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Africa click to hear : Africa

Continent that represents about 20% of the world’s land; two-thirds of its surface lies north of the Equator. Characterized by very hot climates, Mediterranean in the north and south, tropical and arid elsewhere.
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Lake Tanganyika Lake Victoria Gulf of Aden Red Sea Nile Lake Chad Mediterranean Sea Sahara Desert Atlas Mountains Tropic of Cancer Senegal River Niger River Gulf of Guinea Equator Congo River Atlantic Ocean Tropic of Capricorn Namib Desert Kalahari Desert Cape of Good Hope Madagascar Mozambique Channel Indian Ocean Lake Malawi

Lake Tanganyika click to hear : Lake Tanganyika

The world’s deepest lake (1,435 meters) after Lake Baikal; it empties into the Congo River.

Lake Victoria click to hear : Lake Victoria

Africa’s largest lake (68,000 km2) is relatively shallow; it is bordered by Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania.

Gulf of Aden click to hear : Gulf of Aden

Northwestern arm of the Indian Ocean between southern Saudi Arabia and northeastern Africa; it connects to the Red Sea through the strait of Bab El Mandeb.

Red Sea click to hear : Red Sea

Gulf (430,000 km2) located between Africa and the Arabian Peninsula; it connects to the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal.

Nile click to hear : Nile

The world’s longest river (6,700 km) is known for its summer flooding.

Lake Chad click to hear : Lake Chad

Large lake, shallow and marshy, the vestige of what was once a sea; it continues to diminish in size and could one day dry up.

Mediterranean Sea click to hear : Mediterranean Sea

One of the largest inland seas in the world (2.5 million km2); it lies between Europe, Africa and Asia and connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the Strait of Gibraltar.

Sahara Desert click to hear : Sahara Desert

Largest desert in the world (8 million km2); it covers one-quarter of Africa.

Atlas Mountains click to hear : Atlas Mountains

Mountain chain composed of several ranges; it extends from Tunisia to Morocco, where Jebel Toubkal is its highest peak (4,165 meters).

Tropic of Cancer click to hear : Tropic of Cancer

Parallel located at 23°26' N latitude (a distance of about 2,600 km from the Equator).

Senegal River click to hear : Senegal River

River (1,700 km) forming the boundary between Senegal and Mauritania; it empties into the Atlantic.

Niger River click to hear : Niger River

Africa’s third longest river (4,200 km) after the Nile and the Congo.

Gulf of Guinea click to hear : Gulf of Guinea

Gulf extending from Ivory Coast to Gabon; its waters are warm.

Equator click to hear : Equator

Imaginary circle surrounding Earth at its widest circumference, dividing it into two hemispheres: the Northern hemisphere and the Southern hemisphere.

Congo River click to hear : Congo River

Second longest river in Africa (4,600 km) and the world’s second river in size of drainage basin and volume of flow.

Atlantic Ocean click to hear : Atlantic Ocean

The world’s second largest ocean; it covers 20% of the Earth’s surface.

Tropic of Capricorn click to hear : Tropic of Capricorn

Parallel located at 23°26' S latitude (a distance of about 2,600 km from the Equator).

Namib Desert click to hear : Namib Desert

Arid region extending 2,000 km along the Atlantic coast. Frequent fog brings the equivalent of 50 mm of annual rainfall.

Kalahari Desert click to hear : Kalahari Desert

Semiarid region bordering the Namib Desert; the north is marshy while the south is characterized by very sparse vegetation.

Cape of Good Hope click to hear : Cape of Good Hope

Former island now connected to the continent by a ridge of sand; located only 150 km to the west of Africa’s southernmost point.

Madagascar click to hear : Madagascar

Island (1,600 km long); because it is isolated off the coast of Africa, Madagascar’s flora and fauna are unique.

Mozambique Channel click to hear : Mozambique Channel

Arm of the Indian Ocean between the African continent and Madagascar.

Indian Ocean click to hear : Indian Ocean

Relatively small ocean (76 million km2) located between Africa, Asia and Australia; it has high water temperatures and is dotted with numerous islands.

Lake Malawi click to hear : Lake Malawi

Lake shared by Malawi, Tanzania and Mozambique; it is 500 km long and 50 km wide.