People who lived not far from ancient Carthage, the inhabitants of the city called the word "afri". From the Phoenician word afar means "dust", and this name is attributed to this language. When the Romans conquered Carthage, they named this province Africa. Later, they began to call the regions that were known on this continent. And then the whole continent.
Another version says that the word has roots of the Berber word ifri, i.e. cave. This meant the cave dwellers, the Afri people. Also a Muslim province called "Ifrikiya", which later arose in this place, also had the same root in the name.
I. Efremov, a famous writer and scientist, believed that the word "Africa" has roots in ancient language Ta-Kem ("Afros" - foamy country, Egypt). This is due to the fact that during the approach to the mainland in the Mediterranean Sea, several currents collide.
Etymology of the names of physical and geographical objects in Africa
Gulf of aden... Gulf of the Indian Ocean. The name was given to the city of Aden in the south of the Arabian Peninsula. According to one version, the toponym is based on the Arabic root meaning "settledness". According to another interpretation, the name was formed by a term from the ancient Semitic-Hamitic languages edinu - plain, steppe, which clearly reflects natural features.
Azores... Archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean. Belongs to Portugal. Called by the Portuguese Ilhas dos Azores - "Hawk Islands" for the abundance of these birds off the coast and on the archipelago.
Amirant Islands... Archipelago in the Indian Ocean. Discovered by the expedition of Admiral Vasco to Gama and named in his honor llhas de Almitante - "Admiral's islands".
Augrabis.Waterfall on the river. Orange. The name comes from the Hottentot aukrebis - "big noise".
Ahaggar.Mountain range in Central Sahara. The name comes from the name of the Tuareg tribe Kel-Akhaggar. The ethnonym is apparently based on the Arabic term "akhgar" - a cave, i.e. "ahaggar" - "cave dwellers", "cave spirits".
Bab el-Mandeb strait... Separates Africa and the southwest of the Arabian Peninsula. The name comes from the Arabic words "bab" - gate, "mandib" - tears, that is. means "gate of tears". The toponym-metaphor reflects the difficult navigation conditions in the strait.
White Nile.The name of the middle course of the Nile before the confluence of the Goluboy. The Arabic name of the Bahr el-Abyad river is "white river". In the opinion of those skilled in the art, the term "white" refers either to the cloudy color of water or to an unknown color orientation.
Benguela current... Cold current in the Atlantic Ocean. The name is given for the city of Benguela in Angola: in one of the Bantu languages benguela is "the land of reeds".
Benue.Left tributary of the river. Niger. The name comes from the Batta language, where be - "water", nue - "mother", i.e. means"mother of waters"
Bioko.Island in the Gulf of Guinea. The Portuguese, having discovered Bioko, called it Formosa - "Beautiful" for the abundance of lush vegetation and the presence fresh water... Later, the island was called Fernando Po in honor of the Portuguese discoverer, and in the 70s of the XX century - Macias Nguema Biogo in honor of the President of Equatorial Guinea. Bioko is a modified name, so it is difficult to call the true meaning.
Vaal... River, right tributary of the river. Orange, The name was given by the Dutch Borax colonists for the color of the water: vaal - "muddy", "gray". The toponym is included in the name of one of the provinces of South Africa - Transvaal - "behind Vaal".
Wadi, waddah... The general name of the channels of temporary watercourses in North Africa, filled with water only during the rainy season. The Arabic geographic term "wadi", "wadd" - dry bed, valley.
Weld.The name of the arid plateau in southern Africa. In Dutch and Afrikaans (Afrikaans), veld is a popular geographic term meaning "field".
Victoria.Lake in East Africa, the largest on the mainland. Unlike the Victoria Falls, named by D. Livingston in honor of the Queen of Great Britain, the name of Lake Victoria was given by the traveler D. Speak. Therefore, at present, in the young African countries located on the shores of the lake, other names are proposed: Umoja - "unity", Uhuru - "freedom", Shirikisho - "unification", Uhuru na Umoja - the state motto of Tanzania, inscribed on the coat of arms of the state.
Victoria.Waterfall on the river. Zambezi. Discovered by the outstanding English traveler David Livingston and named after the Queen of Great Britain. Locals they call the waterfall Mosi-oa-Tunya - "thundering smoke", or Seongo - "place of the rainbow".
Virunga.Volcanic mountains in East Africa. The name in the language of the Nyoro people means "volcano".
Volta.River in West Africa. The name Rio-da-Volta - "the river of return" was given by the Portuguese, because in the XV century. their ships stopped at the mouth of the river before returning to their homeland. In Ghana on the river. Volta has created a reservoir of the same name - one of the largest in the world (8480 km 2 ).
Guardafui.Cape in the east of the Somali Peninsula. Scientists believe that the name is derived from the Portuguese word guardafu, distorted by the Arabs, meaning "beware", which is associated with dangerous navigation conditions. There has long been a legend that, as if at the very eastern end of the Somali peninsula, there is a magnetic mountain, which attracts the iron parts of ships approaching it. As a result, the ships, approaching it, crashed on the rocks. In fact, this is the narrowest shelf zone. At strong wind, high waves, poor visibility, ships were often carried to the peninsula, and they crashed on the coastal reefs. The word "guardafui" was a warning to sailors who sailed past this promontory.
Gulf of Guinea.Gulf of the Atlantic Ocean off the western coast of Africa. Named for the historical and geographical region of Guinea, washed by it. There are several versions of the origin of the toponym Guinea. According to one of them, the name is based on the name of the Berber tribe Kinava (the Arab scholar Ibn Yakut in the 13th century mentioned the region of Kinava). Another point of view is based on the fact that the toponym is formed by the Berber words "agvinau" - "black" or "iguaven" - "dumb" (i.e. not language proficient Berbers) and belonged to the territory inhabited by black tribes. Later, Europeans distorted the original word in Gunua, Ginua, and finally in Guinea.
