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Africa: Quick Facts

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News •

US visa restrictions force some African contestants out of Miss Universe competition • Nov. 13, 2026, 12:04 PM ET (AP)
Caine Prize clears Zimbabwean author of AI writing allegations and adds new rules • Nov. 12, 2026, 4:07 AM ET (AP)
Senegal is hosting Africa's first Olympic event as citizens battle a cost of living crisis • Nov. 2, 2026, 4:46 AM ET (AP)
UK leader Burnham hints at apology for country's role in slave trade but rejects reparations • Oct. 31, 2026, 3:27 PM ET (AP)
Congo's Ebola deaths top 5,000 as worry of continent-wide spread mounts • Oct. 31, 2026, 4:21 AM ET (AP)

Photos and Videos

A map of the continent of Africa, including its countries, boundaries, and capital cities. It also shows parts of Europe and Asia and surrounding bodies of water, including the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, and Indian Ocean.
Ruwenzori Range
Patchwork of green and brown farmland in the Little Karoo valley, with rolling hills and distant mountains near Oudtshoorn, Western Cape province, South Africa.
Table Mountain rises behind the cityscape and harbor of Cape Town, South Africa, with docks, ships, and waterfront buildings in the foreground.
Snow-dusted Toubkal peak rises above rugged slopes in the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco under a clear sky, with a forested area at the base.
Lake Turkana
Jagged peaks of the Ahaggar Mountains in Algeria rise above misty valleys at sunrise, with layered ridges and a colorful sky in the background.
Mount Kenya
Map of Africa highlighting major physical features such as mountain ranges, plateaus, deserts, rivers, lakes, and basins. Key features include the Atlas Mountains in the northwest, the Sahara and Kalahari deserts, the Congo Basin, Lake Victoria, Lake Tanganyika, the Ethiopian Highlands, and major rivers like the Nile, Niger, and Congo. Surrounding bodies of water and nearby islands are also labeled. A small locator map shows Africa's position relative to Europe and Asia.
Mount Kilimanjaro
Where did human evolution begin?
Learn how the Niger River irrigates savannas, provides hydroelectricity, and serves as a transportation artery
See a flock of red-billed queleas flying in Etosha National Park, Namibia
A collage featuring four colonial-era European figures in military and formal attire, a yellow map of Africa, and a vintage cartoon of imperialism in the background.
Discuss different irrigation methods used in northern Africa such as shadoofs, water scoops, and modern pumps
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Mount Kenya in Mount Kenya National Park is the highest mountain in Africa. UNESCO World Heritage Site. Giant Lobelia in foreground. (Mt. Kenya; Mt. Kenya National Park; mountains; rugged mountain; African geography, African landscape, stratovolcano)
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Church of Saint George (Bet Giyorgis), Lalibela, Ethiopia. UNESCO World Heritage site.
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