https://www.english-online.at/geography/africa/africa-introduction.

htm
Africa is the second largest continent, covering about a fifth of the world's landmass. It stretches equally to the
north and south of the equator and is made up of many different kinds of landscapes and ecosystems.
Africa consists of over 50 states, many of which became independent in the 20th century. The whole continent
was ruled by European powers until the world wars. Today, many nations still suffer from the lack of democratic
elements. Dictators and military leaders rule politically unstable countries, in which there are no free elections.
The continent has great deposits of the world's most valuable minerals and raw materials, including diamonds,
coal, copper and gold. However, Africa is the least developed of all continents. Food is
often scarce and droughts hit many regions on a regular basis. Diseases spread throughout Africa, life
expectancy is low and poverty is widespread.
introduction of africa

2009/09/30https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/zflt/eng/xnyfgk/t617222.htm

The continent of Africa is the world's second largest continent after Asia, with a total surface area, including several
surrounding islands of 30,313,000 square kilometres. It stretches from 40 degrees latitude in the north to 34 35'
degrees south and has 54 independent countries - 48 mainland and 6 island states - with an estimated total
population of 700 million.

The economic powerhouse of Africa south of the Sahara Desert is South Africa. Through its well developed
infrastructure and deepwater ports, South Africa handles much of the trade for the whole southern African region. In
1970 its immediate neighbours, Botswana, Swaziland and Lesotho, and latterly Namibia, signed the Southern
African Customs Union (SACU) enabling them to share in the customs revenue from their trade passing through
South African ports.

In order to counter the economic dominance of South Africa in the southern African region, the countries to the north
of it organised themselves into the Southern African Development Conference (SADC). Member states include
those of the SACU as well as Angola, situated north of Namibia, and it's oil-rich enclave of Cabinda, and
Mozambique on the east coast, and the countries of south-central Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi.

The eastern region of Africa is home to the great wildlife reserves of the Serengeti plains and the Rift Valley lake
system which stretch across the countries of Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. These countries signed the Treaty for
Enhanced East African Co-operation to allow for the free flow of goods and people.

Further north lie the countries of the Horn of Africa and the source of the longest river in the world, the Nile River,
which flows northwards over 6690 kilometres to end in the Mediterranean Sea. Somalia occupies much of the
coastline, while Ethiopia and Sudan are large inland countries. On the coast of the Red Sea are the two
independent republics of Djibouti and Eritrea.

The small landlocked central African countries of Rwanda and Burundi form part of an economic union of countries
in the central African region. Other members of the Economic Community of Central African States are Cameroon,
the Central African Republic, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, the oil-rich Congo and Gabon and the vast country of the
Democratic Republic of Congo.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is a solid geographical bloc of 15 states from Nigeria
in the east to Mauritania in the west. The countries of Mauritania, Mali and Niger are located in the southern stretch
of the Sahara Desert while the remaining countries are splayed out along the coast line. As a result of their
respective colonial histories, these countries are divided into French and English-speaking states. The francophone
countries include the republics of Benin, Burkina Faso, Togo, the Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire), Guinea and Senegal
while the remaining states of Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and the Gambia have English as their official
language. The Republic of Guinea Bissau is a Portuguese-speaking state to the south of Senegal.

North of the Sahara Desert lie 5 predominantly Muslim countries all bordering on the southern shores of the
Mediterranean Sea. Moving from west to east are the three countries which form the Maghreb region, the Kingdom
of Morocco which has laid claim to the state of Western Sahara (Sahrawi Republic), a former Spanish colony on its
southern border, and the republics of Algeria, and Tunisia. The remaining countries are Libya and finally Egypt
occupying the north-east corner of Africa and having an extension across the Gulf of Suez into the Sinai Peninsula
through which runs the Suez Canal physically cutting off the continent of Africa from the Middle East. Both Algeria
and Libya have vast oil and gas producing fields and are active members of the Organisation of Oil Exporting
Countries (OPEC).

There are 6 independent island states associated with the continent of Africa. Off its west coast are the Cape Verde
Islands off the coast of Senegal. In the Gulf Guinea off the coast of Gabon is the small island state of Sao Tomé and
Principé. Off the east coast of Africa is the island republic of the Comores, and Madagascar, the world's third largest
island with an area of 587,041 square kilometres. Further east in the Indian Ocean are the island republics of
Mauritius and the Seychelles. Lying close to Mauritius is the island of Réunion, a dependency of France although its
economy is closely linked to that of the east African coast and Indian Ocean islands. (from Mbendi)

https://www.routledge.com/Africa-An-Introduction/Palmer/p/book/9780367433734

Book Description

Africa: An Introduction invites you into Africa: a continent rich with culture and history, with diverse populations
stretching from the dense tropical rain forest of the Congo basin, right up to the Sahara Desert in the north, and down to
the Mediterranean climates of the far south.

Containing fifty-five countries, and covering over 20 percent of the world’s landmass, Africa is the birthplace of
humanity, yet the image of Africa in the West is often negative, that of a continent riddled with endemic problems. This
accessible and engaging guide to the African continent guides the reader through the history, geography, and politics of
Africa. It ranges from the impact of slavery and imperialism through to the rise of African nationalism and the
achievement of independence, and up to the present moment. Key topics covered include literature, art, technology,
religion, the condition of African women, health, education, and the mounting environmental concerns faced by African
people.

As Africa moves beyond the painful legacies of slavery and imperialism, this book provides an engaging, uplifting, and
accessible introduction to a rapidly modernizing and diverse continent. Suitable for high school and undergraduate
students studying Africa, this book will also serve as the perfect introduction for anyone looking to understand the
history of Africa and the Africa of today.