hot sauce, known as Wat, is served with beef or chicken, and mopped up with bread. Usually, a soft flat bread called enjera is eaten,which is made from Tiff, a field crop grown mainly in Ethiopia. A wide range of fish is available to those with money. Ethiopian kaffa, coffee flavoured with rye, is known as "health of Adam".
Orthodox church
The Ethiopian Orthodox Church is the chief Christian faith in the country. The pilgrimage centre of Lalibela, in Ethiopia's central highlands, is known for its Christian churches, which date from the 10th century. Timkat, a yearly festival, is celebrated by many Ethopian Christian.
ETHIOPIA FACTS
Capital City: Addis Ababa
Area: 1,127,127 sq km (435,184 sq miles)
Population: 64,500,000
Main languages: Amharic
Major Religions: Muslims, Christian, traditional beliefs
Currency: Ethiopian Birr
Somalia
An arid, flat country boarding the Indian Ocean, Somalia has some of the longest beaches in the world. The country gained independence in 1960, but since the late 1980s the south has been in the grip of civil war, waged by wealthy rival war lords, and has had no effective government. Most people are poor, and live in coastal towns in the north and in the south near rivers.
Mogadishu
Conveniently situated on Somalia's coastline, Mogadishu has long been an important port. Arabs founded the capital more than 1,000 years ago, and sold it to the Italians in 1905. In 1960, it was returned to Somalia. The city's buildings are a mixture of older Arab architecture and 20th- century Italian design, but many have been damages by war.
Civil war
Traditionally, the Somalis were organized in clans, or loyal family groups, that were controlled by elder members. The governments destroyed the clan system in the 1980s, provoking bitter wars. Many peoples are now dependent on overseas acid.
SOMALIA FACTS
Capital city: Mogadishu
Area: 637,657 sq km(246,199 sq miles)
Population: 9,200,000
Main languages: Somali, Arabic
Major religions: Muslim
Currency :Somali shilling
Djibouti
A desert country on the Gulf of Aden, Djibouti serves as a port for Ethiopia. The two ethnic groups, the Afars and Issas, have a tradition of nomadic Herding, but now half of them live in settled homes in the capital, Djibouti.
Shipping and fishing
The 19th- century city of Djibouti is one of the key Red Sea ports in the area, and generates much of the country's income. The fishing industry thrives on its rich water.
DJIBOUTI FACTS
Capital city: Djibouti
Area: 22,000 sq km (8,494 sq miles)
Population: 644,000
Main languages: Arabic, French
Major religions: Muslim, Christian
Currency: Djibouti franc

                                 Africa central - countries

COUNTRIES

CHAD

The land-locked republic of Chad is one of the world's poorest countries. Nearly half of the land is of desert or lies in the Sahel, where rainfall is erratic. More than half of the people work on farmland near the chari river in the south, but lack of food is still a problem. Chad has some valuable mineral deposits, but they are unexploited.

Muslim nomads

More than 100,000 nomadic muslims live in desert and the northern Sahel regions of Chad. They include the Kanimbo women must walk long distances in heat to fetch water for their families.

Camels

One of the only ways to cross the vast Sahara Desert is by camel. Camels are used as pack animals to transport forest products and mineral from lake Chad, as well as for farming, pumping

water, and carrying people. Herders valuve their milk, meat, and hide.

Fulani

Throughout Africa a nomadic group called the Fulani herd cattle and roam wherever there is grazing land. They drink the cows milk and use it to make butter and cheese. Bottle-shaped gourds, a type of fruit, are dried and decorated for use as water carriers and bowls.

CHAD FACTS

Capital City N'Djamena

Area 1,284,000 sq km (495,752 sq miles)

Population 8,100,000

Main languages French, Arabic, Sara

Major Religions Muslim, christian, traditional beliefs

Currency CFA franc

CAMEROON

On Africa's west coast, Cameroon was one a colony divided between the French and the British. The two parts gained indepandence and became independence and became a united country in 1961. Despite initial troubles, Cameroon now has one of the most successful economies in Africa, exporting oil, bauxite, and a range of neutral products, including cocao, coffee, and rubber. The country has a diverse culture with more than 230 ethnic groups.

Timber

Like many other African countries, cameroon sells hardwood logs, including mahogany, ebony, and teak from its rainforests to earnforein currency. Although the trade represent one tenth of the country's total exports, it poses a serious threat to the fortune of the forests.

Football

One of Camaroon's leading amateur sports, football is widely enjoyed and people play it whenever they have time. Games draw large crowds of spectators. Cameroon's national football team was acclaimed as one of the best in Africa, after displaying its skills in the 1990 world cup.