Strait of Gibraltar.Separates Africa from the Iberian Peninsula of Europe. Named for the rock of Gibraltar on the European side of the strait. The modern form of the name of the rock arose as a result of the centuries-old use and transformation of the primary Arabic Jebel el-Tariq - "Mount Tariq".
Blue Nile.The largest tributary of the Nile. In Ethiopia, the river is called Abbay - “the father of waters, and in the Arab countries Bahr el-Azrak -“ blue river. ”The color name, according to some scientists, reflects the color of the water in the river carrying bluish silt.
Good Hope ... Cape in southern Africa. Discovered in 1488 by the Portuguese navigator B. Dias and named Cabo Tormentoso - "Cape of Tempests". King João II of Portugal did not like the name and, at his behest, the cape was renamed Cabo da Vona Esperanza - "Cape of Good Hope", meaning the hope of reaching a fabulously rich and attractive India for Europeans. Some historians believe that in B. Diash immediately named the cape by the name of Good Hope, and the above version is only a historical legend. However, it is impossible to prove or refute this hypothesis due to the lack of sources contemporary to Dias' voyage.
Dragon mountains... Located in South Africa. It is assumed that the mountains are named after one of the European colonizers of the Drakenstein harrow. Etymologically, the surname consists of two words: draken - "dragon", stein - "stone".
Zambezi.River in South Africa. Previously, the name of the river was conveyed on maps in a variety of ways; Ambezi, Luambezi, Liambey, etc. According to modern toponymists, the primary form of the name is Ambezi (or Ambey), which means "big river" in the local Bantu languages. The same meaning has the name of the river in the middle course in the Tonga language - Murongo-Mucuri, which is a tracing of the main toponym.
Zanzibar.Island in the Indian Ocean east coast Africa. The toponym comes from the Persian, the term "bar" - "coast", "edge" and the ethnonym "zinj", based on the Arabic or Persian "zang", "zeng" - "black". Zinji is the collective name for the Negroid tribes of East Africa in medieval Muslim literature.
Green cape. Located on the peninsula of the same name to the east of Cape Almadi. It was named Cabo Verde by the Portuguese D. Dias in 1445 - "Cape Verde", tk. was the first land covered by tropical flora seen by sailors, in stark contrast to the sands of the Sahara.
Cape Verde Island.Archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean. Named after m. Zeleny, opposite which it is located. The transfer of the name of the islands into other languages is accepted in the form of translation, in contrast to the name of the state located on them.
Needle.Cape, the southernmost tip of Africa. Discovered in 1488 by B. Dias and named by him Cabo Sao Brandao - Cape of St. Brandan, because the opening took place on the day of this saint. However, the name was soon changed, and the cape was mapped under the name Agulhas - Agulary. The word agulha in Portuguese means "needle", "arrow". Modern toponymists see the Portuguese metaphorical term agulha as the basis of the name in the meaning of "peak", "summit". Based on this, the toponym is interpreted as "cape of peaks", and the reason is a rocky cape.
Go-Amin-Dada; Edward.Lake in East Africa. Opened in the 19th century. and named Edward after the Crown Prince of Great Britain. In 1971, President Idi Amin Dada came to power in Uganda, and the lake was named after him. To this day, both names have survived for the reservoir.
Canary Islands.Archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean. Belongs to Spain. The islands were known in ancient times under the Latin name Insulas Fortunatae. The Spaniards who visited the archipelago at the beginning of the 15th century called them islas Canarias - "dog islands". According to one version, the sailors saw a large number of dogs on the shores of the islands, which was the reason for the appearance of the toponym. According to another version, the archipelago was named after the main island of Gran Canaria. and the island - according to the fabulous country of Canaria, mentioned in medieval European legends.
Kenya.Volcanic massif in East Africa. Toponymists see the Masai term "kee-niyya" - "white mountain" as the basis of the toponym, which is associated with the presence of glaciers and snow on the top of the mountain.
Livingstone waterfalls... Located in the lower reaches of the river. Congo (Zaire). Named after the outstanding explorer of Africa, Scottish by origin, D. Livingston.
Limpopo.River in South Africa. The etymology of the name is unknown. The Dutch Boer colonists called the river Crocodil River - "Crocodile River" for the abundance of these reptiles in its waters.
MadeiraArchipelago in the Atlantic Ocean. Belongs to Portugal. The Portuguese called Maderia - Forest, because was indeed covered with forests, later completely cut down. The earliest names for the archipelago: among the Carthaginians Al-Agnam - "island of goats" (for the abundance of these animals), among the Romans Insulae Purpurinae - "islands of purple" (for the paint obtained there).
Niger... River in West Africa. The name is a distorted by the Portuguese and other Europeans the Berber name of the river H "Egiren -" river. "In different parts of the course it has different names in local languages: in the upper reaches of the Djolib -" big water "; in the middle and lower Kuara -" river ", Issa Bari - “great river”; Mayo - “river.” The explanation of the name from the word niger in the meaning of “black” from European languages is considered incorrect by modern toponymists.
Nile.The longest river in Africa. The oldest form of the name of the river Aur is "hidden" (that is, with an unknown source). The Egyptians called her Hapi after the god of fertility and harvest. Modern Arabs call the river El-Bahr - "river". The toponym Nile in the form of Neilos was first encountered by the ancient Greeks. The Romans borrowed it as Nilus. According to one of the versions, the toponym is based on the ancient Semitic term "nagal" - "river", modified by the Greeks. According to another version, the Greeks borrowed the word lil - "water" from the Libyan tribes, distorting it into nil. Philologists note the possibility of such a transformation.
Nubian desert... Located in northeastern Africa. Named for the historical region of Nubia, located between the Nile rapids. The toponym is based on the ancient Egyptian word "nuba" - "gold". In ancient times, the largest mines were located here, from where gold came to the palace of the pharaohs.
