The Geography of Africa
by Owen Borville
The Great Sahara Desert defines North Africa with the largest sand dunes in the world in addition to large mountain ranges in a once wet environment. The Nile river extends from southeast Africa northward to the Mediterranean Sea and has provided fertile soils for thousands of years. West Africa contains many rivers that supported civilization along with the Congo river basin to the south. The Great lakes of Africa exist in the southeast on top of the mountains and valleys of the East Africa Rift Zone. Savannas also cover east Africa while south Africa contains arid dry deserts and plateaus.
Africa’s landscape includes islands, coasts, deserts, river valleys, mountains, grasslands, savannah, scrublands, lakes, and rain forest. The Sahara Desert, the world's largest, in the north and the Kalahari Desert in the south. Salt pans and flats. The Nile River, the world's largest and the Nile Delta. The Sahel is the boundary region between the Sahara Desert and central tropical rainforest. The world's largest escarpment, in South Africa. The East Africa Rift Valley, volcanoes, and highlands. The Great Lakes of East Africa. The Serengeti wildlife.
by Owen Borville
The Great Sahara Desert defines North Africa with the largest sand dunes in the world in addition to large mountain ranges in a once wet environment. The Nile river extends from southeast Africa northward to the Mediterranean Sea and has provided fertile soils for thousands of years. West Africa contains many rivers that supported civilization along with the Congo river basin to the south. The Great lakes of Africa exist in the southeast on top of the mountains and valleys of the East Africa Rift Zone. Savannas also cover east Africa while south Africa contains arid dry deserts and plateaus.
Africa’s landscape includes islands, coasts, deserts, river valleys, mountains, grasslands, savannah, scrublands, lakes, and rain forest. The Sahara Desert, the world's largest, in the north and the Kalahari Desert in the south. Salt pans and flats. The Nile River, the world's largest and the Nile Delta. The Sahel is the boundary region between the Sahara Desert and central tropical rainforest. The world's largest escarpment, in South Africa. The East Africa Rift Valley, volcanoes, and highlands. The Great Lakes of East Africa. The Serengeti wildlife.
Africa Points of Interest
Egyptian Pyramids
Nile Valley Civilizations
Alexandria Church
Ethiopia Church
Ancient Carthage
Morocco Dunes
Chott el Djerid endorheic salt lake in Tunisia
Algeria
Libya
Sahara Desert
Ancient Rock Art of Africa
Chad water oasis
South Africa Escarpment
Table Mountain
Safari
Serengeti
Mauritius Island
Seychelles Islands
Canary Islands
Cape Verde Archipelago
Reunion Island volcanic hot spot, one of world’s most active shield volcanoes
Luxor
Kruger National Park
Grasslands
Madagascar lemurs and animals
Tanzania crater and wildlife
Kenya Wildlife
Lanzarote Island
Mahe Island
Victoria Falls, Zambezi River, Zambia and Zimbabwe
Deserts of Africa
Kalahari Desert
Makgadikgadi Pan salt flats, Botswana
Salt Flats of Africa
Salt Pans Botswana
Sand Dunes of Africa
Namibia Dunes and Deserts
Namibia Mountains, volcanic traps
Mountains of Africa
Namibia and Angola volcanic traps and tiered flood basalts
Kilimanjaro Mountain, Tanzania
Volcanoes in East Africa
Fish River Canyon, Namibia
Plateaus of Africa
Planation Surfaces of Africa
Lake Victoria, between Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda in East Africa
African Great Lakes, East Africa
Former Lakes of Africa have dried up and are left full of salts
Lake Malawi, southeast Africa
Great Rift Valley of East Africa
Africa Planation Surface
Egypt= Nile River Valley (e); White Desert NP (nw) white sands, mushroom hoodoos limestone chalk rock eroded layer; Nabta playa (s)
Sahara Desert rock formations in North Africa
Libya=Tadrart Acacus mountains dunes, and rock art (sw); Jebel Akhdar Peak
Tunisia
Algeria
Morocco
Western Sahara
Mauritania=Eye of Sahara or Richat Structure=mysterious blue circular non-impact dome feature visible from space (central); Ben Amera Monolith=largest in Africa, 2nd largest in world behind Uluru Rock, Australia
Mali
Niger
Burkina Faso=Domes of Fabedougou eroded rock pillars (sw)
Chad=Ennedi Desert sandstone plateau in central Sahara with arches, columns (ne) rock art
Cape Verde
Senegal=Lake Retba pink algae
Guinea
Sierra Leone
Liberia
Ivory Coast
Ghana
Togo
Benin
Nigeria=Olumo Rock mountain monolith (sw); Riyom Boulder Rocks (central); Zuma Rock monolith (central)
Cameroon=Kola Gorge rocks and cliffs
Central African Republic
Gabon
Congo
Zaire Congo
Angola
Zambia
Namibia=NP’s=Etosha NP (nw) mammals and wildlife, Namib-Naukluft NP highest sand dunes in the world extend next to Atlantic Ocean; Namib Desert coastal rock; Vinegerklip rock needle (nw)
Botswana
