Portal:Africa

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Satellite map of Africa

Location of Africa on the world map

Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km² (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surface area. With nearly 1.4 billion people as of 2021, it accounts for about 18% of the world's human population. Africa's population is the youngest among all the continents; the median age in 2012 was 19.7, when the worldwide median age was 30.4. Based on 2024 projections, Africa's population will reach 3.8 billion people by 2099. Africa is the least wealthy inhabited continent per capita and second-least wealthy by total wealth, ahead of Oceania. Scholars have attributed this to different factors including geography, climate, corruption, colonialism, the Cold War, and neocolonialism. Despite this low concentration of wealth, recent economic expansion and a large and young population make Africa an important economic market in the broader global context. Africa has a large quantity of natural resources resources, including diamonds, sugar, salt, gold, iron, cobalt, uranium, copper, bauxite, silver, petroleum, natural gas, cocoa beans, and.

Africa straddles the equator and the prime meridian. It is the only continent to stretch from the northern temperate to the southern temperate zones. The majority of the continent and its countries are in the Northern Hemisphere, with a substantial portion and a number of countries in the Southern Hemisphere. Most of the continent lies in the tropics, except for a large part of Western Sahara, Algeria, Libya and Egypt, the northern tip of Mauritania, and the entire territories of Morocco and Tunisia, which in turn are located above the tropic of Cancer, in the northern temperate zone. In the other extreme of the continent, southern Namibia, southern Botswana, great parts of South Africa, the entire territories of Lesotho and Eswatini and the southern tips of Mozambique and Madagascar are located below the tropic of Capricorn, in the southern temperate zone.

Africa is highly biodiverse; it is the continent with the largest number of megafauna species, as it was least affected by the extinction of the Pleistocene megafauna. However, Africa is also heavily affected by a wide range of environmental issues, including desertification, deforestation, water scarcity, and pollution. These entrenched environmental concerns are expected to worsen as climate change impacts Africa. The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has identified Africa as the continent most vulnerable to climate change.

The history of Africa is long, complex, and varied, and has often been under-appreciated by the global historical community. In African societies the oral word is revered, and they have generally recorded their history via oral tradition, which has led anthropologists to term them "oral civilisations", contrasted with "literate civilisations" which pride the written word. During the colonial period, oral sources were deprecated by most historians, who claimed Africa had no history. African historiography became organized at the academic level in the mid-20th century, and saw a movement towards utilising oral sources in a multidisciplinary approach, culminating in the General History of Africa, edited by specialists from across the continent. (Full article...)

For a topic outline, see Outline of Africa.

Selected article –

The modern, arid Sahara. The Sahara was not a desert during the African humid period. Instead, most of northern Africa was covered by grass, trees, and lakes.

The African humid period (AHP; also known by other names) was a climate period in Africa during the late Pleistocene and Holocene geologic epochs, when northern Africa was wetter than today. The covering of much of the Sahara desert by grasses, trees and lakes was caused by changes in the Earth's axial tilt, changes in vegetation and dust in the Sahara which strengthened the African monsoon, and increased greenhouse gases. During the preceding Last Glacial Maximum, the Sahara contained extensive dune fields and was mostly uninhabited. It was much larger than today, and its lakes and rivers such as Lake Victoria and the White Nile were either dry or at low levels. The humid period began about 14,600–14,500 years ago at the end of Heinrich event 1, simultaneously to the Bølling–Allerød warming. Rivers and lakes such as Lake Chad formed or expanded, glaciers grew on Mount Kilimanjaro and the Sahara retreated. Two major dry fluctuations occurred; during the Younger Dryas and the short 8.2 kiloyear event. The African humid period ended 6,000–5,000 years ago during the Piora Oscillation cold period. While some evidence points to an end 5,500 years ago, in the Sahel, Arabia and East Africa, the end of the period appears to have taken place in several steps, such as the 4.2-kiloyear event.

The AHP led to a widespread settlement of the Sahara and the Arabian Deserts, and had a profound effect on African cultures, such as the birth of the Ancient Egyptian civilization. People in the Sahara lived as hunter-gatherers and domesticated cattle, goats and sheep. They left archaeological sites and artifacts such as one of the oldest ships in the world, and rock paintings such as those in the Cave of Swimmers and in the Acacus Mountains. Earlier humid periods in Africa were postulated after the discovery of these rock paintings in now-inhospitable parts of the Sahara. When the period ended, humans gradually abandoned the desert in favour of regions with more secure water supplies, such as the Nile Valley and Mesopotamia, where they gave rise to early complex societies. (Full article...)

