AFRICA AT A GLANCE

    Africa is the second largest continent in the world
  • Total area of Africa = 11,700,000 square miles
  • 15% of it is considered desert (hot with little rain)
  • 10 % of it is considered tropical rainforest (tropical wet)
  • 35% of it is considered savanna/ grasslands (steppe)
  • The rest of Africa includes Mediterranean climate, mountain climate, tropical wet and dry, rainy and mild, and wet and mild.
    Total area of Africa = 11,700,000 square miles - more than 3 times the USA
  1. Russia 6,592,800 sq. miles
  2. USA 3,787,318 sq. miles
  3. China 3,697,100 sq. miles
  4. Brazil 3,286,470 sq. miles
  5. Australia 2,966,200 sq. miles
  6. India 1,222,559 sq. miles
  7. Argentina 1,073,518 sq. miles
  8. Canada 3,849,674 sq. miles
  9. Saudi Arabia 865,000 sq. miles.
  10. Mexico 756,066 sq. miles
  11. France 210,026 sq. miles

Population diversity
There are over: 800 ethnic groups in Africa This includes Asians, Europeans, and Arabs, who have permanently settled there - for centuries in some cases.  1000 languages are spoken in Africa (40 of which have more than one million speakers).  Over 40% of Africans practice a wide variety of traditional religions. There are also many forms of Christianity and Islam, as well as some Hinduism, practiced in Africa.
Agricultural diversity
The following crops are only the main ones grown in different regions of Africa. There are many more not listed here. Note the different climate needs for each, and some of the places where these crops are grown.  Rice - Grown in sub-tropical climate areas, paddy rice is found in the Nile river delta lands of Egypt, in Madagascar, and in West Africa in coastal mangrove swamps.  Wheat - As a traditional crop in North Africa and Ethiopia, these were the main sources of wheat consumed during Roman Imperial times. Northern Africa was then the "bread market" of the world. Wheat is now also grown in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Kenya, as well as in some irrigated areas of Nigeria.  Corn - Widespread crop in Africa grown in tropical, sub-tropical and temperate latitudes. It is found throughout Eastern, Southern, and Western Africa as a local crop, and is exported from Zimbabwe and South Africa.  Sorghum/ Millet - Grown in dry savanna lands, these grains are often the main food crops in many parts of Africa.  Root crops - These are widespread throughout the tropics, including the savanna and equatorial lands, and include yams, sweet potatoes, and cassava.  Oil palm - A local staple in West Africa which requires hot humid conditions with constant temperatures and heavy rainfall year round.  Tea - Tea also requires uniform temperatures year round, though lower than palms, and not as wet--it is often grown in highland areas. Introduced as a cash crop in East and Southern Africa, especially Kenya, tea is now also grown in some parts of West Africa.  Cocoa - Requiring tropical climates, cocoa is a major crop in Ghana, Ivory Coast, Togo, Benin, Cameroon, and Nigeria.  Coffee - Thought to have originated in Ethiopia, coffee thrives in tropical (often highland) climates (20 degrees N and S of the equator), including in Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda.  Wine - Grape vines are characteristic of Mediterranean climates, including portions of the South African coast, as well as Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco.  Sugar - Sugarcane is produced in tropical climates. In addition, it is exported from South Africa, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, and Malawi.  Tobacco - Grown throughout temperate and tropical areas, this product originated in North America, but is produced for export in Zimbabwe, Malawi, Nigeria and Tanzania.  Cotton - Cotton is widely grown in tropical and sub-tropical regions in areas that are rain fed and under irrigation. Egypt and Sudan are the main producers in Africa.  Sisal - These trees produce a coarse fiber for making rope or twine. As a drought resistant plant, it can survive without large amounts of water. Tanzania, Kenya, Angola, Madagascar, and Mozambique produce 40% of the world’s supply.

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