South Africa- how many are there? And what interesting facts can you tell about them? This will be discussed in the article.
Countries of South Africa: list, approaches to zoning
It is easy to guess from the name that this region is located in the southern part of the "black continent". All countries have approximately the same natural and climatic conditions, as well as similar features of historical development.
Geographically, South Africa begins south of the watershed plateau of the Zambezi and Congo rivers. According to the zoning of our planet by the UN, the countries of South Africa are only five states (South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland). According to another classification, this historical and geographical region also includes Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique, as well as the exotic island state of Madagascar.
All South African countries are listed below with their capitals (according to the UN version). The list of states is presented in order of decreasing area of the territory:
- South Africa (Pretoria).
- Namibia (Windhoek).
- Botswana (Gaborone).
- Lesotho (Maseru).
- Swaziland (Mbabane).
Largest state in the region
A multicultural and multinational state, one of the most economically developed on the mainland. This republic is often called the "rainbow country".
Most Interesting Facts about South Africa:
- every third mined diamond on Earth is extracted from the depths of this particular country;
- the world's first human heart transplant operation took place in South Africa (in 1967);
- citizens of the republic are endowed with broad rights in the use of weapons for the purpose of protection, up to a flamethrower;
- South Africa ranks third in the world for the quality of drinking water;
- one of the traditional South African dishes - monkey steaks;
- wife (the eighth president of South Africa) was the "first lady" twice (previously she was the wife of the president of Mozambique).
Swaziland - South Africa
Swaziland is a small state in the south of the continent, which borders only two countries - South Africa and Mozambique.
The most interesting facts about Swaziland:
- the head of this state is the real king, who is very much loved and revered in Swaziland (his portraits can be seen here even on the clothes of local residents);
- Swaziland is a very poor country, but the roads are of excellent quality;
- the oldest mathematical work was found in this country;
- the state is the leader in the world in terms of the spread of HIV; every fourth adult resident is the carrier of the virus;
- in Swaziland, the husband and wife (or wives) live in separate houses.
The countries of South Africa are extremely interesting and colorful. There really is something to be surprised and amazed at!
Africa- a part of the world, which is located in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres of our planet.
Africa is considered the cradle of humanity. The first people arose precisely in Africa, and then they began to settle across all continents. Presumably the first reasonable people originated about a hundred thousand years ago in African rainforests.
The area of the African continent is three times the area of Europe and almost twice the area North America and is 30 million square kilometers. Africa has a population of over 1 billion, second only to Asia.
The name of the continent has its own interesting story... In ancient times, in northern Africa, on the territory of modern Tunisia, the powerful Phoenician state of Carthage flourished. The capital of this state was also called Carthage. So, the population that lived outside the capital was called "afri" in the language of the Phoenicians. After Carthage fell under the onslaught of the Romans and was incorporated into the Holy Roman Empire, the Romans called the territory of the former Carthage Africa. After several hundred years, this name spread to the entire continent. This is how the name of the continent arose - Africa, and it owes this to the Romans!
List of states and dependent territories of Africa compiled on the basis of Wikipedia
| African states | |||
| Flag | State | Capital | Cities and resorts |
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Benin | Porto-Novo | |
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Botswana | Gaborone | |
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Burkina Faso | Ouagadougou | |
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Burundi | Bujumbura | |
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Gabon | Libreville | |
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Gambia | Banjul | |
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Ghana | Accra | |
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Guinea | Conakry | |
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Guinea-Bissau | Bissau | |
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Djibouti | Djibouti | |
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Zambia | Lusaka | |
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Zimbabwe | Harare | |
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Cape Verde | Praia | |
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Comoros | Moroni | |
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Democratic Republic of the Congo | Kinshasa | |
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Ivory Coast | Yamoussoukro | |
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Liberia | Monrovia | |
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Mauritius | Port louis | |
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Mauritania | Nouakchott | |
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Malawi | Lilongwe | |
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Mali | Bamako | |
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Mozambique | Maputo | |
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Niger | Niamey | |
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Rwanda | Kigali | |
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Sao Tome and Principe | Sao Tome | |
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Sahara Arab Democratic Republic | El Aaiun (declared) Tifarity (actual |
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| Swaziland | Mbabane | ||
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Seychelles | Victoria | |
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Somalia | Mogadishu | |
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Sierra leone | Freetown | |
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Tanzania | Dar es Salaam; Dodoma |
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Togo | Lome | |
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Uganda | Kampala | |
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CAR | Bangui | |
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Chad | N'Djamena | |
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Equatorial Guinea | Malabo | |
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Eritrea | Asmara | |
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Country | ||
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Canary Islands | Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Santa Cruz de Tenerife | Spain |
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Madeira | Funchal | Portugal |
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Mayotte | Mamudzu | France |
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Melilla | — | Spain |
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Ceuta | Ceuta | Spain |
From the north, Africa is washed by the Mediterranean Sea, from the east and south - by the Indian Ocean, from the west - by the Atlantic Ocean. Africa is separated from Asia by the Suez Canal, located in Egypt, and Egypt itself is located in two parts of the world at once: most of it is in Africa, and the smaller part, along right side Suez Canal - in Asia and borders Israel.
