Introduction

Africa- is unique for its fabulously rich nature: here lush tropical vegetation is adjacent to the endless desert scorched by the sun. In many ways, this is a mystery continent: modern civilization coexists with paganism, the archaic vehemently resists progress ...

About 700 million people, or about 15% of the world's population, live in 53 African states. Africa is usually divided into three parts: North, or Arab, Tropical (sub-Saharan, located south of the Sahara Desert) and South. Each region has its own unique natural and climatic characteristics, cultural and national characteristics, and a different level of economic development.

Africa is inhabited by hundreds of large and small peoples (ethnic groups), many of them live in several countries. Representatives of nomadic tribes and nationalities migrate through the territory of other states. The largest of the African ethnic groups in the north of the continent are Arabs (Egyptian, Algerian, Moroccan); in Tropical Africa - Yoruba and Hausa, as well as am-hara, Oromo; in Central and South Africa - Bantu. Their structure is quite complex. Bantu, for example, includes more than 40 nationalities, each of which has over 1 million people. There are many immigrants from European and Asian countries in African countries. Their share is especially large in the Republic of South Africa - over 5 million people (Afrikaners, or Boers, French, Italians, etc.).

Geographic location of Africa

Africa- the second largest continent of the Earth after Eurasia and the largest of the southern continents. The name Africa comes from the toponym Afra, Afariki, Avrigi. Initially, there was no single name for the mainland. The territories west of Egypt to the Atlas were called Libya in ancient times, and those south of Libya were called Ethiopia. Together with the islands, the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthis mainland is 30.3 million square meters. km. The extreme points of the mainland in the north are Cape El Abyad (Ras Engela, Ben Secca) (37 degrees 21 minutes N), in the south - Cape Agulhas (34 degrees 52 minutes S). The main feature of the physical geographical location Africa is that the mainland intersects with the equator in the central part and, therefore, is symmetrical about it. Africa stretches 72 degrees and 8000 km from north to south. The northern and southern tropics cross the mainland in the marginal parts and about 4/5 of the territory of Africa is in the hot zone of illumination, that is, the territory is well lit and therefore warmed by the Sun. The mainland is located in seven climatic zones (according to Alisov) subtropical, tropical and subequatorial northern and southern hemispheres and in the equatorial. The widest part of the mainland is located north of the equator between 10 and 16 degrees. NL where Africa extends from 17 deg. 33 min. west (Cape Almadi) to 51 degrees. 23 min. o.d. (Cape Ras Hafun). From west to east, Africa stretches almost 69 degrees. and, accordingly, 7500 km. Africa is the only continent located in all four hemispheres. The mainland is located in 4 time zones - from 0 to 3. Africa and Eurasia actually constitute a single landmass of the Eastern Hemisphere, separated from other continents by vast expanses of oceans. Therefore, the flora and fauna of North Africa, Southern Europe and Southwest Asia have many common species. The shores of Africa are washed by the waters of the Indian and Atlantic oceans and their seas - the Mediterranean and Red. There are not many islands off the coast of Africa. The largest of them is Madagascar.

General characteristics of the geographical location

The continent of Africa is washed from different sides by two oceans and two seas. The East is washed

by the red sea And Indian Ocean, west - Atlantic Ocean , and adjoins to the northMediterranean Sea.
The population of Africa is 933 million, 55 countries are located on its territory, most of which, unfortunately, are recognized as the poorest states on Earth. African countries include three monarchies, the federal republic of Nigeria and the republics.
The mainland of Africa is characterized by weak vertical and horizontal dissection. The geographical position of Africa is special, since the mainland is located symmetrically to the equator.
The mainland is located between two tropics: the extreme northern point is 37 ° 20 "" N. latitude. - Cape Engel, southernmost point 34 ° 5 "" S. sh. - Cape Agulhas.
Only the southern and northern margins are partially located in subtropical latitudes. What is unique is that most of The mainland is located in a hot zone, the territory of which is constantly heated by the Sun.

The coastlines of Africa are poorly indented, so few harbors and bays have formed along the coast.

Position features

The configuration of the African continent should be singled out as a feature of its geographical position. The manifestation of the zonality of African landscapes is definitely unevenly distributed land area south and north of the equator.

