Africa:

1. Africa: Countries and Capitals

2. Featured IMAGES: *TOP LEFT* Johannesburg, SA *TOP RIGHT* Congo Rainforest *BOTTOM LEFT* African Penguins *BOTTOM RIGHT* The Serengeti

3. Northern Africa Test review North Africa

4. Western Sahara • This occupied territory lies on the northwestern Atlantic coast. • The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic wants total independence from Morocco • Geographically arid and inhospitable, as desert stretches to the coast El Aaiún Capital:

5. Ethiopia • This nation can be found in the Horn of Africa. • It is the most heavily populated landlocked country in the world. • One of the oldest known locations of human existence; is considered where Homo-Sapiens emerged from. Capital: Addis Ababa

6. Algeria • This northern nation has a coast on the Mediterranean. • Largest African country; hosts a semi-presidential republic with 48 provinces and 1541 communes. • Has a diverse culture that has been affected by Numidians, Romans, Vandals, Ottomans, and many others. Capital: Algiers

7. Sudan • This large Arabic Nation borders the Red Sea on its northeastern side. • Despite its location, is often considered part of the Middle-East, due to political and religious views. • Like its northern neighbor, is also bisected by the Nile River. Capital: Khartoum

8. Côte D’Ivoire • This western African nation has an Atlantic coast on its southern border. • Name translates from French to“the Ivory Coast,” and is commonly used by English Speakers despite national attempts against it. • Home to the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace- the World’s largest church; holds 3x the parishioners as St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. Capital: Yamoussoukro

9. Tunisia • This northern country looks tiny in comparison to its large, eastern and western neighbors. • Derives its name from the important capital city. • The Mediterranean provides a fertile north, while the south is primarily Saharan desert. Capital: Tunis

10. Ghana • This country is another that borders the Atlantic Ocean on its southern side, in what’s called the Gulf of Guinea. • Much like its westerly “Ivory” neighbor, this country was called “the Gold Coast” during its time as a colony under the British Empire; this was significant to what was mainly traded here. • Lake Volta, the world’s largest man-made lake, finds residence here. Capital: Accra

11. Libya • This large country borders the Mediterranean in the north, and Egypt in the east. • 2011 civil war brought the death of tyrant Muammar Gaddafi. • This oil-rich country consistently competes with Seychelles for Africa’s highest Human Development Index. Capital: Tripoli

12. Mauritania • This large western African nation has a border that touches the Atlantic Ocean. • Except the coast, most of this country is covered by Sahara. • in 2008, General Mohammad Aziz led a coup against the government, and was elected president one year later. Capital: Nouakchott

13. Eritrea • This small country has an eastern coast line on the Red Sea. • Gained independence (1991) from Ethiopia, who had previously annexed them. • Has a varied cultural mix, with nine major ethnicities living within its borders. Capital: Asmara

14. Southern Sudan • This newly independent (2011) country can be found in eastern-central Africa. • The White Nile is responsible for creating a large swamp land called the Sudd, which can be 80,000 sq mi during the rainy season. • Capital city will be changed to Ramciel in the near future. Capital: Juba

15. Niger • This landlocked country is in the northwestern section of central Africa. • Has been mostly engulfed by the ever-spreading Sahara. • Due to the harsh desert, the residents have few resources, and live in poverty along the major river their country is named for. Capital: Niamey

16. Somalia • This coastal Federation lines the outer Horn of Africa. • In 1991, civil war collapsed the country’s central government, which only re-established permanence in 2012. • Lack of a strong federal presence led to severe piracy issues. Capital: Mogadishu

17. Burkina Faso • This smaller landlocked country is located in northwestern Africa, and shares borders with six neighbors. • Due to the Niger River just outside their eastern border, this nation enjoys a relatively more fertile expanse of Savanna, helping make cotton a top export. • Independence from France claimed in 1960. Capital: Ouagadougou

18. Chad • Located in the northern half of Central Africa, this country is one of the larger landlocked states. • Has Saharan desert, Savanna plains, and a wetland created by the important, eponymous lake. • Hundreds of thousands of Sudanese Refugees have destabilised the economy, bringing severe corruption. Capital: N’Djaména

