Where is africa located

It also contains the Nile River system, the world's longest, and the massive Sahara Desert, the world's largest. Africa is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, both the Suez Canal and the Red Sea along the Sinai Peninsula to the northeast, the Indian Ocean to the east and southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Political maps are designed to show governmental boundaries of countries, states, and counties, the location of major cities, and they usually include significant bodies of water.

Like in the sample, bright colors are often used to help the user find the borders. A larger version of this map here. A topographic map highlights hills, mountains and valleys of a specific land area by exaggerated shading rather than by using contour lines. This topo map clearly shows the flatness of the Sahara Desert, the depression that Lake Chad sits in, the high mountains of the Great Rift Valley, and it also highlights Lake Victoria, all but surrounded by mountains.

This is a slice of a larger topographical map that highlights the Great Rift Valley, a dramatic depression on the earth's surface, approximately 4, miles 6, km in length, extends from the Red Sea area near Jordan in the Middle East, , south to the African country of Mozambique.

In essence, it's a series of geological faults caused by huge volcanic eruptions centuries back, that subsequently created what we now call the Ethiopian Highlands, and a series of perpendicular cliffs, mountain ridges, rugged valleys and very deep lakes along its entire length.

For additional details on many of the landforms of Africa, this page will help. This NASA satellite view of Africa can be useful in many applications, including agriculture, geology, forestry, meteorology, intelligence and warfare. In addition, it's a great education tool as it provides an overview of Africa, with the desert areas of the north, the central fertile areas and the varied topography of the southern regions of the continent are clearly visible.

Beautifully designed the map represents a high mark of 16th-century mapmaking, it shows Africa in a recognizable shape, with a more pointed southern cape. Madagascar appears, as do the place-names of numerous towns along the coasts and in the interior, although large empty spaces begin to dominate there. No animal or plant life is indicated, but the oceans contain swordfish and a whale. Three ships in the lower right are caught in the smoke of battle. The map was designed by Abraham Ortelius who published the Theatrum , the worlds first atlas.

There are 54 countries the are internationally recognized. Full list bellow, for individual country maps follow the links. Home Continents Africa. Salt Spring Island. Old Faithful Geyser. Kuril Islands. Cultus Lake, British Columbia. Cataract Canyon. Long Beach, California. Glenwood Canyon. Cape Verde. Central African Republic. Congo, Democratic Republic of. Equatorial Guinea. Ivory Coast.

Sao Tome and Principe. They will best know the preferred format. When you reach out to them, you will need the page title, URL, and the date you accessed the resource. If a media asset is downloadable, a download button appears in the corner of the media viewer.

If no button appears, you cannot download or save the media. Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service.

Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website. You cannot download interactives. Search through these resources to discover more about unique landforms and landscapes around the world. Landforms are natural and distinctive features. Explore how they show up in various landscapes.

These resources can be used to teach middle schoolers more about the natural world, its distinctive features, and landscapes. In geography, boundaries separate different regions of Earth. A physical boundary is a naturally occurring barrier between two or more areas. Physical boundaries include oceans, cliffs, or valleys. Select from these educational resources to teach middle school students more about physical boundaries. Among Africa's many savanna regions, the Serengeti or Serengeti Plains is the most well-known.

The Serengeti is home to one of the continent's highest concentrations of large mammal species, including lions, hyenas, zebras, giraffes, and elephants. Each year, more than one million wildebeest travel in a circular migration, following seasonal rains, across the Serengeti Plains. A terrestrial ecosystem is a land-based community of organisms and the interactions of biotic and abiotic components in a given area.

Examples of terrestrial ecosystems include the tundra, taigas, temperate deciduous forests, tropical rainforests, grasslands, and deserts. The type of terrestrial ecosystem found in a particular place is dependent on the temperature range, the average amount of precipitation received, the soil type, and amount of light it receives. Use these resources to spark student curiosity in terrestrial ecosystems and discover how different abiotic and biotic factors determine the plants and animals found in a particular place.

Encyclopedic entry. It can be divided into five major physical regions: mountain systems; plateaus; plains, steppes, and deserts; freshwater environments; and saltwater environments. Africa is sometimes nicknamed the "Mother Continent" as it's the oldest inhabited continent on Earth. Join our community of educators and receive the latest information on National Geographic's resources for you and your students. Skip to content. Twitter Facebook Pinterest Google Classroom. Encyclopedic Entry Vocabulary.

Africa is home to diverse ecosystems, from sandy deserts to lush rain forests. Map by the National Geographic Society. Population Density 87 people per square kilometer. Largest Urban Area Cairo, Egypt Also called desert pavement. Resources can be natural or human. Media Credits The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit.

Last Updated Jan. Media If a media asset is downloadable, a download button appears in the corner of the media viewer. Text Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service. Interactives Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website. Related Resources. Landforms and Landscapes. View Collection. Physical Boundaries.

Terrestrial Ecosystem. Africa: Resources. View Article. Asia: Physical Geography. Resources for African Archeology:. Sub-Saharan Africa Defined:. Helena in the Atlantic Ocean. Boundaries of countries were drawn arbitrary without regards to cultural affiliations between the indigenous people. Gambia, Eritrea, Togo, Benin.

Landlocked African Countries: The scramble for and partitioning of Africa among European countries resulted in 15 of the African states being landlocked without any access to the coast See Figure 1. Postindependence Changes to the map of Africa: After independence, many African countries have relocated their capitals and re-named their countries, lakes and other features Table 1.

Other Significant Political Organizations are:. Highest mountains are of volcanic origin. Kilmanjaro, ft m. Kenya 17, ft m. Cameroon m. Total length is 6, miles.

Average width ranges between 20 - 50 miles. Contains many lakes:. Some of the world's largest and longest rivers are found in Africa. Many African rivers are interrupted by Rapids and Falls. Madagascar, 2.