The peculiarity lies in the fact that the northern part is much wider than the southern half of the mainland. For example, the width of the southern part is about 3000 km, and the distance from the western point of Cape Verde to the eastern point of Ras Hafun is 7.5 thousand km.

Attention should be paid to the features of the bays of the mainland. The largest is the Gulf of Guinea. The Gulf of Aden washes the large peninsula of Somalia from the north.

This bay is located in the Mediterranean Sea, like the Gulf of Sidra. And the Gulf of Mozambique in the Indian Ocean separates the largest island of Madagascar from the mainland.

Also in this ocean are islands such as Zanzibar, Pemba, Mafia, the Socotra archipelago. The world-famous Canary Islands are located in the Atlantic Ocean and are not far from Africa, like Madeira and Cape Verde.

And in the Gulf of Guinea are the small islands of Fernando Po and Principe. Due to the extraordinary configuration of the mainland, the location of natural zones is not the same, but they pass into each other. Zones of subequatorial forests are replaced by tropical deserts, which, in turn, are replaced by subtropical natural zones.

Mainland relief

Africa is located on one African plate. The African plate is moving to the northeast, colliding with the Eurasian plate. The consequence of this collision is the formation of the young Atlas Mountains in northern Africa. Further collision of plates will lead in the future, most likely, to the disappearance of the Mediterranean Sea and the transformation of Africa and Eurasia into a single continent. At the same time, in the area of ​​the Red Sea, the processes of its expansion and the formation of a new oceanic crust are observed. In the future, the Red Sea will become a new ocean. However, the African plate itself is not completely stable. On its surface, the processes of breaking into two parts are clearly visible - in the region of the Great African Rifts in the southeast of the continent. A large number of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are now recorded on the territory of the faults. Within 10 million years, a fault comparable to the Red Sea will form in the Ethiopian highlands. Part of the tectonic faults is now filled with water - first of all, these are lakes Nyasa and Tanganyika, as well as many other lakes in the region.

Africa is located on a single African platform, formed in the Archean period. In the south of the mainland, the old Cape and Dragon Mountains are located, significantly destroyed, in contrast to the Atlas continuing its formation. In general, two main regions can be distinguished in Africa: the North-Western plains and the South-Eastern - mountainous. The average height of the mainland is 750 meters. The plateaus occupy very large areas, while the lowlands are very few. The lowest point of the mainland is Lake Assal, the height of its depression is 157 meters above sea level. The highest point is Mount Kilimanjaro, 5895 meters high.

Volcanoes and earthquakes are fairly common phenomena in Africa. In addition to Kilimanjaro, there are volcanoes such as Karisimbi (4507 m) and Cameroon (4100 m) (pictured). Earthquakes occur both in the north of Africa, where the border with the Euro-Asian lithospheric plate passes, and in the east of the mainland - in the area of ​​tectonic faults and the Red Sea.

Africa is known for its richest deposits of diamonds (South Africa, Zimbabwe) and gold (South Africa, Ghana, Mali, Republic of the Congo). There are oil fields in Algeria, Libya, on the shelf of the Gulf of Guinea - in Nigeria. bauxite is mined in Guinea and Ghana. The resources of phosphorites, as well as manganese, iron and lead-zinc ores are concentrated in the zone of the northern coast of Africa. Large reserves of copper ores are concentrated in Zambia.

Mainland climate

Africa is the hottest continent on Earth, to which it owes its geographical location. The continent is located in four climatic zones: equatorial, subequatorial, tropical and subtropical. Africa is located between 37 ° north and 34 ° south latitude - that is, in the equatorial and tropical latitudes.

equatorial belt Africa is located on the shores of the Gulf of Guinea and stretches inland to Lake Victoria. The equatorial air mass dominates here all year round, so there are no seasons, it is constantly hot here, and it rains very often. Due to abundant moisture (2-3 mm per year) and a very warm climate (above + 20 ° - + 30 ° C throughout the year), a natural zone of humid equatorial forests has formed here. The forests of Africa contain an unimaginable number of animal and plant species, many of which are still unknown to science. The inner regions of the equatorial belt are still uninhabited.