Featured pictures –

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  Nautical chart of Portuguese cartographer Fernão Vaz Dourado (c. 1520 - c. 1580), part of a nautical atlas drawn in 1571 and now kept in the Portuguese National Archives of Torre do Tombo, Lisbon.

  
  

  Photo credit: Portuguse National Archives of Torre do Tombo, Lisbon

  
  
  A pre-Mercator nautical chart of 1571, from Portuguese cartographer Fernão Vaz Dourado (c. 1520 – c.1580). It belongs to the so-called plane chart model, where observed latitudes and magnetic directions are plotted directly into the plane, with a constant scale, as if the Earth were plane. The Moors from Spain had maps of the known world, and had been traveling to and from Mecca, Arabia for many years. In 1492, Christopher Columbus had possession of the Maps of the Moors, which had been confiscated from Andalusia and were now in service to Portuguese and Spanish Explorers. The African Moors already knew at that time, well into the 1500's, that the world was round.
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  Geography of Africa

  Photo: NASA

  A composite satellite image of the geography of Africa, the Earth's second-largest continent, and its adjacent islands. Separated from Europe by the Mediterranean Sea and from much of Asia by the Red Sea, Africa is joined to Asia at its northeast extremity by the Isthmus of Suez. For geopolitical purposes, the Sinai Peninsula – east of the Suez Canal – is often considered part of Africa, although geographically it belongs in Asia. Africa can be divided into a number of geographic zones: The Atlas Mountains in the north, the Sahara, the coastal plains, and the inner plateaus.
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  Bareina

  
  

  Credit: Ferdinand Reus
  

  
  Bareina is a Bedouin village and rural commune in the Trarza region of south-western Mauritania. As of 2000 it had a population of 14,987. This photo is a view of the village just minutes before rain started.
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  Ring-tailed Lemur holding twins born the previous night in Colchester Zoo, Essex, England

  
  

  Photo credit: NASA
  

  
  The Sahara (Arabic: الصحراء الكبرى, aṣ-ṣaḥrā´, "The Great Desert") is the world's largest hot desert at over 9,000,000 square kilometres (3,500,000 sq mi). The Sahara defines the borders of North Africa and has an intermittent history that may go back as much as 2.5 million years.
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  South-West African mark

  Banknote: Swakopmund Bookshop (courtesy of the National Numismatic Collection, National Museum of American History)

  The South West African mark was a temporary currency issued in South West Africa between 1916 and 1918 as part of the South West Africa campaign. Issued after the conquest of German South West Africa by South Africa, notes were denominated in marks and pfennig, as with the withdrawn German South West African Mark. Many institutions issued banknotes; this two-mark note was issued by the Swakopmund Bookshop. The South-West African mark was replaced in 1918 by the South African pound.
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  Amphitheatre of El Jem

  Photograph: Poco a poco

  Panoramic view of the Amphitheatre of El Jem, an archeological site in the city of El Djem, Tunisia. The amphitheatre, one of the best-preserved Roman ruins and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979, was built around 238 AD, when modern Tunisia belonged to the Roman province of Africa. It is the third-biggest amphitheatre in the world, with axes of 148 m (486 ft) and 122 m (400 ft) and a seating capacity of 35,000, unique in Africa.
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  German East African rupie

  Banknote design credit: Deutsch-Ostafrikanische Bank; photographed by Andrew Shiva

  The rupie was the unit of currency of German East Africa between 1890 and 1916. During World War I, the colony was cut off from Germany as a result of a wartime blockade and the colonial government needed to create an emergency issue of banknotes. Paper made from linen or jute was initially used, but because of wartime shortages, the notes were later printed on commercial paper in a variety of colours, wrapping paper, and in one instance, wallpaper. This twenty-rupie banknote was issued in 1915, and is now part of the National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian Institution.
  
  
  Other denominations:
  '"`UNIQ--templatestyles-00000015-QINU`"'
  

  
  * 1 rupie
  * 5 rupie
  * 10 rupie
  * 50 rupie
  * 200 rupie
  
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  Sable antelope

  Photograph credit: Charles J. Sharp

  The sable antelope (Hippotragus niger) is an antelope which inhabits wooded savanna in eastern and southern Africa, from the south of Kenya to South Africa, with a separate population in Angola. The species is sexually dimorphic, with the male heavier and about one-fifth taller than the female. It has a compact and robust build, characterized by a thick neck and tough skin, and both sexes have ringed horns which arch backward. The sable antelope has four subspecies.
  
