West Africa: List of West African countries. West Africa: countries and their features The smallest island in the world states

Historically, humanity strives to divide the vast expanses of our planet into separate pieces. Over the course of thousands of years of conquest, each nation secured its own territories - some more, some less.

Most titles large countries We studied it in school, but few people remember about these states. They do not have huge armies or natural deposits, but are known for their tiny area. This collection contains the 10 smallest countries in the whole world!

10 Maldives

9 Saint Kitts and Nevis

8 Marshall Islands

7 Liechtenstein

6 San Marino

5 Tuvalu

4 Nauru

3 Monaco

2 Vatican

1 Order of Malta

All these dwarf states rightfully take their place in the ranking of the smallest countries. They are unique and distinctive, and most of them, despite their small territory, are prosperous countries.

In the east are the Cameroon mountains, in the south and west are the waves of the Atlantic, where the westernmost point of Africa is located - Cape Almadi in Senegal. Such natural boundaries are outlined West Africa , which is conventionally divided into two regions: the arid Sahel adjacent to the desert and Sudan, which is more comfortable for living. This part of the continent is home to sixteen countries, the largest of which are Niger, Mali and Mauritania, and the smallest is Cape Verde (Cape Verde).

Features of climate, vegetation and animal world

The most difficult climatic conditions are in the northern Sahel, which is covered by desert year after year. The region is officially recognized as one of the hottest on the planet - in winter the temperature rarely drops below +20 °C, and in summer it confidently stays at +40 °C. At this time, all the vegetation here dies, and the herbivorous inhabitants of the savannah (mainly antelopes and gazelles) migrate south.

West African countries, located in the Sahel, periodically find themselves on the brink of disaster due to monstrous droughts that can last up to five to six years. But in Sudan, agriculture is much better developed. In Togo, coffee, cocoa beans and cotton are grown and exported, in Gambia - peanuts and corn, in Mauritania - dates and rice.

Sudan receives much more rainfall than the Sahel - it is brought by the summer monsoons. In addition, many rivers flow here, so closer to the Atlantic the vegetation is more abundant (even lush tropical forests), and the animal world is much richer.

History and modernity

European colonialists were attracted to West Africa back in the 15th century - the British, Portuguese, and French created fortified outposts on the coast, imposing their conditions on the local tribes. Most states managed to completely free themselves from the tutelage of metropolises only in the second half of the last century.

As a legacy of such total dependence, the countries of West Africa received deep-rooted enmity with their neighbors, who were under the control of other European “patrons.” The region is famous for political instability - military coups, riots and civil wars are common here.

Western Africa is rich in mineral resources. Ghana is one of the leading suppliers of gold, Nigeria's budget is 80% dependent on oil trade, Sierra Leone produces diamonds, and Niger produces uranium. At the same time, only raw materials are supplied to the world market; the processing industry is underdeveloped. Almost all countries in the region are included in the list poorest countries planets with a very unfavorable epidemiological situation and low levels of healthcare.

List of West African countries

A territory equal to thirty-two thousand square kilometers constituted the papal region. And this was just over one and a half hundred years ago, in the mid-nineteenth century. But the year 1870 was marked by an event that changed everything: Rome became the main city of Italy. And the papal region becomes part of the Vatican as a state appears only when the Pope and the Italian government were able to agree, namely in 1929. It was then that independence was recognized, and the smallest country acquired its own governance.

Today you can meet followers of the Roman Catholic Church, the center of which is the Vatican. The smallest country in the world is governed by the Holy See, whose sovereign is the Pope. He is elected for life by the College of Cardinals, which consists of two hundred and five representatives, but only 115 of them have the right to vote at the conclave. and the legislative power is held in his hands by the Pope, and this smallest country is governed by a governor, who, however, is also appointed by the head of the Roman Catholic Church.

