Summary
Africa is the second-largest continent and is crossed by the equator, so its climate is mostly warm. In the north lies the Sahara, the largest hot desert in the world; towards the centre and south there are savannahs and tropical rainforests. The Mediterranean Sea and the Strait of Gibraltar separate it from Europe.
It is a continent of more than 50 countries and a huge variety of peoples and languages. The Nile, one of the longest rivers in the world, runs through it, and there stands Kilimanjaro, its highest mountain. It is regarded as the cradle of humanity, because the first human beings appeared there.
Key points
- Africa is the second-largest continent; the equator crosses it.
- The Sahara, in the north, is the largest hot desert in the world.
- Towards the centre and south: savannahs and tropical rainforests.
- The Nile is one of the longest rivers in the world.
- Kilimanjaro is its highest mountain.
- It has more than 50 countries and a great many peoples and languages.
- It is regarded as the cradle of humanity.