  This picture shows an adult male common sable antelope (H. n. niger) in the Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, South Africa.
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  Baobab

  Photograph: Muhammad Mahdi Karim

  Adansonia digitata is a sub-Saharan African species of baobab tree. The genus, scientifically known as Adansonia, consists of nine species native to Madagascar, Africa, Arabia and Australia, and can reach heights of 5 to 30 m (16 to 98 ft) with trunk diameters of 7 to 11 m (23 to 36 ft).
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  Roan antelope

  Photograph credit: Charles James Sharp

  The roan antelope (Hippotragus equinus) is a species of savanna antelope found in western, central and southern Africa. Named for its reddish-brown coat, it has a black face with white patches around the eyes and the mouth, and a short erect mane of greyish brown hair extending from the back of the neck to the rump. This roan antelope, of the subspecies H. e. koba, was photographed in Senegal; the subspecies's range extends from Senegal to Benin in western Africa.
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  Map of the Senufo language area

  
  

  Image credit: Mark Dingemanse
  

  
  The Senufo languages comprise approximately 15 languages spoken by the Senufo in West Africa. They are generally considered a branch of the Gur sub-family of Niger–Congo languages.
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  Dallol

  Photograph credit: Alexander Savin

  Dallol is a cinder-cone volcano in the Danakil Depression, northeast of the Erta Ale Range in Ethiopia. The area lies up to 120 m (390 ft) below sea level, and has been repeatedly flooded in the past when waters from the Red Sea have inundated it. The Danakil Depression is one of the hottest places on Earth, and the evaporation of seawater after these flooding episodes produced thick deposits of salt, as seen in this landscape. The deposits at Dallol include significant quantities of the carbonate, sulfate and chloride salts of sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium. Hot springs discharge brine to form the blueish ponds, and small, temporary geysers produce cones of salt.
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  Larabanga Mosque

  Photograph: Sathyan Velumani

  The Larabanga Mosque was built in the Sudanese architectural style in the village of Larabanga, Ghana. It is the oldest mosque in the country and one of the oldest in West Africa, and has been called the "Mecca of West Africa". It has undergone restoration several times since it was founded. The World Monuments Fund has contributed substantially to its restoration, and lists it as one of the 100 most endangered sites.
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  Maasai people

  Photo: William Warby

  Portrait of a Maasai woman, with shaved head, stretched earlobes, and beaded adornments, typical of the Maasai culture. The Maasai are a Nilotic ethnic group of semi-nomadic people located in Kenya and northern Tanzania. They are among the best known of African ethnic groups, due to their distinctive customs and dress and residence near the many game parks of East Africa. Their primary language Maa (ɔl Maa) is a member of the Nilo-Saharan language family that is related to Dinka and Nuer.
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  Tanzanians in Dar es Salaam protesting the 2008-2009 Gaza bombardment by Israel.

  
  

  Credit: Muhammad Mahdi Karim
  

  
  
  Tanzanians in Dar es Salaam protesting the 2008-2009 Gaza bombardment by Israel. International reaction to the conflict was also notable in the level of civilian demonstrations all around the world, which in many cases displayed sentiment significantly different from the official government line.
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  Caricature of Cecil John Rhodes, after he announced plans for a telegraph line from Cape Town to Cairo.

  
  

  Photo credit: Punch
  

  
  The Cape to Cairo Railway is an uncompleted project to cross Africa from south to north by rail. The plan was initiated at the end of the 19th century, largely under the vision of Cecil Rhodes, in the attempt to connect adjacent African possessions of the British Empire through a continuous line from Cape Town, South Africa to Cairo, Egypt. While most sections of the Cape to Cairo railway are in operation, a major part is missing between Sudan and Uganda.
• 

  

  A Senegal Wattled Plover in Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya

  
  

  Photo credit: Whit Welles
  

  
  The Senegal Wattled Plover (Vanellus senegallus) is a large lapwing, a group of largish waders in the family Charadriidae. It is a resident breeder in most of sub-Saharan Africa outside the rainforests, although it has seasonal movements.
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  Eswatini

  Photograph credit: Amada44

  Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The government is an absolute monarchy, the last of its kind in Africa, and the country has been ruled by King Mswati III since 1986. One of the country's important cultural events is Umhlanga, the reed-dance festival, held in August or September each year. This photograph shows Princess Sikhanyiso Dlamini, the eldest daughter of Mswati III, at the 2006 festival.
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  Pelargonium graveolens

  Photo credit: Laitche

  The Rose Geranium (Pelargonium graveolens) is a plant indigenous to various parts of southern Africa, and in particular South Africa. This specific species has great importance in the perfume industry. Its cultivars have a wide variety of smells, including rose, citrus, mint, coconut and nutmeg, as well as various fruits.