19. Morocco • This Constitutional Monarchy can be found on the furthest northwestern point of Africa. • Has both Mediterranean and Atlantic coastlines. • This country has occupied a large portion of its southern neighbor, controlling its affairs as a disputed province. Capital: Rabat

20. Senegal • This western African country has an Atlantic coastline, and almost completely engulfs another nation within its borders. • The capital is located on the large peninsula, which during colonial days was a popular destination for traders. • Despite the extreme heat of the Harmattan trade winds, numerous rivers flowing to the Atlantic make for fertile lands. Capital: Dakar

21. Liberia • This west African republic experiences tropical conditions due to its moist Atlantic weather near the Equatorial Climate Region. • Was established as a colony for freed African-American slaves. • 1980 saw the start of a 21-year long civil war that left devastating effects on the economy. Capital: Monrovia

22. Gambia • With the exception of its short Atlantic coastline, this nation is completely enveloped within another country. • Originally an English colony that surrounded the river sharing the country’s name; was used for shipping inland slaves downstream. • Same river has made excellent farmland since 1965 independence. Capital: Banjul

23. Guinea-Bissau • The capital city was added to their name in an attempt to avoid confusion with their similarly-named neighbor. • This nation is about the size of Maryland; small in comparison to its fellow west African counterparts, and is home to the Bijagos Archipelago in the Atlantic. • Not one president has finished a full term; last elected president, Sanhá, died of Diabetes (01/12). Interim President Pereira was overthrown three months later in a coup. Capital: Bissau

24. Sierra Leone • This smaller African nation claims a home along the coast of the Atlantic. • Due to its tropical climate, this country is divided between Savanna grasslands and tropical rainforest. • Neighboring Liberia assisted in a very violent civil war (1991-2002) that was funded largely through Blood Diamonds, and other immoral and illegal venues. Capital: Freetown

25. Guinea • This boomerang-shaped country touches the Atlantic on it’s western border. • The Nigeria, Senegal, and Gambia Rivers all originate here. • Is a world-leading producer of precious minerals like diamond, gold, and bauxite; however, faces consistent human rights violations in those industries. Capital: Conakry

26. Nigeria • This country is the largest of the Gulf of Guinea states, and places its rounded southern foot in the tropical waters. • It is the most populated country in Africa (170mil). • Named for the major river that runs through its borders. Capital: Abuja

27. Togo • The Prime Meridian cuts through this narrow west African country. • This is another (and the smallest) of the few countries that touch the Gulf of Guinea. • Following in the tradition of its neighbors, this nation has once been called by its primary export, and makes up the western-most member of “the Slave Coast.” Capital: Lomé

28. Benin • This Gulf of Guinea republic is slightly larger than the very small nation that borders its west coast. • Was the centrally-located member of the three “Slave Coast.” states. • Before being renamed in 1894, was called Dahomey; after the Kingdom of Dahomey. Capital: Porto Novo

29. Uganda • In the eastern lands, this small landlocked country can be found just inland from the infamous “Horn” of Africa. • Northern Lake Victoria is in this country, and runs south into Tanzania. • A recent social media campaign run by Invisible Children, Inc., sought to raise awareness of this country’s notorious war criminal Joseph Kony. Capital: Kampala

30. Djibouti • In the Horn of Africa lies this small state, tiny in comparison to its neighbors. • The country and capital city share the same name. • This country was known as “French Somaliland” when it was first a colony, and later changed its name to “Afars and Issas,” before the final change following 1977’s independence. Capital: Djibouti

31. Kenya • This lush country is bisected by the Equator on Africa’s Indian Ocean side. • Is the northern of the two nations that give residence to the marvelous Serengeti. • Named after local mountain, the second highest in Africa. Capital: Nairobi

32. Malawi • This small landlocked country lies on the southeastern section of the continent. • Nicknamed the “Warm Heart of Africa.” • The country derives its name from the Maravi people, who migrated South out of the Congo and down through Zambia. Capital: Lilongwe

33. Rwanda • This nation is located in central Africa, and looks very small in comparison to its DRC neighbor. • 1990 brought civil war and genocide when the Tutsi-led Rwandan Patriotic Front (many from bordering Uganda) attacked the Hutu government; it was met with a lash back that killed 500,000 – 1,000,000 Tutsis. • This nation is very mountainous, with lush foliage thriving in the temperate tropical highland climate. Capital: Kigali

