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Africa is the second largest continent on Earth and most populous after Asia. In Africa, the Nile is the longest river in the world and Sahara, largest desert in the world. The highest point is Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania continent (5895 m) and thelowest point is Lake Assal in the small country located Djibouti (156 m below sea level).

Sahara Desert

Stretching over more than one third of the continent, the Sahara is the largest desert in the world, with approximately 9.065 million km ? total area. Topography includes areas to rocky areas with sand dunes and numerous sand seas. Has height from less than 80 meters below sea level to over 3350 m in the mountains of Ahaggar and Tibesti. Sahara is divided into the following regions: desert Lebanese Nubian Desert and Western Desert of Egypt, just west of the Nile. The desert is devoid of almost any kind of precipitation, only isolated areas irrigated by underground rivers that flow from the Atlas Mountains oases. In the East, make the land fertile Nile water in small portions.

Kalahari Desert

It has an area of ??about 259,000 km ?) covering much of Botswana, SV region of South Africa and Namibia west. The desert plateau is formed by the rivers crossing ditches now drained and stunted trees. Here are some mountains with heights up and reduced (Karas, Huns). In South Africa, near the border with Namibia Kalahari Gemsbok National Park is where large groups of wild animals live.Congo River Basin

Located in central Africa, dominates the landscape of the Democratic Republic of Congo. In addition, it extends up

Congo River Basin in Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic and Zambia.Basin is 3.6 million km ? area fertile and contains almost 20% of all tropical forest.Congo River is the second longest in Africa.

Atlas Mountains

This mountain range extends from southwestern Morocco along the Mediterranean coast to the eastern edge of Tunisia. The highest peak is Toubkal in western Morocco (4167 m).

The longest river in the world (flows north), that flowed from the highlands of SE Africa and covers 6693 km, that eventually spill into the Mediterranean.

Sahel is an area of ??land than passing through North Africa to the southern edge of the Sahara desert. This border region is the transition from the dry tropics of north and south. There s not much precipitation (12-16 cm per year) and most vegetation is a rare savanna grass and shrubs.

It is the northernmost of the Great Lakes of East Africa, all located in the Great Eastern Rift. Basin is tectonic origin.

The lake was named by English explorer Samuel White Baker, who discovered in 1864, while seeking the Nile sources, giving its name in honor of Prince Albert, consort of Queen Victoria. The Queen had already given the largest African lake.

Lake Albert is located in the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire), on the border with Uganda. Area: 5347 km ?. Length: 160 km. Width: up to 30 km.Maximum depth: 51 m. Altitude: 615 m. The volume of water: 280 km cubic. Surface temperature: 30 ° C. Climate: equatorial. Average yearly temperature: 26 ° C.Multiannual amount of rainfall: 940 mm.

The largest tributaries of the lake: Semliki (which springs from Lake Edward, located south of Lake Albert), Nkusi (gather their waters across Uganda) and the Victoria Nile (Lake Victoria in the springs).

Albert Nile springs from Lake Albert, which then flows into the White Nile. White Nile Blue Nile Ethiopia receives from Plateau, forming the Nile, the longest river on the planet.

Lake Albert provides optimum conditions for the life of a rich fauna, greatly reduced in recent decades by a reckless poaching.

Located in the heart of Chad Basin, a vast basin of central Africa, in the place where the borders of four states meet: Chad, Cameroon, Nigeria and Niger.

Area: 1500 km square average, varying according to rainfall. Water level is higher in December and January and lowest in July. Lake lost a lot of water infiltration into the soil and by evaporation under hot African sun. In recent decades due to global warming climate, the water volume of Lake Chad has decreased. Lake has reduced both surface as well as depth. Currently, the average depth is 4 m and the maximum is 10 m. In the northwest average depth is only 1 m, and south of Lake Chad 6 m. Water comes in 90% of the Chari River and only at a rate of 10% directly from rainfall.

Lake Chad today is a remnant of a large African interior occupies 6,000 years ago an area of ??400,000 square kilometers.

Lake is the 4th largest freshwater reservoir in Africa after lakes Victoria, Tanganyika and Malawi. Around the lake and many islands in the east to 7 million people live in tribes with different lifestyles and cultures and a rich fauna: different birds, hippos, crocodiles, elephants.

Climate: tropical-dry. Water temperature: between 17 ° C and 32 ° C. Multiannual average rainfall is 200-400 mm, descending to the north.

Africa is the oldest inhabited territory on earth, having its origin the human race on this continent. Since the 19th century, especially during the 20th century,anthropologists have found various fossils and other evidence confirming the presence of species in Africa seven million years ago humanoid. Throughout theprehistoric period, in Africa there were no organized states, the continent wasinhabited by groups of hunter / gatherers, organized tribal structure, and Khoi andSan (also known as the bushman). Most of the bushman descendants today live inBotswana and Namibia, and the language of her language N / U, is considered the oldest language that has survived until today.

Written record of history begins in Africa around the time of 3300 BC, with the development of Egyptian civilization. Other powerful civilizations in Africa occur inthis period are Ethiopian Axum Empire, Nubian kingdom, Carthage s Sahelkingdoms (Ghana, Mali, Songhai) and Great Zimbabwe.

The first European commercial outposts are established by the Portuguese in Africasince 1482, the main commodities being traded gold, ivory, spices and slaves. With the discovery of America, the slave trade is gaining momentum, this barbaric practice was abolished only in the nineteenth century.

Same time begin a feverish race for colonization of Africa by European nations,most of the continent (except Ethiopia) falling under the dominion of England, France, Netherlands and other colonial powers.

African countries are beginning to gain sovereignty in the mid-twentieth century, soin Africa today there are 52 independent states, whose borders were drawn in the colonial period, however Africa.