subequatorial belt Surrounds the equatorial from the north, east and south. In contrast, there are no year-round rains here, but a pronounced rainy and dry season appears. In summer, the equatorial air mass dominates in the belt, bringing the rainy season. The amount of rainfall and the length of this season decrease as you move away from the equator. In areas of the mainland where the season lasts most of the year, variable-humid forests are formed, but where the rainy season lasts less than six months, precipitation is no longer enough for the development of woody vegetation - light forests and savannas appear there. It is worth noting that summer in Africa falls on June-August in the northern hemisphere and December-February in the southern, therefore, when the rainy season is in one part of the subequatorial belt, tropical air mass dominates in the opposite - that is, the dry season begins.

tropical belt Africa is clearly divided into North and South. Here the weather is clear all year round, and there is practically no rain. The amount of precipitation decreases as you move deeper into the mainland. Since a very large area of ​​Africa is located precisely in the northern tropical latitudes, optimal conditions are formed here for the formation of deserts - dry air, high pressure due to tropical air mass and remoteness from the ocean. That is why Africa is considered the mainland of the classical development of deserts. In addition to the aridity of the African tropics, huge temperature differences should be noted here. In summer, when the Sun rises high, it literally heats the sand of the desert, and the air temperature rises above 30 and even 40 degrees. The highest air temperature in Africa and around the world was recorded in the Libyan Desert and amounted to +58°C. At the same time, after sunset, the temperature drops sharply by several tens of degrees, and winter nights drops even to negative values.

subtropical belt stretched out in a narrow strip along the northern coast of Africa, and also in the very south of the mainland. It is also divided into north and south. In the subtropics, two air masses are replaced during the year: in the summer, tropical air comes, because the summer in the subtropics is hot and dry, and in winter, moderate air comes, bringing precipitation. A natural zone of hard-leaved and evergreen forests has formed here. However, in its original form, it has practically not been preserved anywhere, since the territory of the subtropics is being actively transformed under human economic activity.

Animal and plant world of Africa

The flora of Africa has been fully studied (40,000 species and 3,700 families, of which 900 are endemic flowering plants). The boundaries and types of vegetation in Africa were determined at the end of the Pliocene, with the establishment of the modern ratio of heat and moisture. The northern part of Africa is included in the Holarctic floristic region. The territory of Africa south of the Sahara belongs to the Paleotropical region, in the southwest of Africa the Cape floristic region is distinguished, the flora of the Atlas and the northern coast of Libya and South Africa belongs to the Mediterranean region of the Holarctic and the months have much in common, with the flora of Southern Europe (strawberry, pure) and Western Asia (Atlas cedar, Euphrates poplar). The flora of the islands of Madeira, the Canary Islands and Cape Verde (mostly forest) forms the Macaronesian subregion of the Holarctic with the largest number of endemics in the Canary Islands (dragon tree, etc.). The flora of the Sahara (grass-shrub), very poor in species (about 1200), lies in the North African-Indian subregion of the Holarctic.

Africa's natural vegetation cover has been largely destroyed by deforestation.

Today, savannas occupy about 37% of the area of ​​Africa, foxes -about 16% and deserts - more than 39%. Moist evergreen equatorial forests occupy the largest area along the coast of the Gulf of Guinea (from 7°N to 12°S) and in the Congo Basin (from 4°S to 60S). humid climate. On the northern and southern outskirts, they turn into mixed (deciduous-evergreen) and deciduous forests, lose their leaves in the dry season (3-4 months). Tropical rainforests (mostly palm trees) grow on east coast Africa and eastern Madagascar; mixed deciduous-coniferous forests - on the southeastern monsoon margin of Africa; evergreen hardwood forests (mainly cork oak) - on the windward slopes of the Atlas. The slopes of the mountains up to a height of 3000 m are covered by mountain forests; in the belts with the greatest amount of precipitation, they are stunted, with the presence of mosses and lichens.

