Deserts, wild animals, savannahs and many tribes with authentic customs are the first images that come to mind of a person who has thought about Africa. In fact, it is a very developed continent with a huge variety of cultures, languages and attractions.
Africa
The area of the entire continent, which lies east of the Atlantic Ocean and west of the Indian Ocean, is a little more than 30 million km 2 , that is, it occupies 22.2% of the total land area. The population of the mainland varies both in nationality and religion. Now the number of its inhabitants reaches the number of 1.33 billion people.
Among the most populated countries are Nigeria and Ethiopia, and Egypt occupies the third place. The annual population growth
in Africa is higher than on any other continent and is 2.3%.
Colonial Africa
Most of the states of this continent for a long time remained colonies of Europe, and became independent only in the second half of the twentieth century. All these countries are members of the African Union, which deals with the settlement of problems in the mainland, especially in countries with the least stable political background. Among those, Somalia, Chad and Sudan occupy leading positions.
Africa by area
Among the largest states across the territory, Algeria, Congo and Sudan occupy first places. These countries differ in many respects, such as population, language, area, etc. In addition to the largest states, there are others such as Libya, Chad, Niger and Angola. These countries occupy a significant area of Africa.
Algeria
This is the largest state in this part of the world and, in addition, one of the richest in various minerals, such as oil and natural gas. Algeria is located in the northern part of the continent, and its area is 2.38 million km 2 . The favorable subtropical climate and diverse Mediterranean vegetation make the north of the country a fertile and densely populated area. Algeria has a large share of the world's largest desert - the Sahara.
The population of the country is very diverse. Its total number is 32.36 million inhabitants. The capital of the country - Algeria - has become an important tourist center, which is visited annually by about 1 million travelers. On the territory of the state there are many world heritage sites that could attract more tourists, but the unstable situation discourages potential visitors. Among the main attractions are Tassilin-Ager (cave complex), Mzab Valley (settlements of the 10th century), Tipazu (a group of ancient monuments of various cultures), etc.
Congo
This democratic republic, like Algeria, occupies a significant area of the continent of Africa, which reaches 2.34 million km 2 . Despite the fact that the state is located in the central part of the mainland, it has little access to the Atlantic Ocean. The river of the same name flows through the country. The extreme east is a chain of lakes located in tectonic depressions. As for climate and vegetation, they are very diverse here, since the state is located in several zones at once, starting from the equatorial zone, in which tropical rain forests are located, and ending with the subequatorial one, where you can meet a number of tall grass savannas.
The population of the state is about 55.85 million inhabitants. The capital of the country is the city of Kinshasa, and the official language is French. Congo is less rich in sights than tourist Algeria, however here you can visit several national parks and reserves.
Sudan
The third largest state of Sudan also occupies a considerable area of Africa. Its total territory is 2.5 million km 2 . The country is located in the eastern part of the continent and has direct access to the Red Sea. The White and Blue Nile flow through the territory of Sudan, which form the river near Khartoum. The climate here also varies; the country has belts from tropical to sub-equatorial.
The country's population is 35.5 million inhabitants. The capital of the state is the city of Khartoum, and the official language is Arabic. An important historical attraction is considered to be Napatan, where you can visit various archaeological sites located in the Nile Valley.
Libya
This state is located in the northern region of the continent, and it is almost entirely occupied by the Sahara. The total area of the country is 1.76 million km 2 . It has a tropical climate, and the territory of Libya even had the highest temperature on the planet, which amounted to +58 degrees. There are no surface waters, but there are underground sources that support the life of fruitful oases.
Despite the fact that Libya occupies a considerable area of Africa, due to the arid climate, the population here is only 5.74 million inhabitants.
Chad
This is the fourth largest state on the continent, 1.28 million km 2 - its total area. Chad is located in central Africa. The water system here is rather poorly developed, and all its often dry rivers are found in Lake Chad. The capital of the country is the city of N'Djamena, and French is recognized as the official language.
Niger
This country is located in central Sahara, which, of course, speaks of a tropical climate. The territory of the country is sparsely populated, except for the south, where the Niger River of the same name flows. The area of the state is 1.27 million km 2 , and its capital is Niamey.
Angola
The country is located in the southwestern region of the continent and has wide access to the Atlantic Ocean. The total area of the state is 1.25 million km 2 , the capital of the country is the city of Luanda.
Total
The total area of Africa in sq. km is 30.249 million, making the continent the second largest in the world. A considerable part of the territory is occupied by the Sahara desert, parts of which belong to different states. The largest state of the continent is Algeria, which occupies a significant area of Africa. In addition, all the aforementioned states occupy the first positions in the list of African countries by territory.