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Map of Africa

A map of Africa.
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Map of Africa
  • Africa is the world’s second largest continent and contains over 50 countries.
  • Africa is in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
  • It is surrounded by the Indian Ocean in the east, the South Atlantic Ocean in the south-west and the North Atlantic Ocean in the north-west.
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Physical geography

Sand dunes in the Sahara desert in Africa.
Image caption,
Sand dunes in the Sahara desert in Africa.
  • Africa has a range of climate zones and biomes.
  • The Congo rainforest in Africa is one of the world’s largest rainforests. It has a hot and wet tropical climate.
  • The Sahara desert is the world’s largest hot desert, located in northern Africa.
  • Countries like Kenya and Tanzania are home to African Savannah. Animals like wildebeests and elephants have adapted to the hot and dry climate there.
  • Not all of Africa is hot all the year around. High mountains such as Mount Kilimanjaro often have snow at their summit (highest point).
Sand dunes in the Sahara desert in Africa.
Image caption,
Sand dunes in the Sahara desert in Africa.
Giraffes and Mount Kilimanjaro in the distance.
Image caption,
Mount Kilimanjaro in the distance
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Human geography

The largest cities in Africa include Lagos (in Nigeria), Kinshasa (in the Democratic Republic of Congo), Cairo (in Egypt) and Johannesburg (in South Africa).

Famous human-made landmarks include Victoria Falls Bridge (between Zambia and Zimbabwe), the Great Pyramids of Giza (in Egypt) and Timgad ruins (in Algeria).

Victoria Falls Bridge.
Image caption,
Victoria Falls Bridge

Aswan Dam, across the river Nile in Egypt, is the world's largest embankment dam. A dam is a barrier that blocks water to create a human-made lake called a reservoir. Dams can be used to produce hydroelectric power which is a form of renewable energy.

Aswan Dam
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Aswan Dam
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Activity: Quiz – Africa

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Bitesize Primary games. game

Play fun and educational primary games in science, maths, English, history, geography, art, computing and modern languages.

Bitesize Primary games
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