Orange.River in South Africa. Hottentots called her Kai Garib - Big river, Dutch settlers Boers Groat River with the same meaning. At all times, people often gave names to objects (rivers, lakes) by the color of the water or the coast. But the name of the Orange River has nothing to do with color. This name was given to her by settlers from the Netherlands (Holland) Boers in honor of the princes of Orange - the then rulers of the Netherlands. With someone's light hand, and perhaps through transformation, the name Orange turned into Orange.
Sao Tome.Island in the Gulf of Guinea. Opened by the Portuguese on the day of St. Thomas (Thomas) and named Sao Tome in his honor.
Somalia.Peninsula in the east of Africa. Named after the people of Somalia, who live in most of it. The ethnonym comes from the Cushite languages and means "dark", which is associated with the color of the skin of the people. Ptolemy (II century) called the peninsula the Southern Horn (now the Horn of Africa is sometimes found). The cold current in the Indian Ocean, the Somali, is named for the peninsula.
Tristan da Cu'ña.Archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean. Discovered by the Portuguese navigator Tristan da Cunha and named after him.
Geography of Africa
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In the south, Africa is washed by the Mediterranean Sea, in the northeast Sinai peninsula it is washed by the waters of the Suez Canal and the Red Sea, in the east and southeast, the continent is washed by the Indian Ocean, and in the west - Atlantic Ocean.
Geographic features of Africa
Atlas
The Atlas Mountains system stretches from the southwestern part of Morocco along the Mediterranean Sea to the eastern border of Tunisia. It includes several smaller mountain ranges, namely: High Atlas, Middle Atlas, and Seaside Atlas. The most high point- Mount Toubkal, located in the western part of Morocco, with a height of 4,167 meters.
Congo river basin
The Congo Basin, located in central Africa, spans most of the Democratic Republic of the Congo as well as the neighboring Republic of the Congo. In addition, it extends to Angola, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, and Zambia. The area of this fertile basin is approximately 3,600,000 square kilometers, and about 20% of the world's tropical forests grow on its territory. The Congo River is the second largest river in Africa, and the network of its tributaries and streams serves as a transport function for the population of the interior countries of Africa.
Great rift valley
A sharp deepening of the Earth's surface, approximately 6,400 km long, extending from the Red Sea, near the border with Jordan in the Middle East, south to Mozambique. Essentially, this valley is the result of a series of geological faults caused by large volcanic eruptions many centuries ago. The result of these same faults was numerous sheer cliffs, mountain ranges, rocky valleys, and very deep lakes located throughout the considerable length of this valley. In the immediate vicinity of the valley are many of Africa's highest mountains, including Kilimanjaro, Kenya, and Stanley.
Ahaggar Highlands
Ahaggar is a high-mountainous region in the central part of the Sahara, in the southern part of Algeria - 1,500 km away. south of the capital of the country, and west of the city of Tamanrasset. The region is mostly a rocky desert, with an average altitude of over 900 m above sea level. The highest point is Mount Takhat (3,003 m.).
Kalahari Desert
The desert is about 259,000 square kilometers and covers most of Botswana, southwestern South Africa, and all of western Namibia. This desolate plateau has many dry river estuaries, and dense bushes grow in abundance. There are several small mountain ranges in the area, including Karas and Hans. V national park Kalahari Gemsbok, located in South Africa on the border with Namibia, is home to large herds of wild animals.
Namib Desert
Namib is a coastal desert in the southern part of the African continent, stretching over 2,000 km in length along the Atlantic coast. The desert begins in Angola, runs through Namibia, and ends at the Oliphants River in the Western Cape in South Africa. To the east of the Atlantic coast, the desert is gradually gaining height, up to 200 km. at the foot of the Bolshoy Ustup mountains.
Annual precipitation ranges from 2 mm. in the driest areas of the desert up to 200 mm. on the hills, because of which Namib can be considered the only true desert in southern Africa. The Namib is also the oldest desert in the world, geologically composed of dune (sandy) seas in coastal areas, while gravel plains and rocks prevail in inland areas.
Sand dunes of the desert, some of which reach 300 m in height and 32 km. in length, are the second largest in the world, second only to the Badyn-Jaran dunes in China.
Sahara Desert
Covering almost one third of the entire African continent, the Sahara is the largest desert in the world, with an approximate total area of 9,065,000 square kilometers. Topographically, the desert includes stone-strewn plains, mobile sand dunes, and numerous dune (sandy) seas.
The height of the desert varies from 30 m below sea level to 3 350 m above sea level ( Mountain peaks in Ahaggar and Tibesti). At the regional level, the Libyan Desert, the Nubian Desert, and the Western Desert in Egypt, west of the Nile, are distinguished from the Sahara.
There is practically no precipitation in the Sahara, but several underwater rivers flowing on its territory, originating in the Atlas Mountains, help to irrigate isolated oases. To the east, the waters of the Nile help fertilize small areas of the desert.
Sahel
The Sahel is a wide strip of land that stretches across the entire width of northern central Africa, on southern edge the ever-expanding Sahara Desert. This border region is a transitional zone between the dry regions of the north and the tropical regions of the south. There is very little rainfall on this territory (15 - 20 cm per year), and the vegetation here is represented mainly by scanty grass cover and shrubs.
Nile River system
Etymology of the names of physical and geographical objects in Africa
Gulf of aden... Gulf of the Indian Ocean. The name was given to the city of Aden in the south of the Arabian Peninsula. According to one version, the toponym is based on the Arabic root meaning "settledness". According to another interpretation, the name was formed by a term from the ancient Semitic-Hamitic languages edinu - plain, steppe, which clearly reflects natural features.
Azores... Archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean. Belongs to Portugal. Called by the Portuguese Ilhas dos Azores - "Hawk Islands" for the abundance of these birds off the coast and on the archipelago.
Amirant Islands... Archipelago in the Indian Ocean. Discovered by the expedition of Admiral Vasco to Gama and named in his honor llhas de Almitante - "Admiral's islands".