Today, the Vatican occupies an area of ​​0.44 square kilometers and is bordered on all sides by only one state - Italy. Mostly subjects of the Holy See live on the territory of the city-state, and the total population is slightly more than eight hundred people. But despite this, the smallest country is doing quite well economically. Catholics all over the world send donations here, and this is the main source of government income. A fairly large “piece” of the revenue comes from tourists. Most visitors spare no expense in purchasing gifts and souvenirs for family, friends, colleagues and acquaintances.

But the heart of the Catholic world is, first of all, priceless treasures, which people come from all over the world to see. There is no person who has not heard of the Vatican Library. Manuscripts dating back to the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, books, of which there are more than one and a half million, manuscripts, coins and medals, geographic Maps and engravings are the golden fund of the library. The Sistine Chapel is known not only as the place of secret meetings of the Pope; there are paintings here made by the hand of the great Michelangelo. St. Peter's Basilica is the largest and most significant building of the Vatican, which for five hundred years has been inextricably linked with the names of such great masters as Raphael and Michelangelo, Bramante and Giacomo della Porta.

The smallest country in Europe and the world has its own railway line, the length of which is only seven hundred meters, but it is part of the Italian railway. It is also surprising that there is helipad, which is connected to two airports in Rome. The Vatican, of course, also has its own post office, police and train station, its own Ministry of Foreign Affairs and an army of one hundred people. It publishes its own newspapers, prints stamps, and mints coins. The presence of its own telephone network and radio broadcasting station, and most importantly - such attributes of state power as a flag and coat of arms indicates that the smallest country is completely independent, that it does not depend on Italy, although its entire territory is located inside the Italian capital. Most countries have diplomatic relations.

The Vatican is located in a magnificent location, close to the Tiber that flows through Rome. The picturesque hill of Mons Vaticanus takes its name from an ancient oracle. And the appearance of magnificent gardens on this site is also associated with the name of Caligula.

Africa is a part of the world with an area of ​​30.3 million km 2 with islands, this is the second place after Eurasia, 6% of the entire surface of our planet and 20% of the land.

Geographical position

Africa is located in the Northern and Eastern Hemispheres (most of it), a small part in the Southern and Western. Like all large fragments of the ancient continent, Gondwana has a massive outline, with no large peninsulas or deep bays. The length of the continent from north to south is 8 thousand km, from west to east - 7.5 thousand km. In the north it is washed by waters Mediterranean Sea, in the northeast by the Red Sea, in the southeast by the Indian Ocean, in the west by the Atlantic Ocean. Separates Africa from Asia Suez Canal, from Europe - the Strait of Gibraltar.

Main geographical characteristics

Africa lies on an ancient platform, which causes its flat surface, which in some places is dissected by deep river valleys. On the coast of the mainland there are small lowlands, the northwest is the location of the Atlas Mountains, the northern part, almost entirely occupied by the Sahara Desert, is the Ahaggar and Tibetsi highlands, the east is the Ethiopian Highlands, the southeast is the East African Plateau, the extreme south is the Cape and Drakensberg mountains The highest point in Africa is the Kilimanjaro volcano (5895 m, Masai plateau), the lowest is 157 meters below ocean level in Lake Assal. Along the Red Sea, in the Ethiopian Highlands and to the mouth of the Zambezi River, the world's largest crustal fault stretches, which is characterized by frequent seismic activity.

The following rivers flow through Africa: Congo (Central Africa), Niger (West Africa), Limpopo, Orange, Zambezi (South Africa), as well as one of the deepest and longest rivers in the world - the Nile (6852 km), flowing from the south to north (its sources are on the East African Plateau, and it flows, forming a delta, into the Mediterranean Sea). Rivers are characterized by high water content exclusively in the equatorial belt, due to the large amount of precipitation there; most of them are characterized by high flow rates and have many rapids and waterfalls. In lithospheric faults filled with water, lakes were formed - Nyasa, Tanganyika, the largest freshwater lake in Africa and the second largest lake in area after Lake Superior ( North America) - Victoria (its area is 68.8 thousand km 2, length 337 km, maximum depth - 83 m), the largest salty closed lake is Chad (its area is 1.35 thousand km 2, located on the southern edge of the world's greatest desert, the Sahara).

