African Safari

Whenever Africa is mentioned, most people think of roaming animals and jeep safaris. Whilst Africa has much more to offer than animals, the beauty that nature has bestowed on this continent cannot be overlooked. The animal inhabitants of Africa are amongst the most varied and beautiful in the world. Most of us know that Africa is home to the magnificent giraffe and the impressive cheetah. However, there is also a wider range of animals that live in Africa. These include gazelles, crocodiles and the mighty hippopotamus. In some desert parts of Africa there are camels that roam freely. The image of these animals is a common feature in African films.

When you think of Africa you think seriously large. From the continental land mass to its individual parts, the scale is massive. Besides having the second largest continental surface area, containing 54 nations within its boundaries, it is also home to the River Nile, the longest river in the world, and also some very large lakes. As well as huge deserts, rivers and lakes, the continent also has high mountains containing igneous rocks and large swathes of ecologically important rain forest.

The Sahara desert is Africa's best known and biggest desert. In fact, it is the most expansive arid region on the planet. The African continent is home to more than 700 million inhabitants, who speak more than a thousand different languages between them. Many Africans have a low standard of living and in some countries suffer serious food shortages. Tropical diseases such as yellow fever and also AIDS are a major problem.

A large amount of the world~s most important minerals and metals are found in Africa, which is not a surprise considering the diverse lands that roam within Africa. Some of the better-known countries in Africa include Nigeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan. South Africa is one of the countries in Africa that promotes tourism, and has tourists visiting on a regular basis. South Africa is a cosmopolitan country that contrasts some of the more primitive areas of Africa. There are a lot Safari~s in South Africa. It is popular holiday destinations for people in the UK and across the world. South Africa also produces some world-renowned wine, many which now have a popular following in North America.

It can be argued that the African continent is at the centre of the world because both the equator and the prime meridian pass through it. Not all African countries are hot the whole time; the further away they are from the equator then the more temperate they tend to be.

Written by Safari delAfric, the owner and operator of Safari Africa. For more questions or comments about this article, please visit: www.safariafrica.com