Africa is separated from Europe by the narrow Strait of Gibraltar; you can get to Spain from Tunisia by crossing the Strait of Gibraltar.
The most north point Africa - Cape Blanco, located on the northern coast of Tunisia. It is from here that the closest to Europe, from this cape to Gibraltar, passenger ships and ferries run.
Cape Agulhas is the most southern point the African continent. It is located in South Africa.
The westernmost point of the continent is in Senegal. This is Cape Almali.
The most east point of the African continent is located in Somalia. This is Cape Ras Khafun.
The most high point Africa is the dormant volcano of Kilimanjaro with snow on top. This is all the more surprising, because the mountain is only three hundred kilometers from the equator, but its height is almost six kilometers (more precisely - 5895 meters), it is even higher than Elbrus! At this altitude, the air temperature in summer is 20 degrees below zero, so there is snow there.
The largest river in Africa is the Nile. The length of the Nile is only 100 km less than the length of the Amazon, making the Nile the second longest river in the world. The length is 6800 kilometers, the river flows from the freshwater Lake Victoria, which is located in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda, and flows into the Mediterranean Sea, passing through the whole of Egypt.
Other major African rivers are the Niger, Zambezi, Limpopo, Congo.
The largest African lakes are Lake Victoria (from which the Nile flows) and Lake Taganyika. There is also a whole lake system, which geographers call the African Great Lakes. It also includes the two largest lakes listed above.
The largest desert in Africa is the Sahara. It stretches for as much as four thousand kilometers from west to east and is located in the northern part of Africa, above the equator.
Africa has the most large areas rainforest.
The largest mountain ranges in Africa are the low Ethiopian Highlands and the Atlas Mountains. Mount Kilimanjaro is not included in any of these mountain ranges.
In Africa, there are very few climatic zones... There are only three of them: a zone of deserts and semi-deserts (the territory of the Sahara), a zone of humid subtropical forests and a zone of tropical forests. The rainforest zone also includes forests located at the equator and 200 km on each side of the equator.
Ancient Egypt was the most progressive civilization that existed in Africa. The power of the Egyptian pharaohs was practically unlimited. The second center of civilization on the African continent is the former Carthage.
In the fifteenth century, the active colonization of Africa by Europeans begins. The British were the most successful in this matter - they had the largest number of their colonies in Africa.
In Africa during World War II, there were fighting, a whole group of armies of the fascist Wehrmacht was located here. Active hostilities took place on the territory of Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Morocco and Libya - the elite tank corps of General Rommel operated here. The British fought against Rommel in Africa under the leadership of Marshal Montgomery. Rommel warmed defeat, after which the African theater of operations was closed.
In the sixties of the twentieth century, Africa was shaken liberation struggle against apartheid in South Africa under the leadership of Nelson Mandela. South Africa has set an example for all African countries to fight for their rights.
By the end of the twentieth century, almost all of the former colonies had become independent states.
At present, Africa is the most backward continent in terms of living standards on our planet. It is on the African continent that most of the so-called "third world countries" are located. Characteristic feature modern Africa is the low standard of living of the population of most African countries and political instability.