Annobon. Island in the Gulf of Guinea. Named by the Portuguese Anno Bon - "Good Year" (New Year), tk. they first set foot on the island on January 1, 1474.
Atlas. Atlas mountains. In the northwest of Africa. The name has a direct connection with the name of the mythical titan Atlas, who holds the earthly firmament on his mighty shoulders. The ancient Greeks deified these mountains, worshiping a mountain spirit in the form of a petrified giant who supported the Earth. So the legend says. Apparently, this was facilitated by a possible primary source from (the Berber word "adrar", which means "mountain"
Augrabis. Waterfall on the river. Orange. The name comes from the Hottentot aukrebis - "big noise".
Afar. Tectonic depression in Djibouti. The lowest place in Africa (-153 m above sea level). The name comes from the Afar people living in Djibouti, Eritrea and Ethiopia.
Ahaggar. Mountain range in Central Sahara. The name comes from the name of the Tuareg tribe Kel-Akhaggar. The ethnonym is apparently based on the Arabic term "akhgar" - a cave, i.e. "ahaggar" - "cave dwellers", "cave spirits".
Bab el-Mandeb strait... Separates Africa and the southwest of the Arabian Peninsula. The name comes from the Arabic words "bab" - gate, "mandib" - tears, that is. means "gate of tears". The toponym-metaphor reflects the difficult navigation conditions in the strait.
White Nile. The name of the middle course of the Nile before the confluence of the Goluboy. The Arabic name of the Bahr el-Abyad river is "white river". In the opinion of those skilled in the art, the term "white" refers either to the cloudy color of water or to an unknown color orientation.
Benguela current... Cold current in the Atlantic Ocean. The name is given for the city of Benguela in Angola: in one of the Bantu languages benguela is "the land of reeds".
Benue. Ley tributary of the r. Niger. The name comes from the Batta language, where be - "water", nue - "mother", i.e. means
"mother of waters"
Bioko. Island in the Gulf of Guinea. The Portuguese, having discovered Bioko, called it Formosa - "Beautiful" for the abundance of lush vegetation and the presence of fresh water. Later, the island was called Fernando Po in honor of the Portuguese discoverer, and in the 70s of the XX century - Macias Nguema Biogo and the honor of the President of Equatorial Guinea. Bioko is a modified name, so it is difficult to call the true meaning.
Bush. Common name for shrub formations in South Africa. The Dutch and English geographic term bush is "bush".
Vaal... River, right tributary of the river. Orange, The name was given by the Dutch Borax colonists for the color of the water: vaal - "muddy", "gray". The toponym is included in the name of one of the provinces of South Africa - Transvaal - "behind Vaal".
Wadi, waddah... The general name of the channels of temporary watercourses in North Africa, filled with water only during the rainy season. The Arabic geographic term "wadi", "wadd" - dry bed, valley.
Weld. The name of the arid plateau in southern Africa. In Dutch and Afrikaans (Afrikaans), veld is a popular geographic term meaning "field".
Victoria. Lake in East Africa, the largest on the mainland. Unlike the Victoria Falls, named by D. Livingston in honor of the Queen of Great Britain, the name of Lake Victoria was given by the traveler D. Speak. Therefore, at present, in the young African countries located on the shores of the lake, other names are proposed: Umoja - "unity", Uhuru - "freedom", Shirikisho - "unification", Uhuru na Umoja - the state motto of Tanzania, inscribed on the coat of arms of the state.
Victoria. Waterfall on the river. Zambezi. Discovered by the outstanding English traveler David Livingston and named after the Queen of Great Britain. Locals call the waterfall Mosi-oa-Tunya - "thundering smoke", or Seongo - "place of the rainbow".
Virunga. Volcanic mountains in East Africa. The name in the language of the Nyoro people means "volcano".
Volta. River in West Africa. The name Rio-da-Volta - "the river of return" was given by the Portuguese, because in the XV century. their ships stopped at the mouth of the river before returning to their homeland. In Ghana on the river. Volta created a reservoir of the same name - one of the largest in the world (8480 km 2).
Guardafui. Cape in the east of the Somali Peninsula. Scientists believe that the name is derived from the Portuguese word guardafu, distorted by the Arabs, meaning "beware", which is associated with dangerous navigation conditions. There has long been a legend that, as if at the very eastern end of the Somali peninsula, there is a magnetic mountain, which attracts the iron parts of ships approaching it. As a result, the ships, approaching it, crashed on the rocks. In fact, this is the narrowest shelf zone. With strong winds, high waves, poor visibility, ships were often carried to the peninsula, and they crashed on the coastal reefs. The word "guardafui" was a warning to sailors who sailed past this promontory.
Gulf of Guinea. Gulf of the Atlantic Ocean off the western coast of Africa. Named for the historical and geographical region of Guinea, washed by it. There are several versions of the origin of the toponym Guinea. According to one of them, the name is based on the name of the Berber tribe Kinava (the Arab scholar Ibn Yakut in the 13th century mentioned the region of Kinava). Another point of view is based on the fact that the toponym is formed by the Berber words "agvinau" - "black" or "iguaven" - "dumb" (ie, not knowing the Berber language) and referred to the territory inhabited by black tribes. Later, Europeans distorted the original word in Gunua, Ginua, and finally in Guinea.
Strait of Gibraltar. Separates Africa from the Iberian Peninsula of Europe. Named for the rock of Gibraltar on the European side of the strait. The modern form of the name of the rock arose as a result of the centuries-old use and transformation of the primary Arabic Jebel el-Tariq - "Mount Tariq".
Blue Nile. The largest tributary of the Nile. In Ethiopia, the river is called Abbay - “the father of waters, and in the Arab countries Bahr el-Azrak -“ blue river. ”The color name, according to some scientists, reflects the color of the water in the river carrying bluish silt.