The savannas frame the forested areas of Equatorial Africa and extend through the Sudan, East and South Africa beyond the southern tropic. Depending on the duration of the rainy season and the annual amount of precipitation in them, level the tall grass, typical (dry) and desert savannas. In high May, savannahs occupy an area where the annual precipitation is 800-1200 mm, and the dry season lasts 3-4 months, they have a dense cover of high grasses (elephant grass up to 5 m), groves and massifs of mixed or deciduous forests on watersheds, gallery evergreen forests of subsoil moisture in the valleys. In typical savannahs (precipitation 500-800 mm, 6 months long season) continuous grass cover no higher than 1 m (bearded man species, temeda, etc.), palm trees (fan, hyphena), baobabs, acacias are typical from ancient rocks; in East and South Africa - spurges. A significant part of the savannas are wet and typical savannas of secondary origin. Deserted savannahs (rainfall 300-600 mm, dry season 8-10 months) have a sparse grass cover, thickets of thorny bushes (mainly acacias) are common in them.

Deserts occupy the largest area in northern Africa, where the world's largest desert, the Sahara, is located. Its vegetation is extremely sparse; in the northern Sahara, grass-shrub, in the southern - shrub; concentrated mainly along the riverbeds and on the sands. The most important plant of the oases is the date palm. The subtropical marginal deserts of Africa turn into grass-shrub semi-deserts; in the north, feather grass alpha is typical for them, in the south - numerous onion. Very large and diverse plant resources. In the evergreen forests of Central Africa grow up to 40 tree species that have valuable wood (black, red, etc.); high-quality edible oil is obtained from the fruits of the oil palm tree, caffeine and other alkaloids are obtained from the seeds of the kola tree. Africa is the birthplace of the coffee tree growing in the forests of the Ethiopian highlands, Central Africa, Madagascar. The homeland of many cereals (including drought-resistant wheat) is the Ethiopian highlands.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I would like to say that Africa is the second largest continent after Eurasia. It is washed by the Atlantic, Indian Oceans, as well as the Mediterranean Sea, the Red Sea, the Gulf of Guinea, etc. Its geographical position is very attractive for tourism. The mainland covers zones of equatorial, subequatorial, tropical, subtropical climate. Average monthly summer temperatures are around 20-25°C.

The flora and fauna of Africa is amazing with its diversity and variety of rare, exotic species of animals and plants. There are many national parks, zoos and nature reserves on the mainland.

The historical value of such countries as Egypt, Morocco and others attracts tourists from all over the world.

The continent has the largest desert on Earth - the Sahara, the second largest in the world Victoria Falls, as well as famous sights from the "seven wonders of the world."

Africa- an extremely interesting, very promising, but the most poorly developed tourist region. Among the factors favoring the development of tourism on this continent are the following:

Proximity to Europe and Asia;

Warm weather and plenty of sun all year round;

The presence of beautiful beaches in many coastal areas of Africa, on the basis of which sea resorts can be created;

Diverse exotic nature, including unique wild fauna;

Factors that hinder the development of tourism in Africa include the following:

The low economic level of most African countries;

Poorly developed tourist infrastructure and transport network;

Unstable domestic political situation in a number of countries on the continent; Africa. Plant and animal world // Moregeo

Relative to other continents of the planet? What is the difference between the nature of the hottest Answers to all these questions - look in our article!

Where and how is the continent of Africa located?

Africa is perhaps the most amazing and most contrasting part of our planet. It keeps a lot of secrets and interesting things that excite the minds and imagination of many scientists and travelers. What is special about this continent? And how is it located Let's try to answer these questions.

The geographical position of the most sultry in many ways can be called unique. So, this is the only continent on the planet that is “cut” by the equator almost in the middle. All its extreme points are approximately the same distance from this conditional line.

Africa is the second continent in the world in size (the total area is about 30 million square kilometers). In its northern part, it is wider, and with the advancement to the south, it noticeably narrows.

How is Africa located in relation to other continents? This continent, based on the peculiarities of its location, belongs to the group of the southern continents of the planet. Once it was part of Gondwana - the supercontinent of South Africa's northern "neighbor" is Eurasia. Europe is separated from it by the Mediterranean Sea, and Asia by the Red Sea.

The western extremities of the mainland are washed by the waters of the Atlantic, and the eastern ones by the Indian Ocean.

Home Nature: 7 Surprising Facts

Scientists believe that the word "Africa" ​​comes from the name of one of the tribes - "Afrigi". Its representatives once lived in the north of the continent. Later, this name somehow miraculously became a geographical toponym denoting the whole mainland.

