Geography : Topography and Diversity in Africa

• Location and its importance

  • Africa is located in the southern part of the globe, bordered to the north by the Mediterranean Sea, to the south by the Indian Ocean, to the east by the Suez Canal, the Red Sea and the Pacific Ocean, and to the west by the Atlantic Ocean
  • It mediates the continent between longitudes 60° East and 18° West, and between latitudes 37° N and 34° S
  • It has an area of 30.30 million km2
• Importance of Africa's location

  • It has important waterways such as: The Strait of Gibraltar
  • Most of them are located in hot lines, and the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn pass through them
  • Variation in heat distribution, precipitation and vegetation
• Topography of the continent

  • Africa is a large plateau in which there is a set of terrains
  • Mountains: We find a range of the Atlas and Sahara in the north, and we find other intermittent mountains such as: the mountains of Kenya, where the highest peak in Africa is the summit of Kilimanjaro, with an altitude of 5936 m (Tanzania)
  • Plateaus: There are several plateaus in Africa, including: The African Sahara Plateau, the Ethiopian Plateau, and the High Plateaus of Algeria
  • Plains: We find coastal plains overlooking the surrounding water bodies, as well as flooding on the banks of the Nile River
• Hydrographic Network


  • Most rivers and lakes are concentrated in the southern part of the continent, where we find: The Congo, Senegal and Niger rivers that flow into the Atlantic Ocean
  • The Nile River, which flows into the Mediterranean Sea, is the longest river in the world with a length of 6693 km
  • There are also lakes such as: Lake Chad and Lake Victoria, the second largest lake in the world
• Natural climate and vegetation

  • Among the climates prevailing in Africa we find: tropical climate, hot desert climate, Mediterranean and continental climate
  • In terms of vegetation, we find: forests (savannahs) and tropical forests, as well as different trees, grasses and thorns, which vary from place to place
• Origin of the population on the continent

  • Africa has been home to man since ancient times, and today there are several different races such as: The Arab and Amazigh element in the north, The African component, which represents 75% of the continent's population and is present in the middle and south of the continent, The European and Asian element in the far south
• Languages spoken in Africa

  • Arabic
  • French
  • English
  • Hundreds of local dialects
• Religions in Africa


  • Christianity
  • Islam
  • Judaism
  • Inherited religions
• Population growth


  • The population of Africa in 2015 reached one billion and 171 million people
  • The population of Africa is increasing rapidly, especially with the beginning of the second half of the 20th century
  • The birth rate is estimated at 3%, which is the highest rate in the world
  • Reasons for this increase: Improvement in the health aspect in some countries of the continent, The end of European colonialism, Encouraging the governments of countries to have children to make up for what they lost in the colonial period
  • The population density on the continent is 27 N/km2 and varies from region to region
• Population problems in the continent


  • The spread of illiteracy among the population
  • Significant demographic growth, which has not been accompanied by economic growth
  • The spread of epidemics and diseases
  • The emergence and spread of foreign migration towards Europe
  • The large number of civil wars and the consequent human losses and economic problems
  • Famine outbreaks in some countries of the continent (Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea)