Georgaphical Position. Coastlines.
Map Questions.
- Compare the scale of the physical map of Africa with that
of Europe and Asia.
- Determine the latitudes and longitudes of the four extremities
of Africa: Cape Blanco in the north, Cape Agulhas in the south, Cape
Verde in the west and Cape Ras Hafun in the east.
- Which ocean washes the shores of Africa in the west, which
in the east?
- Which seas separate Africa from Europe, which from Asia?
Georgaphical Position. Africa is almost equally divided by the Equator, and the greater part of the continent lies between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. It narrows greatly towards the south, and the northern portion is twice as broad as the southern. Africa is over 30,000,000 square kilometres in area. It is three times the size of Europe, but considerably smaller than Asia. The Romans first gave Africa its name, calling it after a people then living in the north of the continent.
North Africa is separated from Europe by the Mediterranean Sea and the Strait of Gibraltar. To the north-east Africa is linked with Asia, the long and narrow Red Sea lying in between. Strongly heated by the sun this sea is very warm, its surface waters reaching 35° C. It is very salt, containing up to 41 grammes of salt to 1,000 grammes of water, evaporation being very rapid. Between the Red and Mediterranean Seas there is a low-lying and narrow strip of land called the Isthmus of Suez linking Africa" with Asia. The Suez Canal crosses this isthmus to link the Red Sea with the Mediterranean, greatly shortening the route from Europe to the Indian Ocean (Fig. 127). The Suez Canal was built in the 19th century and is 160 kilometres long. It took ten years to do the job, as it was actually dug by hand. The native fellahs
Fig. 127. The Suez Canal. A canal connects it with the Nile. The dots represent sands.
(Arabian peasants) were driven to the site by force, and many thousands of them died of exhaustion, hunger and disease.
North Africa is close to Europe and Asia and has maintained close ties with these two parts of the world from ancient times. The vast deserts, however, make it difficult to reach the interior of the continent from the north.
Coastlines. Unlike Europe, Africa's coastlines are almost unbroken. There is only one large island off its shores — Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. There is only one large peninsula — Somaliland. The only large gulf is the Gu1f of Guinea, but even that does not extend very far into the land. In many places along the western coast it is hard to get ashore because of the great breakers. The coastline, almost unbroken and with very few good harbours,, is difficult of access for ships.
Questions and Assignments.
- Determine the length of Africa from north to south along longitude 20° E and from west to east along the Equator (in degrees and kilometres).
- Use the map to measure the distance from Africa to the island
of Sicily in the Mediterranean Sea. Measure the length and width of
the Red Sea.
- Put down on the outline map of Africa the names of the seas,
gulf, island, peninsula, straits and canal that you have studied.
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