Due to Africa's location between two tropical zones, it is characterized by high total solar radiation, which gives the right to call Africa the hottest continent on Earth (the highest temperature on our planet was recorded in 1922 in Al-Aziziya (Libya) - +58 C 0 in the shadow).

On the territory of Africa, such natural zones are distinguished as evergreen equatorial forests (the coast of the Gulf of Guinea, the Congo basin), in the north and south turning into mixed deciduous-evergreen forests, then comes natural area savannas and woodlands, extending to Sudan, Eastern and South Africa, in northern and southern Africa, savannas give way to semi-deserts and deserts (Sahara, Kalahari, Namib). In the southeastern part of Africa there is a small zone of mixed coniferous-deciduous forests, on the slopes of the Atlas Mountains there is a zone of hard-leaved evergreen forests and shrubs. Natural zones of mountains and plateaus are subject to the laws of altitudinal zonation.

African countries

The territory of Africa is divided between 62 countries, 54 are independent, sovereign states, 10 dependent territories belonging to Spain, Portugal, Great Britain and France, the rest are unrecognized, self-proclaimed states - Galmudug, Puntland, Somaliland, Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR). For a long time, Asian countries were foreign colonies of various European states and only gained independence by the middle of the last century. Depending on the geographical location Africa is divided into five regions: Northern, Central, Western, Eastern and Southern Africa.

List of African countries

Nature

Mountains and plains of Africa

Most of the African continent is plain. There are mountain systems, highlands and plateaus. They are presented:

• the Atlas Mountains in the northwestern part of the continent;
• the Tibesti and Ahaggar highlands in the Sahara Desert;
• Ethiopian Highlands in the eastern part of the mainland;
• Drakensberg Mountains in the south.

The most high point country is the Kilimanjaro volcano, 5,895 m high, belonging to the East African Plateau in the southeastern part of the continent...

Deserts and savannas

The largest desert zone of the African continent is located in the northern part. This is the Sahara Desert. On the southwest side of the continent is another smaller desert, the Namib, and from there into the continent to the east there is the Kalahari Desert.

The savannah territory occupies the main part Central Africa. In area it is much larger than the northern and southern parts of the mainland. The territory is characterized by the presence of pastures typical of savannas, low bushes and trees. The height of herbaceous vegetation varies depending on the amount of precipitation. These can be practically desert savannas or tall grasses, with a grass cover from 1 to 5 m in height...

Rivers

The longest river in the world, the Nile, is located on the African continent. The direction of its flow is from south to north.

The list of major water systems of the mainland includes the Limpopo, Zambezi and Orange River, as well as the Congo, which flows through Central Africa.

On the Zambezi River is the famous Victoria Falls, 120 meters high and 1,800 meters wide...

Lakes

The list of large lakes on the African continent includes Lake Victoria, which is the second largest freshwater body of water in the world. Its depth reaches 80 m, and its area is 68,000 square km. Two more large lakes continent: Tanganyika and Nyasa. They are located in faults of lithospheric plates.

There is Lake Chad in Africa, which is one of the world's largest endorheic relict lakes that have no connection with the world's oceans...

Seas and oceans

The African continent is washed by the waters of two oceans: the Indian and the Atlantic. Also off its shores are the Red and Mediterranean Seas. From the outside Atlantic Ocean in the southwestern part the waters form the deep Gulf of Guinea.

Despite the location of the African continent, the coastal waters are cool. This is influenced by the cold currents of the Atlantic Ocean: the Canary in the north and the Bengal in the southwest. From the outside Indian Ocean The currents are warm. The largest are Mozambique, in northern waters, and Agulhas, in southern...

Forests of Africa

Forests make up a little more than a quarter of the entire territory of the African continent. Here are the sub rainforests, growing on the slopes of the Atlas Mountains and valleys of the ridge. Here you can find holm oak, pistachio, strawberry tree, etc. Coniferous plants grow high in the mountains, represented by Aleppo pine, Atlas cedar, juniper and other types of trees.