34. Burundi • This small landlocked country was once conjoined with Rwanda as a German and later Belgian colony. • The southwestern border lies along deep Lake Tanganyika, the worlds second largest fresh water lake (by volume). • Is part of the Albertine Rift, a westward expansion of the East African Rift. Capital: Bujumbura

35. Tanzania • This country is the largest of the Indian Ocean coastal nations. • Is the home of Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa. • The 1964 union between the Tanganyika and Zanzibar states led to the creation of this nation and its clever name. Capital: Dar es Salaam / Dodoma

36. Egypt • This transcontinental country is home to many famous World-Heritage landmarks. • Most inhabitants live along the Nile River, to escape the harsh northern Sahara. • The capital is the largest city in Africa. Capital: Cairo

37. Southern Africa Test review South Africa

38. Equatorial Guinea • This small country lies very near to the Equator, which is how it got its name. • Oddly enough, this country’s southern border is still 2 degrees north of the Equator. • It is the only country in Mainland Africa where Spanish is the official language. Capital: Malabo

39. São Tomé and Príncipe • This country is a series of islands in the Gulf of Guinea. • Means “Saint Thomas” in Portuguese. • The Archipelago was uninhabited before the Portuguese setup sugar plantations here. Capital: São Tomé

40. Cameroon • This geographically diverse country has a western border in the Gulf of Guinea. • Is called “Miniature Africa,” because it has desert, grassland, rainforest, and tropical beaches. • Paul Biya has been re-elected as president of this French-speaking country every seven-years since 1982. Capital: Yaoundé

41. Central African republic • This Republic lies in the most central point of Africa. • The northern part of the state is Savanna grassland, that becomes Equatorial Forrest in the south. • Despite being rich in resources (diamonds, gold, uranium, oil), the people are amongst the poorest of the world. Capital: Bangui

42. Republic of the Congo • This country can be found slightly South of the Equator, in west-central Africa. • The southern border is defined by the eponymous river, that flows to the Atlantic Ocean. • This country sits in the Atlantic reaching “arm” of its very large neighbor of a similar name. Capital: Brazzaville

43. Mauritius • This island nation is composed of dozens of tropical islands east of Madagascar, however only a handful are populated. • Was the only home of the Dodo Bird; extinct only eight years after discovery. • Before Portuguese settlement, there were no human residents. Capital: Port Louis

44. Gabon • This Atlantic coastal country lies right on the Equator, just below Equatorial Guinea. • Low population and high natural resources help make this country one of the most prosperous in Africa. • Tropical climates lend themselves to the vast rainforest region that covers 85% of this state. Capital: Libreville

45. Mozambique • This nation has a long coastline along the Indian Ocean, in southeastern Africa. • Despite a fertile region rich in resources and production, this country has one of the world’s worst Human Development Indexes. • Fought a long Guerrilla war for independence from Portugal (1975), followed by a 15-year civil war, before establishing a democracy (1992) accused of severe corruption. Capital: Maputo

46. Congo (DRC) • This central African nation is the second largest on the continent. • Despite its location, it has access to the Atlantic through a very narrow arm of land. • Was known as Zaire before a bloody civil war that ended in 1997. Capital: Kinshasa

47. South Africa • This country is located on the very southern tip of Africa. • Lesotho is completely engulfed by this country. • Visitors to the legislative capital are greeted by Table Mountain. Capital: Pretoria Bloemfontein Cape Town

48. Angola • This country is located on the Atlantic Coast, far enough south that it enjoys rainforest and grassland terrain. • A small Exclave named Cabinda exists beyond a thin strip of the Democratic Republic of the Congo just above this country’s northern border. • The economy is one of the fastest growing in Africa, but profits collect in vastly disproportionate pockets, leading to massive disparities in life expectancy and world-leading infant mortality rates. Capital: Luanda

49. Zambia • This English-speaking country touches eight neighboring nations. • Mosi-oa-Tunya seperates this country from Zimbabwe. • Deriving its current name from a major southern river, this state used to be called Northern Rhodesia. Capital: Lusaka

50. Namibia • This southern country has a long coast along the Atlantic. • Occupied by neighbor South Africa from 1920-1990. • This nation receives the least amount of rain south of the Sahara, and calls its deserts the Khalahari and Namib. Capital: Windhoek