Did you know (auto-generated) -

• ... that the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Springtown, New Jersey, was used by Harriet Tubman to help fugitive slaves escape?
• ... that Richard Stratton's diplomatic career took him "from South America to Japan, and from Southern Africa to the foothills of the Himalayas"?
• ... that the growth of Christianity in 20th-century Africa has been termed the "fourth great age of Christian expansion"?
• ... that the lenient sentencing of two Europeans convicted in 1918 after the death of a black man in the East Africa Protectorate led to inquiries from the British Colonial Office?
• ... that British communist leader Trevor Carter was the stage manager for the first British-Caribbean carnival, held in St Pancras Town Hall?
• ... that the book Love Falls On Us, about the LGBTQ movement in Africa, was praised by author Uzodinma Iweala for "elevating the extraordinary ordinariness of L.G.B.T.Q. Africans"?

Categories

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Africa

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Buildings and structures in Africa

Culture of Africa

Economy of Africa

Education in Africa

Environment of Africa

Ethnic groups in Africa

Genetics in Africa

Geography of Africa

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Yoruba mythology

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Africa stubs

Selected biography –

Depiction of Mansa Musa, ruler of the Mali Empire in the 14th century, from the 1375 Catalan Atlas (Paris, BnF, Espagnol 30, sheet 6). The label reads: This Black Lord is called Musse Melly and is the sovereign of the land of the black people of Gineva (Ghana). This king is the richest and noblest of all these lands due to the abundance of gold that is extracted from his lands.

Mansa Musa (reigned c. 1312 – c. 1337) was the ninth Mansa of the Mali Empire, which reached its territorial peak during his reign. Musa's reign is often regarded as the zenith of Mali's power and prestige, although he features less in Mandinka oral traditions than his predecessors.

He was exceptionally wealthy to an extent that he was described as being inconceivably rich by contemporaries; Time magazine reported: "There's really no way to put an accurate number on his wealth." It is known from local manuscripts and travellers' accounts that Mansa Musa's wealth came principally from the Mali Empire's control and taxing of the trade in salt from northern regions and especially from gold panned and mined in Bambuk and Bure to the south. Over a very long period Mali had amassed a large reserve of gold. Mali is also believed to have been involved in the trade in many goods such as ivory, slaves, spices, silks, and ceramics. However, presently little is known about the extent or mechanics of these trades. At the time of Musa's ascension to the throne, Mali consisted largely of the territory of the former Ghana Empire, which Mali had conquered. The Mali Empire comprised land that is now part of Guinea, Senegal, Mauritania, the Gambia, and the modern state of Mali. (Full article...)

Selected country –

Flag of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria	Emblem of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria

Algeria (Arabic: الجزائر, Al Jaza'ir, Berber: , Dzayer [ldzæjər]), officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is the second largest country on the African continent. It is bordered by Tunisia in the northeast, Libya in the east, Niger in the southeast, Mali and Mauritania in the southwest, and Morocco and Western Sahara in the west.

Algeria is a member of the United Nations, African Union, Arab League and OPEC. Constitutionally, Algeria is defined as an Islamic, Arab, and Amazigh (Berber) country.

The name Algeria is derived from the name of the city of Algiers, from the Arabic word al-jazā’ir, which translates as the islands, referring to the four islands which lay off the city's coast until becoming part of the mainland in 1525. Al-jazā’ir is itself a truncated form of the city's older name jazā’ir banī mazghannā, "the jazeera of (the tribe) Bani Mazghanna", used by early medieval geographers such as al-Idrisi and Yaqut al-Hamawi. (Read more...)