Closer to the coast there are cork oak forests; in the tropical region, evergreen equatorial plants are common, for example, mahogany, sandalwood, ebony, etc...

Nature, plants and animals of Africa

The vegetation of equatorial forests is diverse; about 1000 species of various types of trees grow here: ficus, ceiba, wine tree, oil palm, wine palm, banana palm, tree ferns, sandalwood, mahogany, rubber trees, Liberian coffee tree, etc. Many species of animals, rodents, birds and insects live here, living directly on the trees. On the ground live: brush-eared pigs, leopards, African deer - a relative of the okapi giraffe, large apes - gorillas...

40% of Africa's territory is occupied by savannas, which are huge steppe areas covered with forbs, low, thorny bushes, milkweed, and isolated trees (tree-like acacias, baobabs).

Here there is the largest concentration of such large animals as: rhinoceros, giraffe, elephant, hippopotamus, zebra, buffalo, hyena, lion, leopard, cheetah, jackal, crocodile, hyena dog. The most numerous animals of the savannah are herbivores such as: hartebeest (antelope family), giraffe, impala or black-toed antelope, different kinds gazelles (Thomson's, Grant's), blue wildebeest, and in some places rare jumping antelopes - springboks - are also found.

The vegetation of deserts and semi-deserts is characterized by poverty and unpretentiousness; these are small thorny bushes and separately growing tufts of herbs. The oases are home to the unique Erg Chebbi date palm, as well as plants that are resistant to drought conditions and salt formation. In the Namib Desert, unique plants such as Welwitschia and Nara grow, the fruits of which are eaten by porcupines, elephants and other desert animals.

Animals here include various species of antelopes and gazelles, adapted to the hot climate and capable of traveling vast distances in search of food, many species of rodents, snakes, and turtles. Lizards. Among the mammals: spotted hyena, common jackal, maned sheep, Cape hare, Ethiopian hedgehog, Dorcas gazelle, sabre-horned antelope, Anubis baboon, wild Nubian ass, cheetah, jackal, fox, mouflon, there are resident and migratory birds.

Climatic conditions

Seasons, weather and climate of African countries

The central part of Africa, through which the equator line passes, is in an area of ​​low pressure and receives sufficient moisture; the territories north and south of the equator are in the subequatorial climate zone, this is a zone of seasonal (monsoon) moisture and an arid desert climate. The far north and south are in the subtropical climate zone, the south receives precipitation brought air masses from the Indian Ocean, here is the Kalahari Desert, the north - the minimum amount of precipitation, due to the formation of a high pressure area and the characteristics of the movement of trade winds, the largest desert in the world - the Sahara, where the amount of precipitation is minimal, in some areas it does not fall at all...

Resources

Natural Resources of Africa

By reserves water resources Africa is considered one of the least affluent continents in the world. The average annual volume of water is only sufficient to satisfy primary needs, but this does not apply to all regions.

Land resources are represented by large areas with fertile lands. Only 20% of all possible lands are cultivated. The reason for this is the lack of adequate water volume, soil erosion, etc.

African forests are a source of timber, including valuable species. The countries in which they grow, export raw materials. Resources are being used unwisely and ecosystems are being destroyed little by little.

In the depths of Africa there are deposits of minerals. Among those sent for export: gold, diamonds, uranium, phosphorus, manganese ores. There are significant reserves of oil and natural gas.

Energy-intensive resources are widely available on the continent, but they are not used due to the lack of proper investment...

Among the developed industrial sectors of the countries of the African continent, the following can be noted:

• the mining industry, which exports minerals and fuels;
• oil refining industry, widespread mainly in South Africa and North Africa;
• chemical industry specializing in the production of mineral fertilizers;
• as well as the metallurgical and engineering industries.

The main agricultural products are cocoa beans, coffee, corn, rice and wheat. Oil palm is grown in tropical regions of Africa.

Fishing is poorly developed and accounts for only 1-2% of the total agricultural output. Livestock production indicators are also not high and the reason for this is the infection of livestock by tsetse flies...

