Wednesday, June 25, 2008
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 kilometers. 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 Africa is a continent full of contrasts; you can find here blacks and whites, rainforests and desserts, animists, Christian and Muslims. Poverty-richness, war-stability, cities-wilderness areas, democracy-autocracy and you can go on for hours. But one thing is sure, this is the most pure and fascinating continent on the world for tourists.
As I do, many will still prefer the regions below the Sahara desert, black Africa as they call us. In your travel guide or inside any atlas you can find a list of all the independent African states.
As a tourist, it is always amazing to reach this wonderful continent, for a tourist from Europe many thought which region should be first to touch in part of Africa, as north Africa is very closer to some European countries. Still when you touch any of the country in the continent of Africa you will be so happy.
Africa is huge, but you will see more countries when you step into the continent because you will never be satisfied what you see will always keep you in suspense. Most tourists that have visited some of the African countries are always fascinated about the land. Africa is a continent of history, accorded to Darwin’s theory; it is a land where the first humans were raised from!
Africa is immense and there are lots of paradise places like in no where on earth, there are some historical arenas, sacred areas, you will see some perfect places and wanted to start experience what you have read or watched on a documentary and share the beauties you see in any of the region be it north, west, south or east side of it snap pictures and write useful general tips of any of your trip for friends relatives and other acquaintances to see and read.
Africa is a huge continent, full of wonders, colors, life, marvelous as life, but also terrible as life. Africa can be very extreme, you can find there incredible sunsets and unbelievable massacres, humid jungles and arid deserts, forgotten cultures or empires and some highly undeveloped countries.
Maybe that's why this vast continent is so touristy undeveloped. Apart from some spots along the coasts of Morocco, Egypt, Kenya, South Africa, some places in West Africa like Gambia, Senegal, Mali the majority of the place is generally unknown to tourists in the past but now there are little changes in Africa touristy area.
Have you ever been in Africa? Spend one part of your holiday in Africa know what I am talking about and see what we have to offer you. Although not everyone that has visited this wonderful continent will have same experience because individual are different in appraisal and taste, all Africa are not the same when it comes to culture, landscapes, gastronomy but homogenous across Africa.
Africa is not a continent of big monuments, architecture, temples as you can see in other continents as Asia, Europe, and America. The highlights of Africa are normally its people, culture and tradition, history, and its landscapes, still unspoiled, wide open, friendly and unforgettable people.
However, the majority of Africans may be black, but that doesn't mean they share the same culture, speak the same language or even dress the same. But there is a feeling that all the people subscribe to - it's the pride in being called an African.
Africa straddles the equator and has many climate areas. It is the only continent to stretch from the northern temperate to southern temperate zones. The climate ranges from tropical to sub-arctic on its highest peaks. Its northern half is primarily desert or arid, while its central and southern areas contain both savanna plains and very dense jungle (rainforest) regions. In between, there is a convergence where vegetation patterns such as Sahel and steppe dominate.
Africa boasts perhaps the world's largest combination of density and "range of freedom" of wild animal populations and diversity, with wild populations of large carnivores such as lions, hyenas, and cheetahs and herbivores such as buffalo, deer, elephants, camels, and giraffes ranging freely on primarily open non-private plains. It is also home to a variety of jungle creatures including snakes and primates and aquatic life including crocodiles and amphibians.
Author: by Yunus S. Saliu