Africa is a veritable storehouse of minerals. There are almost all the fossils that are known to man.
Gold and silver priiiski are located mainly in southern Africa, in South Africa.
Large deposits of hard coal and brown coal are located in the Republic of South Africa. It is the only country in Africa that fully meets its needs for this type of fuel.
Coal is mined in small quantities in Mozambique.
Leader in Africa in mining natural gas- this is Algeria. From other African countries, blue fuel is mined by Nigeria, Myanmar, Libya, Mozambique, Tunisia, South Africa, Congo, Tanzania, Angola, Cameroon, Papua New Guinea, Gabon, Morocco, Ghana, Senegal.
Nigeria is the leader in oil production in Africa. This country fully meets its needs for "black gold".
Other oil-producing countries in Africa are Algeria, Angola, Libya, Equatorial Guinea, Congo, Gabon, Chad, Ghana, Tunisia, Sudan, Papua New Guinea, Niger, Morocco, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia.
In Africa, the hottest place on Earth is located - this is the area of the Dallol settlement, which is located in the north of Ethiopia. The average annual temperature here is 34 degrees, and more than 100 days a year the temperature is kept at around 50 degrees above zero!
Africa is the hottest continent on the planet. It has a tropical and subtropical climate. The highest temperature is in northern Africa, where the Sahara Desert is located. However, in the same Sahara, frosts also occur in the winter months, the climate there is both sharply continental and desert. A completely different picture is observed in the equator region - there is no change of seasons at all, and throughout the year tropical summer dominates with a rainy season and a dry season. The only place where snow falls is the Kingdom of Lesotho, located high in the mountains.
Over time, various regions of the African continent were influenced by certain colonizers, mastered their language and culture, or developed closed and autonomously. African countries and their capitals have absolutely different history... Some powers have recently announced their statehood, others are known as independent education hundreds and thousands of years. Historians and geographers have tried to divide the Black Continent into four large regions, in each of which individual states are similar in linguistic, ethnic and territorial characteristics.
North Africa
North of the equator, almost the entire territory of the African continent, the population speaks various dialects of the Arabic language. The Arabs of the Middle Ages called these lands Maghreb, which meant "western lands". Western because they were located west of Egypt, which the Arabs already considered theirs. The northern region is inhabited predominantly by Semitic and Hamitic peoples. Ethiopians, Arabs, Berbers and Chadian tribes inhabit the countries of Africa and their capitals in the northern part of this continent. There are also massive settlements of the Nilotic tribes, which are settled in the territory of Sudan. Ethiopia has many Christians and Judaism. But the bulk of the population of this part of Africa is Muslim.
Most of this region is occupied by the Sahara Desert. In this regard, the land-working branches of agriculture in the region successfully developed only in the coastal zone of the Nile. But in this region, cattle breeding is well developed, and in recent times foreign companies launched mining operations. In particular, salt, iron ore, rare earth metals are mined on the territory of the Sahara Desert, and states with access to the sea have large deposits of offshore oil, which is so rich in North Africa.
The countries and capitals of the northern part of the black continent were strongly influenced by the British, Spanish and French colonialists. Apparently, therefore, the most large countries this territory - Libya, Egypt, Sudan, Algeria - have clear, geographically delineated boundaries.
Central Africa
From the parallel just north of the equator to the south, the population speaks the Bantu languages. Therefore, it makes sense to allocate these 6613 thousand square meters. km to a separate region. This includes African countries with capitals located in the central part of the African continent. Religious views the peoples inhabiting central Africa are a mixture of the efforts of Christian missionaries with the beliefs of their ancestors. Part central Africa includes countries such as Congo with the capital Kinshasa, Gabon (capital Libreville), Cameroon (capital Yaounde), Sao Tome and Principe (capital Sao Tome), Central African Republic (capital Bangui), Equatorial Guinea (capital Malabo) and other countries ...
East Africa
To the east of the Nile, all African countries and their capitals (with the exception of Egypt and Ethiopia) form the East African region. About two hundred ethnic groups live here. The main language of communication in this region is Swahili.