South Africa=Kruger NP safari, Ai-Ais-Richtersveld Park wildlife and Fish River Canyon, West Coast np beaches islands mountains, Pilanesberg NP wildlife and mountains; Cedarberg S. Africa rocks and mountains=Kagga Kamma Ceres Nature Reserve rocks; Three Sisters hills peaks preserved with caprock
Zimbabwe=Matobo NP wildlife, rocks
Mozambique
Malawi
East African Fault Scarps
Tanzania=Serengeti NP wildlife grassland mammals, birds, reptiles, Arusha NP=(ne) Mt. Meru Volcano (active), Mt. Kilimanjaro (ne)=Africa’s tallest mountain, Ngorongoro Crater=world’s largest
Kenya=Tsavo NP(s)=Mudana basement (Precambrian rock)
Uganda=Murchison Falls NP near Lake Albert (nw), Mt. Eglon shield volcano (e)
Rwanda=Volcanoes NP, rainforest, mountain gorilla
Somalia
Ethiopia=Simien NP mts, gorges, (n)
Sudan
Eritrea
Djibouti
Madagascar=wildlife; Andringitra Massif mountain peak; Ankarana eroded limestone rocks; Tsingy de Bemaraha karst badlands NP (w); Namoroka NP rocks, cliffs, wildlife (nw); Tsingy Rouge red stone formations
Indian Ocean
Mauritius
Seychelles
Maldives
Reunion Island np=(hot spot) and shield volcano (Piton des neiges), coral reef, beaches, and rain forest in the western Indian Ocean near Madagascar
Egyptian Pyramids
Nile Valley Civilizations
Alexandria Church
Ethiopia Church
Ancient Carthage
Morocco Dunes
Chott el Djerid endorheic salt lake in Tunisia
Algeria
Libya
Sahara Desert
Ancient Rock Art of Africa
Chad water oasis
South Africa Escarpment
Table Mountain
Safari
Serengeti
Mauritius Island
Seychelles Islands
Canary Islands
Cape Verde Archipelago
Reunion Island volcanic hot spot, one of world’s most active shield volcanoes
Luxor
Kruger National Park
Grasslands
Madagascar lemurs and animals
Tanzania crater and wildlife
Kenya Wildlife
Lanzarote Island
Mahe Island
Victoria Falls, Zambezi River, Zambia and Zimbabwe
Deserts of Africa
Kalahari Desert
Makgadikgadi Pan salt flats, Botswana
Salt Flats of Africa
Salt Pans Botswana
Sand Dunes of Africa
Namibia Dunes and Deserts
Namibia Mountains, volcanic traps
Mountains of Africa
Namibia and Angola volcanic traps and tiered flood basalts
Kilimanjaro Mountain, Tanzania
Volcanoes in East Africa
Fish River Canyon, Namibia
Plateaus of Africa
Planation Surfaces of Africa
Lake Victoria, between Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda in East Africa
African Great Lakes, East Africa
Former Lakes of Africa have dried up and are left full of salts
Lake Malawi, southeast Africa
Great Rift Valley of East Africa
Africa Planation Surface
Egypt= Nile River Valley (e); White Desert NP (nw) white sands, mushroom hoodoos limestone chalk rock eroded layer; Nabta playa (s)
Sahara Desert rock formations in North Africa
Libya=Tadrart Acacus mountains dunes, and rock art (sw); Jebel Akhdar Peak
Tunisia
Algeria
Morocco
Western Sahara
Mauritania=Eye of Sahara or Richat Structure=mysterious blue circular non-impact dome feature visible from space (central); Ben Amera Monolith=largest in Africa, 2nd largest in world behind Uluru Rock, Australia
Mali
Niger
Burkina Faso=Domes of Fabedougou eroded rock pillars (sw)
Chad=Ennedi Desert sandstone plateau in central Sahara with arches, columns (ne) rock art
Cape Verde
Senegal=Lake Retba pink algae
Guinea
Sierra Leone
Liberia
Ivory Coast
Ghana
Togo
Benin
Nigeria=Olumo Rock mountain monolith (sw); Riyom Boulder Rocks (central); Zuma Rock monolith (central)
Cameroon=Kola Gorge rocks and cliffs
Central African Republic
Gabon
Congo
Zaire Congo
Angola
Zambia
Namibia=NP’s=Etosha NP (nw) mammals and wildlife, Namib-Naukluft NP highest sand dunes in the world extend next to Atlantic Ocean; Namib Desert coastal rock; Vinegerklip rock needle (nw)
Botswana
South Africa=Kruger NP safari, Ai-Ais-Richtersveld Park wildlife and Fish River Canyon, West Coast np beaches islands mountains, Pilanesberg NP wildlife and mountains; Cedarberg S. Africa rocks and mountains=Kagga Kamma Ceres Nature Reserve rocks; Three Sisters hills peaks preserved with caprock
Zimbabwe=Matobo NP wildlife, rocks
Mozambique
Malawi
East African Fault Scarps
Tanzania=Serengeti NP wildlife grassland mammals, birds, reptiles, Arusha NP=(ne) Mt. Meru Volcano (active), Mt. Kilimanjaro (ne)=Africa’s tallest mountain, Ngorongoro Crater=world’s largest
Kenya=Tsavo NP(s)=Mudana basement (Precambrian rock)
Uganda=Murchison Falls NP near Lake Albert (nw), Mt. Eglon shield volcano (e)
Rwanda=Volcanoes NP, rainforest, mountain gorilla
Somalia
Ethiopia=Simien NP mts, gorges, (n)
Sudan
Eritrea
Djibouti
Madagascar=wildlife; Andringitra Massif mountain peak; Ankarana eroded limestone rocks; Tsingy de Bemaraha karst badlands NP (w); Namoroka NP rocks, cliffs, wildlife (nw); Tsingy Rouge red stone formations
Indian Ocean
Mauritius
Seychelles
Maldives
Reunion Island np=(hot spot) and shield volcano (Piton des neiges), coral reef, beaches, and rain forest in the western Indian Ocean near Madagascar