Amazing but characteristic Africa is the "mirror image" of its nature. Since the mainland is almost cut in the middle by the equator, the natural zones located to the north of it mirror the zones that are located south of the equator. Thus, moving from Cape Town to Cairo, the traveler will be able to see each of the natural zones of Africa twice. No other continent on the planet is endowed with such an unusual feature.

To get to know Africa better, we bring to your attention seven more amazing geographical facts about this continent:

• Africa is the only continent located in all hemispheres of the Earth;
• it is here that the largest desert in the world - the Sahara is located;
• the continent leads the world in terms of reserves and production of diamonds;
• there are even ski resorts on the planet (in Morocco);
• in Africa, the richest lake in the world in terms of species diversity of fish is located;
• here is the most rapidly disappearing lake on the planet - Lake Chad;
• the vast Sahara continues to grow; it increases by half a mile every month.

Finally…

Now, after reading this article, you will know how the mainland of Africa is located relative to other continents of the Earth. It is the only continent in the world that is located in all four hemispheres of the planet. At the same time, it is dissected by the equator approximately in the middle, which causes the "mirror" of its natural zones.

The position of Africa relative to other continents is determined by the fact that the continent is located in two hemispheres - Northern and Southern, is divided into two parts by the equator and is connected to Eurasia by the Isthmus of Suez, through which the Suez Canal passes today. More about this in this article.

Africa on the world map

In terms of area, Africa is second only to Eurasia, and in percentage terms, its area is equal to 20% of the earth's land. In addition, Africa is also called a part of the world, which, in addition to the mainland of the same name, includes numerous islands located along the African coast. Together with the islands, the area of ​​Africa is about thirty million square kilometers.

Africa is the only continent whose northern border falls on the northern subtropics, and the southern border on the southern subtropical belt. The position of Africa relative to other continents of the Earth is also determined by the fact that it is connected to Eurasia by the isthmus through which the Suez Canal passes.

The continent is separated from Europe by the Strait of Gibraltar, the minimum width of which is only fourteen kilometers. The closest country to Europe on the African continent is the Kingdom of Morocco.

In addition to the wide variety of climatic zones, the African continent also boasts a significant biological diversity, a huge number of rare animal species found nowhere else, as well as significant reserves of important minerals such as oil, gas and diamonds.

Africa, which has long been under colonial yoke, has significant economic and economic difficulties. political development. Numerous diseases are widespread on the continent, in many countries for decades there have been civil wars, and some states are not even able to provide their own citizens with enough food and quality water.

African coastline

Despite the fact that Africa is the second largest continent on the planet, its coastline is only 30,500 kilometers long. Such a relatively small length is due to the small dissection of the coastline with a small number of bays and bays suitable for ships.

The coastline is mostly straight, and the largest bay is the Gulf of Guinea, located off the coast of Guinea. The maximum depth of this bay is more than 6363 meters.

Another distinctive feature the African coast is its pronounced steepness, especially noticeable in the north-west of the continent, where the Atlas Mountains approach the ocean itself.

Neighborhood with Eurasia

The position of Africa relative to other continents is also determined by the seas that wash its shores. Africa is separated from Asia by the Red Sea, the coast of which is distinguished by the presence of a large number comfortable quiet bays with shallow depth and a sharply defined coastline.

In addition, the coast of this sea is characterized by an increased mountainous landscape. In this part of the mainland, the waters of the rivers flowing into the ocean are separated from the ocean by numerous sandy spits and dunes. In the area of ​​​​Cape Guardafui, located at the extreme tip of the Horn of Africa, the waters of the ocean break against numerous steep cliffs and small capes protruding into the sea.

Northwest Africa

The northwestern margin of the mainland, on the contrary, is characterized by a gentle coast. In the north, to the outskirts of the continent, the spurs of the Atlas Mountains go out, and in the south, from Morocco, the sands of the Sahara go out to the ocean, and the coast there is low, flat, with a lot of rocks.

From the African side to the Strait of Gibraltar comes the foot of Jebel Musa, the height of which reaches 851 meters above sea level. A few kilometers from this peak is the Spanish exclave of Ceuta, an overseas territory of the Kingdom of Spain.