Selected city –

Tripoli skyline

Tripoli, historically known as Tripoli-of-the-West, is the capital and largest city of Libya, with a population of about 1.317 million people in 2021. It is located in the northwest of Libya on the edge of the desert, on a point of rocky land projecting into the Mediterranean Sea and forming a bay. It includes the port of Tripoli and the country's largest commercial and manufacturing center. It is also the site of the University of Tripoli.

Tripoli was founded in the 7th century BC by the Phoenicians, who gave it the Libyco-Berber name Oyat (Punic: 𐤅𐤉‬‬𐤏‬𐤕, romanized: Wyʿt), before passing into the hands of the Greek rulers of Cyrenaica as Oea (Ancient Greek: Ὀία, romanized: Oía). Due to the city's long history, there are many sites of archeological significance in Tripoli. Tripoli may also refer to the sha'biyah (top-level administrative division in the Libyan system), the Tripoli District. (Full article...)

In the news

18 March 2025 – Somali Civil War

At least ten people are killed and 20 others are injured in an assassination attempt by Al-Shabaab militants targeting Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud near Villa Somalia on the road to Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu, Somalia. (Idil News)

17 March 2025 – Kivu conflict

The M23 rebels announce they will withdraw from peace talks that was due to occur with the Congolese government tomorrow due to sanctions imposed on the group by the European Union earlier today. (DW)

17 March 2025 – Belgium–Rwanda relations, Democratic Republic of the Congo–Rwanda conflict, M23 campaign

Rwanda expels the Belgian ambassador, after Belgium accused Rwanda of supporting M23 rebels in their campaign in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Belgium expels the Rwandan ambassador in return. The two countries sever diplomatic relations with one another, with Rwanda accusing Belgium of sustaining neocolonialism. (DW) (BBC News)

15 March 2025 – Sudanese civil war

The bodies of eleven people, including women and children, are discovered at the bottom of a well in Khartoum, Sudan. The Sudanese government accuses the Rapid Support Forces of being behind the deaths. (AP)

15 March 2025 – 2025 Sino-Metals Leach Zambia dam disaster

Environmental investigators determine that the February 2025 failure of a tailings dam owned by a Chinese copper mining company dumped 50 million liters of highly toxic waste into the Kafue River basin, killing ecosystems up to 100 km (62 mi) downstream and impacting the water supply, fishing activities, and irrigation of 60% of Zambia's population. (The Independent)

14 March 2025 – South Africa–European Union relations

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announces that the European Union will invest €4.7 billion (US$5 billion) in aid and development projects in South Africa after the United States ended most of its USAID programs. (DW) (Reuters)

Updated: 10:05, 19 March 2025

General images -

The following are images from various Africa-related articles on Wikipedia.

• 
  The Kingdom of Aksum in the 6th century AD. (from History of Africa)
• 
  Tingatinga is one of the most widely represented forms of paintings in Tanzania, Kenya and neighbouring countries (from Culture of Africa)
• 
  Romanised-Berber kingdoms: Altava, Ouarsenis, Hodna, Aures, Nemencha, Capsus, Dorsale, Cabaon. (from History of Africa)
• 
  Egyptian singer Umm Kulthum, one of the most iconic singers in African history (from Culture of Africa)
• 
  The Umayyad Caliphate at its greatest extent, under Caliph Umar II, c. 720 (from History of Africa)
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  Pre-Neolithic and Neolithic migration events in Africa. (from History of Africa)
• 
  Aerial view of the Great Enclosure and Valley Complex at Great Zimbabwe, looking west (from History of Africa)
• 
  Extent of the Mamluk Sultanate under Sultan Al-Nasir Muhammad (from History of Africa)
• 
  An Ethiopian woman preparing Ethiopian coffee at a traditional ceremony. She roasts, crushes, and brews the coffee on the spot. (from Culture of Africa)
• 
  The Great Pyramids of Giza, Egypt (from Culture of Africa)
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  The Marinids, Zayyanids, and Hafsids c. 1360 (from History of Africa)
• 
  Kenyan boys and girls performing a traditional folklore dance (from Culture of Africa)
• 
  Sample of the Egyptian Book of the Dead of the scribe Nebqed, c. 1300 BC (from Culture of Africa)
• 
  A terra-cotta head sculpture (1100-1500) of the Yoruba, showing extraordinary naturalism. This head represents the oni or king of Ife. (from Culture of Africa)
• 
  DISPLAY OF AFRICAN CULTURAL APPAREL (SMOCK) (from Culture of Africa)
• 
  Fufu (right) is a staple meal in West Africa and Central Africa. It is usually served with some peanut soup. (from Culture of Africa)
• 
  Nok sculpture (from History of Africa)
• 
  Areas controlled by European powers in 1939. British (red) and Belgian (marroon) colonies fought with the Allies. Italian (light green) with the Axis. French colonies (dark blue) fought alongside the Allies until the Fall of France in June 1940. Vichy was in control until the Free French prevailed in late 1942. Portuguese (dark green) and Spanish (yellow) colonies remained neutral. (from History of Africa)
• 
  Carthaginian Empire in 323 BC (from History of Africa)
• 
  Ancient Kano City Walls, Nigeria (from Culture of Africa)
• 
  Fresh Moroccan couscous with vegetables and chickpeas (from Culture of Africa)
• 
  Map of trade centres and routes in precolonial Zimbabwe. (from History of Africa)
• 
  Maasai wearing traditional clothes named Matavuvale while performing Adumu, a traditional dance (from Culture of Africa)
• 
  Yoruba drummers at celebration in Ojumo Oro, Kwara State, Nigeria (from Culture of Africa)
• 
  Ashanti Kente cloth patterns (from Culture of Africa)
• 
  Side view of cast of "Lucy" in the Naturmuseum Senckenberg (from History of Africa)
• 
  The Almoravid empire in the 12th century. (from History of Africa)
• 
  BaKongo masks from the Kongo Central region (from Culture of Africa)
• 
  The Mali Empire in 1337 CE, with major gold fields, of Bambuk, Bure, Lobi (tended by the Gan and later Lobi people), and Akan, and trade routes, outlined. The desert should extend further south to Koumbi. The Mossi Kingdoms are located north of Lobi. (from History of Africa)
• 
  Mapungubwe Hill, which features some ancient San art in a rock shelter on the east side. (from History of Africa)
• 
  