Good Hope... Cape in southern Africa. Discovered in 1488 by the Portuguese navigator B. Dias and named Cabo Tormentoso - "Cape of Tempests". King João II of Portugal did not like the name and, at his behest, the cape was renamed Cabo da Vona Esperanza - "Cape of Good Hope", meaning the hope of reaching a fabulously rich and attractive India for Europeans. Some historians believe that in B. Diash immediately named the cape by the name of Good Hope, and the above version is only a historical legend. However, it is impossible to prove or refute this hypothesis due to the lack of sources contemporary to Dias' voyage.
Dragon mountains... Located in South Africa. It is assumed that the mountains are named after one of the European colonizers of the Drakenstein harrow. Etymologically, the surname consists of two words: draken - "dragon", stein - "stone".
Zambezi. River in South Africa. Previously, the name of the river was conveyed on maps in a variety of ways; Ambezi, Luambezi, Liambey, etc. According to modern place names, the primary form of the name is Ambezi (or Ambey), which in the local Bantu languages means "big river". The same meaning has the name of the river in the middle course in the Tonga language - Murongo-Mucuri, which is a tracing of the main toponym.
Zanzibar. An island in the Indian Ocean off the east coast of Africa. The toponym comes from the Persian, the term "bar" - "coast", "edge" and the ethnonym "zinj", based on the Arabic or Persian "zang", "zeng" - "black". Zinji is the collective name for the Negroid tribes of East Africa in medieval Muslim literature.
Cape Verde. Located on the peninsula of the same name to the east of Cape Almadi. It was named Cabo Verde by the Portuguese D. Dias in 1445 - "Cape Verde", tk. was the first land covered by tropical flora seen by sailors, in stark contrast to the sands of the Sahara.
Cape Verde Island. Archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean. Named after m. Zeleny, opposite which it is located. The transfer of the name of the islands into other languages is accepted in the form of translation, in contrast to the name of the state located on them.
Needle. Cape, the southernmost tip of Africa. Discovered in 1488 by B. Dias and named by him Cabo Sao Brandao - Cape of St. Brandan, because the opening took place on the day of this saint. However, the name was soon changed, and the cape was mapped under the name Agulhas - Agulary. The word agulha in Portuguese means "needle", "arrow". Modern toponymists see the Portuguese metaphorical term agulha as the basis of the name in the meaning of "peak", "summit". Based on this, the toponym is interpreted as "cape of peaks", and the reason for the nomination was the sharpness of the rocky promontory.
Go-Amin-Dada; Edward. Lake in East Africa. Opened in the 19th century. and named Edward after the Crown Prince of Great Britain. In 1971, President Idi Amin Dada came to power in Uganda, and the lake was named after him. To this day, both names have survived for the reservoir.
Cabaret. Waterfall and national park on the river. Victoria Nile in Uganda. The waterfall was opened in the 19th century. and named Murchison in honor of Rodrik Murchison, a distinguished geologist, president of the Royal Geographical Society of London. In 1962, it was renamed in honor of the national hero of Uganda, a fighter against the British colonialists Cabareg Chwa II.
Kalahari. Semi-desert region in South Africa, At the heart of the toponym is a geographical term from the Hottentot language karaha - "an area of sand and stone". The widespread in the past interpretation of the name from the Tswana language, where karri-karri - "tormented by thirst" or "painful", is now recognized by toponymists as unlikely. Dutch settlers Boers called the semi-desert Bosjeveld - "a field of thorny bushes", which reflected the specifics of vegetation.
Cameroon. Volcanic massif in Equatorial Africa. The Portuguese slave merchant Fernand Gomij, sailing past the coast of Africa in the equatorial waters of the Gulf of Guinea, noticed a high mountain, which he wanted to learn more about. He sent a detachment of daredevils inland. On the way, they encountered an obstacle in the form of a small river with clean clear water, which was very useful, since they needed to replenish their supplies of drinking water. Having filled the kegs with delicious water, the sailors saw an abundance of crabs in the river, after which, for fun, they caught crabs and shrimps and brought them to the ship. And the river, flowing in close proximity to the mountain, was named Rio des Camaroes (camarues), which is translated from Portuguese as "river of crabs". At the same time, Mount Cameroon received such a name, and later the state was named so. Locals have long had a superstitious fear of the snowy volcanic peak of Cameroon and call it "Maongo ma Loba, which means" mountain of heaven "or" mountain of God ".
Canary Islands. Archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean. Belongs to Spain. The islands were known in ancient times under the Latin name Insulas Fortunatae. The Spaniards who visited the archipelago at the beginning of the 15th century called them islas Canarias - "dog islands". According to one version, the sailors saw a large number of dogs on the shores of the islands, which was the reason for the appearance of the toponym. According to another version, the archipelago was named after the main island of Gran Canaria. and the island - according to the fabulous country of Canaria, mentioned in medieval European legends.
Canary current. Cold current in the Atlantic Ocean. Named for the Canary Islands.
Cape Mountains. Located in southern Africa. Named after the Cape Colony founded by the Dutch, which was named after its original location on Cape of Good Hope (Dutch Kaar - "cape"). With the expansion of the colony, the name spread to the mountains. Folk etymology connects the toponym with the Dutch kaar - "profit", i.e. the colony was allegedly named so for the fact that it brought a large income to the treasury. However, there is no scientific evidence for this interpretation.
Karoo. Common name for semi-desert plateaus and intermontane depressions in South Africa. The name is based on the Hottentot geographical term karusa changed by the Boers - "dry", "waterless", which clearly reflects the natural conditions.
Kenya. Volcanic massif in East Africa. Toponymists see the Masai term "kee-niyya" - "as the basis of the toponym. white mountain"due to the presence of glaciers and snow on the top of the mountain.
Kilimanjaro. Volcanic massif in East Africa. The highest point of the mainland. Scientists associate the origin of the name Kilimanjaro with a word from the Swahili language, distorted by Europeans, meaning "mountain of the god of cold", or, according to another version, "a mountain that shines."