Since the position of Africa relative to other continents and islands is determined by its proximity to Eurasia and the Atlantic Ocean, attention should be paid to the largest archipelagos and islands located off the coast of the mainland.

Atlantic Ocean islands

To the west of Africa are several large island groups, which include the Canary Islands, Madeira, Sao Tome and Principe, Cape Verde, Bioko, Ascension Island, Saint Helena, Annobón and Tristan da Cunha.

These islands belong to various states, and some of them are overseas territories of such European states as Spain, Portugal and Great Britain. However, the sovereign state of Cape Verde is located on the Cape Verde Islands.

The Cape Verde Islands are located six hundred kilometers from the coast of Senegal and consist of ten large and eight small islands of volcanic origin.

Since the position of Africa relative to other continents and oceans is determined not only by the fact that it is washed in the west by the Atlantic Ocean, but also by the Indian Ocean in the east, it makes sense to consider the islands located to the east of the continent.

Indian Ocean Islands

To the east of the African coast are the following large islands and archipelagos: Madagascar, Comoros, Mascarene, Amirante, Seychelles, Aldabra, Mafia, Zanzibar, Socotra.

The largest of them is Madagascar, located off the southeast coast of Africa and separated from it by the Mozambique Channel. The fauna of the island deserves special mention, as it is home to up to 5% of the world's diversity of animals, 80% of which are not found elsewhere.

The highest point of the island is the volcano Murumukutru, whose height reaches 2876 meters.

The article contains information that explains the peculiarity of the geographical position of the black continent relative to other continents. The material points to unique features that are unique to this territory. Supplements information from the geography course for grade 7.

Geographic location of Africa

The black continent is recognized as the hottest continent on the planet. This is due to the fact that it runs on both sides of the equator. It conditionally cuts the continent in the center. The similar position of the land area has become an objective reason that the territory receives a significant amount of solar energy necessary to sustain life. The size of the territory from north to south is 8 thousand km, from west to east in the northern tip - 7.5 thousand km.

The mainland is washed by two oceans and two seas at once - the eastern part - by the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean, the western - by the Atlantic Ocean, and from the north - by the waters of the Mediterranean Sea.

The mainland is distinguished from other features, which consist in its weak dissection in the vertical and horizontal plane. The geographical position of Africa is specific, since the continent is located symmetrically with respect to the equator.

The location of the continent is such that it is located between two tropics: the extreme northern tip is 37 ° 20 "N. sh. - Cape El Abyad, extreme southern tip 34°5”S. sh. - Cape Agulhas.

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Surprisingly, the main part of the mainland lies in the hot zone. The entire area is regularly heated by the sun's rays.

The physical and geographical position of the mainland is contained in the fact that its northern region is much wider than the southern one. The width of the southern part is about 3,000 km, and the length from the western tip of Cape Verde to the eastern point of Ras Hafun is only 7.5 thousand km.

Rice. 1. Map of the natural zones of Africa.

Africa relative to other continents

Due to the extraordinary configuration of the mainland, the location of natural areas is different. But this is offset by their transition into each other.

Rice. 2. Scheme of the transition of climatic zones.

The position of Africa relative to other continents is such that it is located almost in the very center of the world map. Other continents are located on different sides of the world.

Rice. 3. Position of Africa on the map.

A characteristic feature of the continent is the ability to "mirror" the fullness of its natural diversity. Due to the fact that the equator cuts the continental territory in the center, its natural zones, which are located in the northern part, reflect the zones that are located in the southern region from the equator. It turns out that, passing from Cape Town to Cairo, you can observe each of the natural zones of the African continent twice. None of the continents of the earth is endowed with such a unique feature.

When drawing up a plan for describing the geographical location of Africa for a geography lesson, you need to consider such points as:

• The orientation of the mainland relative to imaginary contours on the map: the equator, the tropics, the polar circles, the poles of the earth, the zero meridian.
• Placement in the hemispheres of the planet.
• Names of the extreme continental extremities and their coordinates.
• The size of the territory from north to south in degrees and kilometers.
• The size of the territory from west to east in degrees and kilometers.
• Orientation of the continent in zones and regions of climate.
• The orientation of the mainland relative to the seas and oceans that wash it.

What have we learned?