CAMEROON FACTS

Capital City Yaounde

Area 475,400 sq km (183,567 sq miles)

Population 15,200,000

Main Languages French, English, Fang, Duala, Fulani

Major Religions Traditional beliesfs, Christian, Muslim

Currency CFA franc

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPULIC

Lying in the very heart of Africa, the Central African Repulic, or CAR, has a complicated histor. Drought and 13 years of repressive government have made the CAR, one of poorest nations in the world. Only two per cent of the people live in the semi-arid north, and the majority are clustered in villages in the southern rainforests.

People

Seven major Bantu language groups and many smaller ones make up the population of the CAR. Several thousand hunter-gatherers live in the rainforests in harmony with nature. They survive by eating forest fruits and build their homes from banana leaves.

Cotton

Coffee and cotton together form about 13 per cent of the country's exports. Grown on ;large plantations, all parts of the cotton plant are used. The fibre, known as a boll, is spun into yarn to make fabric. The seed's oil forms the base of many foods, whilst the plant's stalks and leaves are ploughed back into the soil to fertilize it.

Food

The people of CAR grow nearly all their own food by subsistence farming. Root crops, such as cassava, yams, and vegetables, are cultivated alongside grains including millet, maize, and sorghum. Fish from the CAR's river's, including the Chari and Ubangi, is a vital source of protien.

CENTRAL AFRICAN

REPUBLIC FACTS

Capital City Bangui

Area 622,984 sq km (240,534 sq miles)

Population 3,800,000

Main Languages French, Sango, Zande, Banda, Sara, Arabic

Major Religions Traditional beliefs, Christian, Muslim

Currency CFA franc

CONGO

The Republic of Congo was a French territory until 1960. It is a hot, humid land, and its denselt forested north has few inhabitants. Nearly half the country's people are membersa of the Kongo group; the rest include Bateke, M'Bonchi, and Sangha. The mineral and timber industries have made Congo wealthy, but many people are still subsistence farmers, growing barely enough food to survive.

Drum

An essential part of African life, drums are used for music. Most drums are intricately carved out of wood and can be decorated with differentwoods and hides. Drums re made in all shapes and sizes - this one is almost as tall as the player.

Industry

Oil from the Atlantic Ocean accounts for 90% of Congo's exports, contributing largely to the country's wealth. Fluctuating oil prices have caused some economic problems, but Congo's crop exports have remained strong. The felling of forests to export tropical timber is a pressing environmental concern. Huge barges on the Congo and other rivers carry timber goods as far as Brazzaville; from there the Congo Ocean Railway takes them to pointe Noire, Congo's only port.

CONGO FACTS

Capital City Brazzaville

Area 342,000 sq km.

Population 3,100,000

Main Languages French, Kongo

Major Religions Christian, traditional beliefs

Currency CFA franc

GABON

A palm-fringed sandy coastline 800km (500 miles) long, and luch tropical vegetation dominate Gabon's lndscape. The country earns 80% opf its foreign currency from oil and also sells timber, manganese, and uranium ore. Gabon has the potential to be wealthy, but mismanagement by the government has led to continued poverty.

People

Although Gabon is one of Africa's most thinly populated countries, it contains more than 40 different ethnic groups. The indigenous Fang people form the largest group. Once fierce warriors, they now dominate the government. Most Gabonese people are christians , and about 90% of their chidrenattend primary schools. The Gabonese traditions of ance, song, poetry, and story-telling remain an important social and culture part of everyday life.

Libreville

The bustling per city of Libreville was founded in 1849 by French, Libreville was a new home for liberated slaves. It is now a modern, growing city, and a centre of culture, industry and government. Many citizens are wealthy, but poverty still exists.

Trans-Gabon Railway

Opened in 1986 to transport gold and manganese, the Trans-Goban Railway has caused much controversy because it cut through rainforest, destroying many valuable and rare trees.

GABON FACTS

Capital city Libreville

Area 267,667 sq km (103,346 sq miles)

Population 1,300,000

Main Languages Franch, Fang

Major Religions Christian

Currency CFA franc

Equatorial Guinea

Two formers Spanish colonies make up the country of Equatorial Guinea, located close to the Equatr. Rio Muni, also called Mbini, is on mainland Africa, and Bioko Island, which has fertile, volcanic soil that is ideal for growing cocoa beans, is situated to the northwest, off the coast of neighbour Cameroon.

Traditional healing

Like other African's many people in Equatorial Guinea believe thet illness is due to the influence of bad spirits. Professional healers use dancing and chants to drive out the evil spirits. They keep as range of annimal bones, shells, stricks, and other plant parts in their medicines bags for use in group ceremonies.

Extended families

Among the people of Equatorial Guinea there is a strong tradition of large, extended families, who stay together and help one another in times of hardship.

EQUQTORIAL
GUINEA FACTS

Capital City Malaho

Area 28,051 sq km (10,830 miles)

Population 470,000

Main Languages Spanish, Bubi, Fang, French

Major Religion Christian

Currency CFA franc