Comoros. Archipelago in the Mozambique Channel of the Indian Ocean. The islands have been known to the Arabs since the 8th century, and it was they who named the Dzhezair al-Komr archipelago - "the Islands of the Moon", which was associated with the spread of the cult of this luminary. The Portuguese borrowed the Arabic name in a distorted form of Sotoges, which stuck on European maps.
Congo; Zaire. River in Equatorial Africa. The mouth of the river was opened in the 15th century. Portuguese D. Can and named it Rio da Padrao - "padran river" (padran is a stone pillar that the Portuguese put in honor of discoveries, carving on it the coat of arms, the name of the king and discoverer). The name was not fixed, but the river was renamed Congo - this was the name of the country and the people who lived in it before the arrival of the Europeans. Locals call the river differently at different parts of the current: Nzadi or Nzari - "the river that swallows all others" or "great river" (a distorted form of Zaire appeared from this name), Zembere - "mother of waters"; Kulla is the "great water", and in the upper reaches of the Lualaba it is the "great rhea".
Red sea. Indian Ocean Sea between Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. In ancient Egypt, the Great Greens were called, later - the Arabian Gulf, among the Greeks Pelagos Eritre ("erythros" - "red"), from where it was translated into European languages. There are several versions of the origin of the toponym. According to one of them, the name was given for the red tint of the water in the sea. Another version is based on the ancient color orientation of the peoples of the East, where the south was indicated by red. There was another version of the interpretation of the toponym - from the ethnic name of the ancient tribe of the Hamarites, which meant "red".
Kruger. National park in South Africa. Named after Stephanus Kruger, President of the Boer Republic of the Transvaal, commander of the Boer army in the 1899-1902 war with Great Britain.
Libyan Desert. Located in the Sahara. The name is given by the ancient name of Africa - Libya, which comes from the ethnonym "libu".
Livingstone waterfalls... Located in the lower reaches of the river. Congo (Zaire). Named after the outstanding explorer of Africa, Scottish by origin, D. Livingston.
Limpopo. River in South Africa. The etymology of the name is unknown. The Dutch Boer colonists called the river Crocodil River - "Crocodile River" for the abundance of these reptiles in its waters.
Mauritius. Island in the Indian Ocean. The Dutch, having captured the island, named it Mauritius - Mauritius in honor of the Dutch prince Mauritius (Mauritius; Maurice) of Orange.
Maghreb. The common Arabic name for northwest Africa since the early Middle Ages is "maghrib" - west.
Madagascar. Island in the Indian Ocean. Known to Arab sailors as Jezira al-Komr - "the island of the moon", which is associated with the cult of this luminary. In the XVI century. the Portuguese named the island Sao Lourenzo - St. Lawrence, because saw the land of Madagascar on the day of this saint. The French, having conquered the island in the 19th century, called it Ile Dauphine - "the island of the Dauphin" (ie the heir to the throne). Malagasy call their homeland Nossi Damba - "island of wild boars" or Tani-Be - "great". The toponym Madagascar in the distorted form Madeigaskar was first encountered by Marco Polo (13th century). According to scientists, it is based on the ethnic name of Malagasy, as the inhabitants of the island are now called.
Madeira Archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean. Belongs to Portugal. The Portuguese called Maderia - Forest, because was indeed covered with forests, later completely cut down. The earliest names for the archipelago: among the Carthaginians Al-Agnam - "island of goats" (for the abundance of these animals), among the Romans Insulae Purpurinae - "islands of purple" (for the paint obtained there).
Manyara. National Park in Tanzania. Named for the lake. Manyara, around which it is located. The etymology of the hydronym is unknown.
Mascarene Islands. Archipelago in the Indian Ocean. Opened in the 16th century. Portuguese expedition Pedro di Machareñas (Mascareñas) and is named after him.
Mobutu-Sese-Seko. Lake in East Africa. Opened in the 19th century. by the British and named Albert in honor of the consort of Queen Victoria. In 1973 it was renamed in honor of the President of Zaire, Mobutu Sse Seko. Locals call the reservoir Mbutan Nzighe - "the reservoir of dead shells" for the abundance of shellfish on the shores, or Nyasa - the geographical term for "lake" in Bantu languages. Perhaps one of these names will become the new official one, which is associated with the death of President Mobutu.
Mozambique Channel. Divides Africa and Fr. Madagascar. Named for the state of Mozambique. A similar origin for the name of the warm Mozambican current in the Indian Ocean.
Nakuru. National park in Kenya. Named for the lake. Nakuru, within which he was created. The etymology of the hydronym is unknown.
Namib. Desert in southwest Africa. There are two versions of the origin of the toponym from the languages of the Hottentot tribes. According to one of them, namib - "shield"; on the other - "what is bypassed" (dangerous, lifeless). The second interpretation reflects the complexity of the natural conditions in the desert,
Nasser. Reservoir on the river. Nile in Egypt. Named after Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser, during whose reign a reservoir was created and the Aswan Dam was built.
Ngorongoro. Reserve in Tanzania. Named after volc. Ngorongoro, in the crater of which it is located. The etymology is unknown.
Niger... River in West Africa. The name is a distorted by the Portuguese and other Europeans the Berber name of the river H "Egiren -" river. "In different parts of the course it has different names in local languages: in the upper reaches of the Djolib -" big water "; in the middle and lower Kuara -" river ", Issa Bari - “great river”; Mayo - “river.” The explanation of the name from the word niger in the meaning of “black” from European languages is considered incorrect by modern toponymists.
Nile. The longest river in Africa and the whole world. The oldest form of the name of the river Aur is "hidden" (that is, with an unknown source). The Egyptians called her Hapi after the god of fertility and harvest. Modern Arabs call the river El-Bahr - "river". The toponym Nile in the form of Neilos was first encountered by the ancient Greeks. The Romans borrowed it as Nilus. According to one of the versions, the toponym is based on the ancient Semitic term "nagal" - "river", modified by the Greeks. According to another version, the Greeks borrowed the word lil - "water" from the Libyan tribes, distorting it into nil. Philologists note the possibility of such a transformation.
