The African Continent

With thirty million kilometers more than squared and important reserves of gold, diamond and oil, Africa could be the continent richest of the planet. But the African reality is well different. Multifaceted in innumerable countries, whose borders had been traced by its formerones, Africa has served, since centuries XV and XVI, the interests external economic politicians and. The participation of the continent in the world-wide economy is inferior 3%, what it reflects the low level of development of the countries integrate that it. 1 INTRODUCTION Africa, the third continent greater in extension, occupies an area of 30.272.922 km. About 75% of its territory it is located in the intertropical band of the globe, that is, enters the tropic of Cancer, to the north, and the tropic of Capricrnio, to the south. This characteristic very makes with that it is the continent most tropical of the world, presenting raised temperatures. The African territory represents about 20,3% of lands emersas of the planet.

It is bathed to north for the Mediterranean sea, to the south for the junction of the oceans Indian and Atlantic, the east for the Red sea and the Indian ocean and the west for the Atlantic. 2 RELIEF the African continent is great plateaus, with average altitude of 700 meters. In general, the African high lands even arrive close to the sea, where they form paredes that fall for narrow coastal plains. This characteristic appears mainly in the southwestern part of the continent and constitutes an obstacle to the penetration of the interior. The Europeans had felt this difficulty when, in century XIX, they had tamed and they conquered the interior of the territory. Although the great plateaus to dominate Africa, have some mountain chains in the continent. Between them, two deserve prominence: Chain of Atlases? Located in the African northwest, the rises arrive the 4,000 meters of height, and the culminating point is the Toubkal mount, with 4.166 meters.