Africa

Cradle of humanity and wild nature

Africa is a hot and colourful continent. It has the biggest desert, the Sahara, the longest river, the Nile, and the most wild animals: lions, elephants, giraffes, zebras. Scientists believe the first humans appeared in Africa.

Africa is the second-largest continent; the equator crosses it almost through the middle, so climate zones mirror each other north and south: desert → savanna → rainforest → savanna → desert. The Sahara is the world's largest hot desert (9 million km²). The Great Rift Valley is where tectonic plates are pulling apart; the oldest human remains were found here (Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania). Africa has 54 countries and more than 2,000 languages.

Fun facts

• The Sahara Desert is almost the same size as the USA!
• Africa is the only continent where lions, giraffes, hippos and gorillas live in the wild.
• The Nile is 6,650 km long — farther than from Uzbekistan to England.
• Mount Kilimanjaro sits near the equator, yet there is snow on its peak.