Africa
Africa has 54 countries and diverse landscapes.
About this topic
Africa, the second-largest continent, has 54 countries and over 1.4 billion people, the world's youngest population. Landscapes include the Sahara, Sahel savanna, rainforest of the Congo Basin, Rift Valley, Nile River, Kalahari and Mount Kilimanjaro. Its wealth of minerals (gold, diamonds, oil, cobalt) and wildlife is substantial.
The Sahara in the north is the largest hot desert, the Sahel is a semi-arid belt on its southern edge vulnerable to drought, and the Congo Basin holds the second-largest rainforest. The Nile, flowing north to the Mediterranean, is among the longest rivers and supports Egyptian agriculture. Historical legacies of slavery and colonialism shaped borders and economies, with many countries still exporting raw materials instead of finished goods.
Challenges include poverty, conflict, disease, and climate stress, but also rapid urbanisation, growing technology sectors (mobile money such as M-Pesa in Kenya), a vibrant culture and rising economies such as Nigeria, Kenya and Ethiopia. A common misconception is to treat Africa as a single country or place; it contains enormous diversity of climate, language and income, and many of the fastest-growing economies in the world.
Key ideas
- Sahara and Congo
- Fastest growing population
- Rich resources
Quick check
Use cases: where Africa helps
- Homework: review the key idea behind Africa before you start a problem set.
- Exam revision: use the quick check to test whether you can recall Africa without notes.
- Visual learning: play with the interactive lab to see how Africa changes when you adjust its inputs.
- Teaching a friend: explain Africa in your own words, then compare your version with the key ideas.
Geography helps with city planning, climate, trade and migration.
Frequently asked questions
What is Africa?
Africa has 54 countries and diverse landscapes.
What will I learn in Africa?
Sahara and Congo. Fastest growing population. Rich resources.
Is Africa part of Geography?
Yes. It is one of 40 Geography topics on LearnViz HighSchoolEdu, with 3 key ideas, a live animation and a quick check.
Does the Africa lab work on a phone or tablet?
Yes. The animation resizes to fit your screen and supports touch, so you can drag, tap and slide with your finger.
How should I study Africa?
Read the summary and key ideas first, play with the interactive lab to see the idea in motion, then answer the quick check. If you get a question wrong, go back to the key idea it tests.
Do I need an account, and is my progress saved?
No account is needed. Marking a topic as learned is saved in your own browser, so it stays on that device and is not sent to a server.