We have learned that due to the specific physical and geographical features of the continent, each of its natural zones can be observed twice. We found out that the equator line literally divides Africa into two halves. We have established the reason why this territory is recognized as the hottest part of the land on Earth. We got acquainted with the plan for a detailed definition (through description) of the geographical position of the mainland. Established the differences between the natural zones of the black continent from each other.

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Africa is a continent second only to Eurasia in area. The equator runs almost along its middle part. The position of Africa relative to other continents is of genuine interest. The continent completely, with a few exceptions, falls into the zone between the northern and southern tropics.

Description of the continent

In geography lessons at school, 7th grade students can receive the following task: "Describe the position of Africa relative to other continents." It can be started with the following description. The continent is washed by several seas and oceans. The west coast goes to the Atlantic, the south and east - to the Indian Ocean, the north - to the Mediterranean, and the northeast - to the Red Sea. Africa becomes part of the world if the adjacent islands are added to the mainland. It occupies 6% of the surface of the planet Earth and 20% of the land area.

From the south, west and east, the continent ends with capes. These are Needle, Almadi and Ras Hafun, respectively. The northern tip is represented by Ben Secca. The mainland cannot boast of a large number of islands. The most famous and largest of them is Madagascar. The position of Africa relative to other continents and oceans, islands, bays, and straits is interesting.

The Somali peninsula is located on the east coast, wedged into Indian Ocean. violates the even outlines of the western part of the coastline. The width of the northern half of the mainland is 7.5 thousand km, there are several sea bays. There is practically no shelf, the coast is high, ends with a cliff. Serious depths and powerful surf make the construction of ports and the approach of ships an extremely difficult task.

The Mediterranean and Red Seas are the natural boundary between Africa and Eurasia. natural and climatic conditions the northern part of the continent resemble the south of Europe and southwestern Asia. 14 km wide - a barrier between the Old World and Africa. The Isthmus of Suez connects the mainland with Asia. Back in the 19th century, a canal was dug through it, intended for the passage of ships. Along the African coast are the most important trade waterways from the Old World to Australia and Asia.

The position of Africa and Australia relative to other continents

The southern continents are common features geographic location, which affected the natural and climatic conditions. The main zones of Africa and Australia are located close to the equator, so a lot of solar radiation falls on their surface. It is worth noting that the amount of heat entering the earth practically does not change in different months.

The southern continents have weak physical ties between themselves and with other continents. The exception is Africa, which is distinctly connected to the Eurasian continent. Australia has not had land communication with other continents since the Middle Mesozoic. Nowadays, there is practically no exchange of representatives of the animal and plant worlds between the continents. relative to other continents allows flora and fauna to move freely beyond its borders. The nature of the Arabian Peninsula and the Sahara, as well as the Atlas region and the Mediterranean coast, has similar features.

The Australian mainland belongs entirely to the Southern Hemisphere. The northern tip is associated with warm seas. The Pacific impact is weakened by the archipelagos that protect the continent from east side. Among other southern continents, Australia is the most isolated. This fact renders strong influence on local flora and fauna.

Africa and the World Ocean

The position of Africa relative to other continents can be characterized as follows:

• The western tip is in contact with cold currents.
• The eastern coast is under the influence of warm water masses.
• The southern end is washed by the strong current of the West Winds, which is rather cold.

The listed features are characteristic of all southern continents, of course, with some amendments. The following parameters are unique to the African continent:

• It is located exactly in the middle of the equator. The southern and northern coasts have almost the same latitude.
• The northern tip is under the influence of the Mediterranean Sea, this has affected the nature of the nearby regions of the continent.
• Africa is a neighbor of the Eurasian continent and has similar features to Southwest Asia.
• Only one of the southern continents is mostly located in the Northern Hemisphere. This is Africa.

Area and shape

Considering the position of Africa relative to other continents and oceans, it is impossible not to mention its shape and size. The surface area of ​​this continent is 29.2 million km 2, which is about half of the Eurasian one.

The shape of the mainland follows the patterns characteristic of all terrestrial continents:

• The northern part is the widest, and the southern one is narrow.
• The largest width is at low latitudes.

Equatorial, tropical and intermediate climatic zones cover approximately 85% This is typical for the continents located in the south. The northern continents have only 20% of such territories.