Nubian desert... Located in northeastern Africa. Named for the historical region of Nubia, located between the Nile rapids. The toponym is based on the ancient Egyptian word "nuba" - "gold". In ancient times, the largest mines were located here, from where gold came to the palace of the pharaohs.
Nyasa; Malawi. Lake in East Africa. The toponym is formed by the popular geographical term from the Bantu languages nyasa - "lake". In the Republic of Malawi, the lake is officially called Malawi by the main people of this country.
Orange. River in South Africa. The Hottentots called it Kai Garib - Big River, Dutch settlers of the Boers Groat River with the same meaning. At all times, people often gave names to objects (rivers, lakes) by the color of the water or the coast. But the name of the Orange River has nothing to do with color. This name was given to her by settlers from the Netherlands (Holland) Boers in honor of the princes of Orange - the then rulers of the Netherlands. With someone's light hand, and perhaps through transformation, the name Orange turned into Orange.
Principe. Island in the Gulf of Guinea. Opened in the 15th century. Portuguese expedition and named Principi - "the first", because was the first island discovered by this expedition. According to another version - "prince".
Reunion. Island in the Indian Ocean. Named at the end of the 18th century, by the French Reunion - "Connection", tk. the inhabitants of the island decided to unite with Fr. Mauritius into a single administrative region. The name has changed several times: in the XVI century. Portuguese Santa Apollonia (in honor of St. Apollonia), in the XIX century. - Bonapart (in honor of Napoleon), Ile de Burbon - "Bourbon Island" (in honor of the dynasty of kings). Since 1848 - reunion again.
Rwenzori. Mountain range in East Africa. The height of the mountains is reflected in their name: in local languages Bantu ruwenzori - "the lord of the clouds". A national park in Uganda is also named after the mountains.
Savannah. Borrowed by the Spaniards at the end of the 15th century. from the language of the Caribbean (or Arawak) Indians, where sabana - "high grass plain", "open space". The general name for the zonal type of landscape.
Sao Tome. Island in the Gulf of Guinea. Opened by the Portuguese on the day of St. Thomas (Thomas) and named Sao Tome in his honor.
Sahara. Desert in North Africa. The name is formed by the Arabic geographical term "sahara" - "desert" in the plural form, i.e. Sahara - "deserts". According to philologists, the term is based on the Arabic "askhar" - "reddish", which reflects the dominant color and color background of the desert.
Sahel. A strip of semi-deserts and deserted savannas in North Africa. The name was appropriated by the Arabs in the Middle Ages; "Sahel" - "coast", "edge", "border", or rather - "desert coast".
Saint Helena island. Located in the Atlantic Ocean. Opened by the Portuguese on St. Helena and is named after her. It gained worldwide fame as a place of exile and death of Napoleon Bonaparte.
Seychelles. Archipelago in the Indian Ocean. Named in the 18th century. French in honor of the Minister of Finance Moro de Setelle (Seychelles)
Senegal. River in West Africa. According to one version, the toponym is based on the name of the Berber tribe of Senega, go Sankhai. Other place names believe that the name of the ancient city of Senegan passed to the river. In the past, the toponym was explained as "navigable", however, due to the lack of evidence, modern scientists do not consider this option.
Serengeti. National Park in Tanzania. Named for the Serengeti plateau, within which it is located. The toponym is based on the term from the Maasai language serenget - "space", which fully corresponds to the geographical realities - vast savannas on the plateau.
Socotra. Island in the Indian Ocean. The name of the island was given by Indian sailors: Dvipa Sakhadara - "the island of the harbinger of good luck". Later, this name, reflecting the importance of the island as the most important nodal point on the ancient sea routes from India to the west, was transformed under the influence of the Arabic language in Socotra.
The second largest continent on planet Earth is the continent of Africa. The first in size is the continent of Eurasia. There is also a part of the world, which is also called Africa. This article will look at Africa as the mainland of the planet.
In terms of its area, the size of Africa is 29.2 million km2 (with islands - 30.3 million km2), which is about 20% of the entire land surface of the planet. Mainland Africa is washed by the Mediterranean Sea on the northern coast, West Coast it is washed by the Atlantic Ocean, in the south and east the continent is washed by the Indian Ocean, and the northeast coast is washed by the Red Sea. There are 62 states on the territory of Africa, of which 54 are independent states, and the population of the entire continent is about 1 billion people. By clicking on the link you can see full list African countries in the table.
The size of Africa from north to south is 8000 kilometers, and when viewed from east to west, it is approximately 7,500 kilometers.
Extreme points on mainland Africa:
1) The most eastern point of the mainland is Cape Ras Khafun, which is located on the territory of the state of Somalia.
2) The northernmost point of this continent is Cape Blanco, which is located in the Tunisian Republic.
3) The westernmost point of the continent is Cape Almadi, which is located on the territory of the Republic of Senegal.
4) And, finally, the most southern point mainland Africa is Cape Agulhas, which is located on the territory of the Republic of South Africa (South Africa).
Relief of africa
Most of the mainland is plain. The following forms of relief prevail: highlands, plateaus, stepped plains and plateaus. Conventionally, the mainland is divided into High Africa (where the heights of the mainland reach a size of over 1000 meters - the southeast of the mainland) and Low Africa (where heights reach a size mainly less than 1000 meters - the northwestern part).
The highest point on the mainland is Kilimanjaro Volcano, which reaches a height of 5895 meters above sea level. Also in the south of the mainland there are the Drakensberg and Cape Mountains, in the east of Africa there is the Ethiopian Highlands, and to the south of it is the East African Plateau, in the northwest of the continent are the Atlas Mountains.
In the north of the mainland is the largest desert on the planet - the Sahara, in the south is the Kalahari Desert, and in the southwest of the mainland there is the Namib Desert.