  1 = 2000–1500 BC origin
  
  2 = c. 1500 BC first dispersal
       2.a = Eastern Bantu
       2.b = Western Bantu
  
  3 = 1000–500 BC Urewe nucleus of Eastern Bantu
  
  4–7 = southward advance
  
  9 = 500–1 BC Congo nucleus
  
  10 = AD 1–1000 last phase (from History of Africa)
• 
  The Ghana Empire at its greatest extent (from History of Africa)
• 
  Gateway to the Castle of Good Hope in South Africa (from Culture of Africa)
• 
  traditional pearl using for differents pearl in the religion. (from Culture of Africa)
• 
  A Yombe sculpture (Louvre, Paris) (from Culture of Africa)
• 
  Evolution of the Fatimid Caliphate (from History of Africa)
• 
  Potjiekos is a traditional Afrikaner stew made with meat and vegetables and cooked over coals in cast-iron pots. (from Culture of Africa)
• 
  Map of ancient Egypt, showing major cities and sites of the Dynastic period (c. 3150 BC to 30 BC) (from History of Africa)
• 
  Traditional male dancers from Northern Nigeria (from Culture of Africa)
• 
  Sudan basket-tray, tabar of weaved natural plant fiber, in different colors (from Culture of Africa)
• 
  A woman in Kenya wearing kanga (from Culture of Africa)
• 
  The Kilwa Sultanate in 1310 (from History of Africa)
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  Map of the western Sahel and Sudan (northern West Africa) c. 1200. (Songhai is Gao)
  Kingdoms in this era were centred around cities and cores, with variations of influence radiating out from these points, borders here are estimates. (from History of Africa)
• 
  9th-century bronze staff head in form of a coiled snake, Igbo-Ukwu, Nigeria (from History of Africa)
• 
  Central mosque in Nouakchott, Mauritania (from Culture of Africa)
• 
  Order of independence of African nations, 1950–2011
• 
  Ruby, Egyptian singer performing (from Culture of Africa)

Africa topics

More did you know –

• ... that Safi Faye's 1975 film Kaddu Beykat was the first commercially distributed feature film made by a Sub-Saharan African woman?
• ... that legendary princess Yennenga, the "mother" of the Mossi people, was such a great warrior that her father refused to allow her to marry?
• ... that Safi Faye is a Senegalese film director whose work is better known in Europe than in her native Africa?
• ...that Mohamed Camara's 1997 film Dakan was the first West African film to explore homosexuality?

Related portals

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Major Religions in Africa

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North Africa

West Africa

Central Africa

East Africa

Southern Africa

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