Coastline

Whatever continent we are talking about, the description of the geographical position of the mainland cannot do without mentioning the properties of the coasts. Africa is no exception. If we compare the degree of unevenness of the outlines of different continents (the ratio of the area of ​​​​the territory occupied by large peninsulas to the rest of the surface of the continent), then the following picture is obtained:

• 1:99 - African.
• 1:50 - South American.
• 1:4 - Australian.
• 1:3 - Eurasian and North American.

In general, the continents located in southern latitudes, have a much smaller number of large peninsulas.

Exploring the Continent

Africa was actively studied at the end of the 18th century, when Western researchers were driven by the desire to get new sources of useful natural resources. The main number of expeditions was organized inside the continent. The upper, and then the middle and lower reaches of the river were studied. Niger. The travelers crossed the Sahara.

After this, the studies affect the territories of the south of the African continent. R. is being studied. Limpopo. The expedition of Russian scientists was engaged in the description of the tributaries of the Blue Nile. Gradually, new lakes, mountain peaks were opened, rivers were studied. One of the results of the study for late XIX century was the survey of the rivers: Congo, Nile, Zambezi and Niger. And at the beginning of the next century, significant deposits of natural resources were discovered on the mainland.

Relief

The relief and position of Africa relative to other continents of the Earth - the result historical development continent. Its surface is unique. The main area is occupied by flat places and plateaus located at an altitude of 200-1000 m above sea level. There are few lowlands. The most famous plateaus are East and South African. Elevated areas are interspersed with basins (Kalahari, Congo, etc.).

Tectonic history of the continent

What are the features of the geographical position of Africa and its historical development? The basis of the mainland is the Arabian-African platform, which is quite ancient. It was formed as a result of the split of Gondwana, which appeared in the Archean-Proterozoic. For several billion years, the platform has become stable. The northern and southern Capes formed much later.

The giant platform has gone through periods of ups and downs. The northern tip was several times below sea level. There are sedimentary layers on the crystalline rocks of the base. Toward the south, in the center of the Sahara, the foundation rises to the surface.

The surface of the east and south of the African continent was formed differently: the crust more often rose and broke. Volcanoes appeared and functioned. In these areas - many plains formed by lava flows. Grabens filled with water and turned into lakes. Volcanic activity and shaking of the crust are still noted. There are volcanoes in the rift zone, including Kilimanjaro. This is the highest point on the mainland, equal to 5895 m.

Minerals

What are the features of Africa's geographical location and mineral reserves? The mainland has a rich set of deposits, most of which are among the largest on Earth.

Ore minerals - gold, iron, copper, zinc, etc. - belong to the ancient foundation of the platform. It consists of the following rocks: igneous and metamorphic. The richest deposits exist in the southern and eastern regions of the continent. In terms of gold reserves, Africa is in the lead, and in terms of copper, it ranks second in the world.

Diamonds are another treasure of the mainland. These stones are used not only in the jewelry industry, but also as the hardest material on Earth. Africa provides ½ of the world's demand for diamonds. Deposits of this stone are found in the South-West and in the central regions of the continent.

Climate

Africa's position relative to other continents also explains its climatic conditions. It is considered to be the hottest place on the planet. The main part of the continent is characterized by temperatures above +20 ºC. Such conditions are associated with the location of Africa between northern and In this area, the sun rises high, and twice a year it hits the zenith. Seasonality is expressed not so much by temperature differences as by precipitation.

Circulating atmospheric flows determine climatic conditions, the degree of moisture and its frequency. An area of ​​low pressure is formed above the equator, and high pressure is formed towards the poles. Trade winds cover almost all of Africa. Precipitation is brought only by winds blowing from the southeast. In winter, in the subtropics, rains are formed from moist air that came from the Atlantic.

Climatic zones

Considering the position of Africa relative to other continents, it is worth mentioning the issue of climatic zoning:

• equatorial belt. It includes the river basin. Congo and northern Gulf of Guinea.
• Tropical belt. South and north of the equatorial.
• Includes the northern and southern margins of the continent. Climate conditions are optimal for humans.

A number of scientists do not separate the first two belts, but consider it equatorial-tropical. Within its boundaries, areas are distinguished by the number of wet months.