Culture

Peoples of Africa: culture and traditions

There are approximately 8,000 peoples and ethnic groups living in 62 African countries, totaling approximately 1.1 billion people. Africa is considered the cradle and ancestral home of human civilization; it was here that the remains of ancient primates (hominids) were found, which, according to scientists, are considered the ancestors of people.

Most peoples in Africa can number several thousand people or several hundred living in one or two villages. 90% of the population are representatives of 120 nations, their number is more than 1 million people, 2/3 of them are peoples with a population of more than 5 million people, 1/3 are peoples with a population of more than 10 million people (this is 50% of the total population of Africa) - Arabs , Hausa, Fulbe, Yoruba, Igbo, Amhara, Oromo, Rwanda, Malagasy, Zulu...

There are two historical and ethnographic provinces: North African (the predominance of the Indo-European race) and Tropical African (the majority of the population is the Negroid race), it is divided into such areas as:

• West Africa. Peoples speaking the Mande languages ​​(Susu, Maninka, Mende, Vai), Chadian (Hausa), Nilo-Saharan (Songai, Kanuri, Tubu, Zaghawa, Mawa, etc.), Niger-Congo languages ​​(Yoruba, Igbo, Bini, Nupe, Gbari, Igala and Idoma, Ibibio, Efik, Kambari, Birom and Jukun, etc.);
• Equatorial Africa. Inhabited by Buanto-speaking peoples: Duala, Fang, Bubi (Fernandans), Mpongwe, Teke, Mboshi, Ngala, Como, Mongo, Tetela, Cuba, Kongo, Ambundu, Ovimbundu, Chokwe, Luena, Tonga, Pygmies, etc.;
• South Africa. Rebellious peoples and speakers of Khoisani languages: Bushmen and Hottentots;
• East Africa . Bantu, Nilotes and Sudanese people groups;
• Northeast Africa. Peoples speaking Ethio-Semitic (Amhara, Tigre, Tigra), Cushitic (Oromo, Somali, Sidamo, Agaw, Afar, Konso, etc.) and Omotian languages ​​(Ometo, Gimirra, etc.);
• Madagascar. Malagasy and Creoles.

In the North African province, the main peoples are considered to be Arabs and Berbers, belonging to the southern European minor race, mainly professing Sunni Islam. There is also an ethno-religious group of Copts, who are direct descendants of the Ancient Egyptians, they are Monophysite Christians.

Beautiful and vibrant Africa is the second largest continent in the world. More than 1 billion people live in its vastness. And its lands are conventionally divided into 5 regions. By tradition, African countries, the list of which consists of 62 items, are classified as the following regions:

• Yuzhny.
• Western.
• Northern.
• Eastern.
• And Central.

This division is due to different geographical and climatic conditions, differences in cultures and forms of government of states.

Africa has dependent and independent territories. There are 37 countries with access to seas and oceans. Present (10 units). And 16 countries located in the interior of the continent.

African countries: list of states in the Southern region

South Africa retains memories of the colonial period. Nuclear weapons were developed on its territory, which the government later abandoned. It includes the following countries:

• Zimbabwe;
• Mozambique;
• Comoros Islands;
• Seychelles;
• Mauritius Island;
• Reunion;
• Madagascar;
• Lesotho;
• Botswana;
• Swaziland;
• Namibia.

The largest country on this earth is the Republic of South Africa (RSA). Almost the entire population of the Southern Region lives and works there. There are 11 officially accepted languages ​​in this territory. Ethnic composition South Africa is a diverse group of numerous religious affiliations.

The proximity of the Atlantic and Indian Ocean makes South Africa attractive for tourism. The southern part of the continent is warm and humid all year round. But the climate is temperate, so the heat is tolerated quite easily.

African countries: list of states in the Western region

The humid and windy climate of West Africa is directly dependent on the capricious trade winds. This territory consists of the following countries:

• Sierra Leone;
• Senegal;
• Benin;
• Burkina Faso;
• Gambia;
• Ghana;
• Togo;
• Guinea;
• Guinea-Bissau;
• Cape Verde;
• Cameroon;
• Mauritania;
• Nigeria;
• Niger;
• Mali;
• Liberia;
• Cote d'Ivoire;
• Saint Helena Islands.