At the same time, the lowest point of the mainland is the bottom of the Assal salt lake, the depth of which reaches 157 meters below sea level.
Climate of Africa
The climate of Africa can be put in first place among all continents in terms of warmth. This is the hottest continent, since it is completely located in the hot climatic zones of planet Earth and is crossed by the equator line.
Central Africa is located in the equatorial belt. This belt is characterized by high precipitation and there is no change of seasons at all. To the south and north of the equatorial belt, there are subequatorial belts, which are characterized by a rainy season in summer and a dry season in winter with high air temperatures. If we follow further south and north after the subequatorial belts, then the northern and southern tropical belts follow, respectively. Such belts are characterized by low precipitation at rather high air temperatures, which leads to the formation of deserts.
Inland waters of Africa
The internal waters of Africa are uneven in structure, but at the same time vast and extended. On the mainland, the longest river is the Nile River (the length of its system reaches 6,852 km), and the Congo River is considered the deepest river (the length of its system reaches 4,374 km), which is famous for being the only river that crosses the equator twice.
There are also lakes on the mainland. The most big lake Lake Victoria is considered. The area of this lake is 68 thousand km2. The greatest depth in this lake reaches 80 m. The lake itself is the second largest freshwater lake on the planet Earth.
30% of the landmass of the continent of Africa is deserts, in which reservoirs can be temporary, that is, at times completely dry up. But at the same time, usually in such desert regions, groundwater can be observed, which is located in artesian basins.
Flora and fauna of Africa
Mainland Africa is famous for its diversity as flora and animal. The continent is home to humid tropical forests, which are replaced by woodlands and savannas. Mixed forests can also be found in the subtropical zone.
The most common plants in the forests of Africa are palm trees, ceiba, sundew and many others. But in the savannas, you can most often find thorny shrubs and small trees. The desert is distinguished by a small variety of plants growing in it. Most often these are grasses, shrubs or trees in oases. Many areas of the desert have no vegetation at all. A special plant in the desert is the amazing Velvichia plant, which can live for more than 1000 years, it releases 2 leaves that grow throughout the life of the plant and can reach a length of 3 meters.
Diverse in Africa and animal world... In the savannah areas, grass grows very quickly and well, which attracts many herbivorous animals (rodents, hares, gazelles, zebras, etc.), and, accordingly, predators that feed on herbivorous animals (leopards, lions, etc.).
The desert at first glance may seem uninhabited, but in fact there are many reptiles, insects, birds that hunt mainly at night.
Africa is famous for such animals as elephant, giraffe, hippopotamus, a wide variety of monkeys, zebras, leopards, sand cats, gazelles, crocodiles, parrots, antelopes, rhinos and much more. This continent is amazing and unique in its own way.
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Recently, ratings have become very popular. On the one hand, they look somehow conceived primitive, PR and subjective. On the other hand, in my opinion, they help to structure large volumes of information and squeeze out a lot of water and information noise. I've also decided to aim at William of our Shakespeare.
It was possible, of course, to yellow the topic with a catchy heading like "10 places in Africa that you must visit" or something like that. But I won't be like top bloggers :)
Naturally, the concept of "interesting" hints at the subjectivity of the list: what is interesting to one may be absolutely not interesting to another. Therefore, this is the most subjective, but unbiased list of African interests :)
The reasons why people go to Africa can be divided into 3 components - animals, people and nature. For me, this is an axiom, which formed the basis of the list.
A unique place in Africa, and, possibly, on the entire planet, where original tribes are still preserved, minimally affected by civilization. Mursi, Surma, Erbore, Hamer ... Each tribe is unique in its way of life, traditions, adornments of its own body. In the Omo Valley, it is as if you are traveling in a time machine for many centuries, or even millennia, back to the primitive communal system.
Of course, the proximity to the benefits of civilization influenced the tribes of this part of Ethiopia. The war, which continued here for a considerable time, also has an effect. Many men, instead of spears and bows, wear Kalashnikov assault rifles, for example. The local population has already got used to the fact that tourists are regularly brought to them, and even learned how to benefit from this. Do not expect to be able to photograph the exotic appearance of these proud sons of Africa for free. Each frame is taken into account and payment is inevitable :)
Perhaps the most popular national park in Africa, an icon of the tourism industry in Kenya, one of the best parks on the continent. Masai Mara is often written in a superlative degree and, it should be noted, quite deservedly.
The park is like a continuation of the Serengeti, only in Kenya.
Masai Mara is famous for its prides of lions, and in general it is one of best places in Africa to observe the big feline troika: lions, leopards and cheetahs.
And, of course, do not forget about the great migration that takes place in Masai Mara from July to October, when millions of wildebeest herds arrive at the park from Tanzania. at this time the most spectacular.
In general, we can say that not a single safari in Kenya
cannot be considered complete without the Masai Mara.
Kilimanjaro is the same symbol of Africa as Victoria Falls or the Cape of Good Hope, and, despite the fact that the mountain itself is located in Tanzania, the best and most picturesque view of it opens from national reserve Amboseli (Kenya). That is why even many Tanzanian travel sites and offline travel guides do not hesitate to illustrate articles about Kilimanjaro with photographs taken in Amboseli.
Elephants and Kilimanjaro, giraffes and Kilimanjaro, Masai and Kilimanjaro, African acacias and Kilimanjaro ...
The park is good in itself, there are all the big five, but it is Kilimanjaro that makes it special and unique.
Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Tanzania
The highest concentration of wild animals in the world in their natural habitat. This argument immediately gives a head start and increases the attractiveness of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. The animals here are separated from the rest of the world by the high slopes of the ancient volcano's crater. As one client put it, "Where are they going in the submarine" :)
Ngorongoro boasts the Big Five, and its relatively small size and enclosed space make safaris one of the most exciting in Africa.
Volcanoes National Park. Rwanda
It is one of the three largest waterfalls in the world and that says it all.