This territory is poor in minerals, the main source of export is agricultural crops. A number of countries in this region: Kenya (capital Nairobi), Tanzania (capital Dodoma), Rwanda (capital Kigali), Burundi (capital Bujumbura), Uganda (capital Kampala). They formed their own customs union, the East African Community.
West Africa
The capitals of the countries located in this region of the Black Continent bear a clear imprint of the recent colonial past. The main languages of the peoples living here are English and French. Western Africa covers the rainforest areas of Guinea, as well as the Sudan and Sahel plains.
In West Africa, there are the states of Guinea-Bissau (the capital of Bissau), Cape Verde (the capital of Praia), Mali (the capital of Bamako), Niger (the capital of Niamey), Senegal (the capital of Dakar) and others. Of all states West Africa Senegal is best known to tourists for the annual Paris-Dakar Rally.
South Africa
This region occupies the entire southern tip of the African continent. This area is rich in coal, oil and iron. It is also home to one of the world's centers for diamond mining. African countries and their capitals located in this part of the mainland: Namibia (Windhoek), Swaziland (Mbabane), Lesotho (Maseru), Botswana (Gaborone) and South Africa (Pretoria) are part of the South African Union. The indigenous population of this region is mainly composed of Bushmen and Hottentots, who have preserved their culture and beliefs. In many places in South Africa, there are magnificent cave paintings of wild animals, scenes of war, gathering and hunting. Already in modern times, the descendants of the Dutch colonists formed their own ethnic group on these lands and began to be called Boers.
As you can see, the language and ethnic composition African peoples are extremely variegated and varied. Most of the states of this continent have recently gained independence. Poverty, hunger high percent mortality - indispensable components of the life of the poorest African countries side by side with the richest cultural heritage and natural resources the continent itself. By developing their own economies and wisely using investments, African countries are gradually getting rid of colonial vestiges and, in the future, may become prosperous and successful states.
Until the middle of the 20th century, most African countries were European colonies, mainly French and British. These states began to gain independence only after World War II - in the 50-60s of the last century, when a powerful anti-colonial movement began. Previously, South Africa (from 1910), Ethiopia (from 1941) and Liberia (from 1941) had the status of free countries.
In 1960, 17 states gained independence, so it was declared the Year of Africa. In the process of decolonization, a number of African countries changed their borders and names. Part of the territory of Africa, primarily insular, still remains dependent. Also, the status of Western Sahara has not been determined.
African countries today
The largest African state in terms of area today is Algeria (2,381,740 km²), in terms of population - Nigeria (167 million people).
Previously the most large state Africa was Sudan (2,505,810 km²). But after South Sudan separated from it on July 9, 2011, its territory decreased to 1,861,484 km².The smallest country - Seychelles(455.3 km²).
Previously, the largest state in Africa was Sudan (2,505,810 km²). But after South Sudan separated from it on July 9, 2011, its territory decreased to 1,861,484 km².
Today all 54 independent states Africa are members of the UN and the African Union. The latter was founded on July 11, 2000 and became the legal successor of the Organization of African Unity.
The Organization of African Unity (OAU) was established on May 25, 1963. The leaders of 30 of the 32 independent states at that time signed the corresponding charter with the aim of socio-economic and political cooperation.
The Organization of African Unity (OAU) was established on May 25, 1963. The leaders of 30 of the 32 independent states at that time signed the corresponding charter with the aim of socio-economic and political cooperation.
Despite the newfound freedom and independence, mostly the rich Natural resources and a favorable climate, in most of Africa, the standard of living is low, the population suffers from poverty, and often hunger, as well as various diseases and epidemics. In addition, a turbulent situation persists in many of them, military conflicts and internecine wars break out.
At the same time, a high rate of natural population growth has been recorded in African countries. In a number of states, it exceeds 30 people per 1000 inhabitants per year. As of 2013, the number of inhabitants of African countries has reached 1 billion 033 million people.
The population is represented mainly by two races: Negroid and Caucasoid (Arabs, Boers and Anglo-African). The most common are English, French and Arabic languages as well as a large number of African dialects.
At present, the African states retain the colonial structure of the economy, in which consumerism prevails. Agriculture, while industry and transport are underdeveloped.