The Western region is home to many African languages. On its territory, oral folklore is still valued today. And ceremonial dances are included in the program of every significant holiday.

The natural border of this land in the east is the Cameroon Mountains. In the south of the region itself the legendary Sahara Desert begins. And in the west, the natural border is formed by the Atlantic Ocean.

The Federal Republic of Nigeria several years ago received the status of the largest oil producer. Most of the population speaks several dialects at once. There are 527 officially recognized languages ​​in this country. Among them there are 11 “dead” dialects; English and several other languages ​​of the local ethnic group are taught in state schools.

Abuja is the Nigerian capital, chosen by the government as the most ethnically neutral place in the Western region. After the completion of the main stages of construction in 1976, Abuja received the status of the main city of Nigeria instead of the overcrowded Logos.

African countries: list of countries in the Northern region

A significant part of the Northern region is occupied by the sands of the Sahara Desert. With endless sandy sea borders the largest states of the entire African continent:

• Sudan;
• Tunisia;
• Algeria;
• Morocco;
• Libya;
• SADR;
• Egypt.

The Mediterranean natural area is considered very comfortable for living. Therefore, large tourist sites of the African continent, which are known throughout the world, are located there.

The region's economy is in better shape than other parts of Africa. The proximity of Europe affects not only the development of the region, but also its cultural heritage.

Tunisia is a country that has the most competitive economy of all African countries. Tunisia is home to about 10 million people, most of whom speak Arabic. Almost the entire population of the northern state professes Islam. The Mediterranean climate makes Tunisia an important tourism sector. The culture of the country contains many diverse trends that are organically woven into daily life Tunisian people.

African countries: list of states in the Eastern region

To the East of the mysterious Nile there are several countries that make up the Eastern Region. Among them are such states as:

• Ethiopia;
• Eritrea;
• Uganda;
• Tanzania;
• Somalia;
• Mayotte;
• Kenya;
• Djibouti;
• Zambia;
• Comoros;
• Malawi.

The climate of Eastern Africa is arid central regions. But on the coast it quickly changes to tropical. Former colonists set state boundaries quite arbitrarily. Due to the fact that cultural and religious trends were not taken into account, the development of the Eastern region is happening at a very slow pace.

Kenya is not only a favorite destination for tourists, but also a place that has amazing flora and fauna. Located in Kenya a large number of reserves that are protected international organization UNESCO.

In Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, people speak English and the local dialect Swahili. For a long time this country was a British colony.

African countries: list of states of the Central region

The following states are located in the heart of Africa:

• Angola;
• Congo;
• Sao Tome;
• Equatorial Guinea.

These countries are endowed with a subequatorial climate. Thanks to the extensive river system, it is there that you can see endless forests consisting of evergreen and deciduous trees.

The Republic of the Congo is extremely rich in mineral resources. This circumstance several centuries ago contributed to the emergence of the African “gold” rush in the country.

The capital of the country with unusual name Brazzaville is quite developed in terms of education. The literacy rate of the population there reaches 82%. The state's economy is based on oil production and agriculture. The cultural sector is represented by folk art. The direction of contemporary art is also well developed.

All African countries, the list of which is given above, are considered officially recognized states. Meanwhile, many territories of the African continent have recently embarked on the path of international recognition and are not yet real states. But they still have symbols of borders on some maps.

Anthropologists call Africa the cradle of civilization. According to research, human culture first appeared there. It’s paradoxical, but in the place where all living things originated, there are still corners where no human has set foot. Of the 29 million square meters, only a small part is inhabited by people. The rest of the area is deserts and tropical forests. African fauna is unique. found nowhere else on this continent.

Exploring the countries of Africa, the list of which is so diverse, it is difficult to imagine that the Sahara Desert occupies an area larger than the entire territory of the United States. Also, half of the world’s gold is mined on the continent. And the name of this part of the world comes from one of the most ancient tribes, “Afri”.