Africa is the largest continent on the planet, which in terms of its size and population ranks second after Eurasia. This occupies 6% of the Earth's area and more than 20% of the entire land area. The list consists of 62 items. Conventionally, this continent is divided into four parts - Eastern, Western, Northern and Southern. These borders coincide with the borders of the states that are located there. Some of them have access to the seas and oceans, others are located inland.
Geographic location of the continent
Africa itself is located, one might say, in the center of the planet. From the north it is washed by the waters of the Mediterranean Sea, from the northeast by the Red Sea and Eastern bathes in the waters Indian Ocean and all the western coasts, which include both resorts and industrial cities, are plunged into the waters of the Atlantic. Relief, as well as vegetation and animal world this continent is very diverse and mysterious. Most of it is occupied by deserts, in which the incredible heat keeps all year round... However, in some regions there are mountains covered with eternal snow. The list of African countries cannot be fully imagined without some natural features each of them.
Countries and cities
Now we will look at the largest and most famous countries in Africa. A list with capitals and languages used is given below:
- Algeria - Algeria - Arabic.
- Angola - Luanda - Portuguese.
- Botswana - Gaborone - Setswana, English.
- Guinea - Conakry - French.
- Zambia - Lusaka - English.
- Egypt - Cairo - Arabic.
- Kenya - Nairobi - English, Swahili.
- Democratic Republic of the Congo - Kinshasa - French.
- Libya - Tripoli - Arabic.
- Mauritania - Nouakchott - Arabic.
- Madagascar - Antananarivo - French, Malagasy.
- Mali - Bamako - French.
- Morocco - Rabat - Arabic.
- Somalia - Mogadishu - Arabic, Somalia.
- Sudan - Khartoum - Arabic.
- Tanzania - Dodoma - Swahili, English.
- Tunisia - Tunisia - Arabic.
- South Africa - Cape Town, Pretoria, Bloemfont - Zulu, Swati, English and many others.
This is far from being presented full list African countries. Among them there are also very poorly developed territories that are part of both other African and European powers.
Northern region closest to Europe
It is believed that the most developed regions are the North and a small part of the South. All the rest of the states are in the zone of the so-called "safari". There is an unfavorable climate for life, desert relief, as well as the absence of inland waters... Now we will briefly look at what constitutes the List consists of 6 administrative units, which include: Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, Libya, Morocco and Sudan. Most of this territory is the Sahara Desert, so local thermometers never drop below 10 degrees Celsius. It is also important to note that in this region all countries at one time or another were under the rule of European powers. Therefore, the locals are very familiar with the Romano-Germanic family of languages. Nowadays, proximity to the Old World allows residents North Africa establish business relationships with its representatives.
Other very significant regions of the continent
As mentioned above, not only in the north of the mainland are the developed countries Africa. The list of all the others is much shorter, since it consists of one power - South Africa. This unique state contains absolutely everything that one can imagine. At the height of summer, there is a peak in the influx of tourists from all over the world. People come to the region to see the unique shores, as well as to swim in the waters of the Indian or Atlantic Ocean... Along with this, fishing, boat trips, excursions to local museums and attractions are very developed in the region. Along with this, local residents are actively involved in the extraction of diamonds and oil, which are concentrated in the bowels of this region in huge quantities.
South African cities that amaze with their beauty
Sometimes there is a feeling that the very center of world civilization is concentrated not in Europe, not even in America, but in the very south of the African continent. Such world-famous cities as Pretoria, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban, East London and Port Elizabeth have grown up here. tropical greenery as well as in purple jacarand. The territory of the cities is inhabited by both white settlers who have settled here for a long time, and the historical owners of these lands - black Africans. You can talk about these enchanting places for hours, since they are best countries and the capital of Africa. The list of southern cities and resorts above will help you better navigate the area.
Conclusion
The cradle of all earthly humanity, the birthplace of minerals and treasures, unique natural wonders and luxury resorts that contrast with the poverty of the local population, all are concentrated on one single continent. A simple listing of names - a list of African countries - cannot fully reveal all the potential that is stored in these lands and on their surface, and in order to know these territories, you need to go there and see everything with your own eyes.