Africa, the second-largest and second-most populous continent on Earth, holds a unique and strategic position in the world’s geography. Bordered by vast oceans and seas, and stretching across the equator, Africa occupies a central location that influences its climate, culture, and trade routes. Understanding Africa’s geographical location, its absolute and relative position, total size, and the presence of landlocked countries is essential for appreciating the continent’s diversity and global significance. This topic explains the Location And Position Of Africa on the globe, its physical dimensions, and the implications of being landlocked for some of its nations.
Table Of Contents
- Location and position of Africa
- Size and political division of Africa
- Landlocked countries
- Identify and locate the countries of Africa.
- Revision questions.
Location And Position Of Africa
Location Of Africa: Africa is located between latitude 37°N and 35°S of the equator and 17°W and 51°E of the Greenwich meridian. Longitude 0°, which is the Greenwich meridian, passes near Accra, Ghana.
Position Of Africa: Africa, the second largest continent in the world after Asia is bounded in the North by the Mediterranean sea which separate Africa from Europe, in the south by the Atlantic ocean, in the East by Indian Ocean and to the North-East by the Suez Canal, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden which separate Africa from Asia. Africa is the most tropical of all the continents. It is almost bisected by the equator and about 43% of African lies between the tropic of Cancer and tropic of Capricon.
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Size And Political Division Of Africa
Africa in terms of land area is the second largest continent after Asia. It is a huge continent which occupies 20% of the total land area of the world. The total land area of Africa is approximately 30.3 million square kilometers, stretching for about 8,000km from north to south and 7,500km from East to West.
Africa is a compact continent. There is hardly any significant inlet; the coastline is regular. It is the most tropical of all the continents because most of the Continent (23,400,00 square kilometers) lies within the tropics. In terms of latitude, the continent is divided into nearly two equal parts by the equator. In any case, more of the continent lies in the northern hemisphere.
Political divisions of Africa: Africa consists of about 48 mainland countries and several Islands. Some islands in the Indian Ocean include Malagasy (the largest island), Zanzibar, Comoro, Mauritius, etc while some islands in the Atlantic ocean include Sao Tomé, Cape Verde and principe, Canary and Equatorial Guinea.
Landlocked Countries
Meaning: Landlocked countries refers to those countries which do not have access or boundaries with the coast or oceans.
Examples: Landlocked countries include Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Chad, Central Africa Republic, Uganda, Rwanda, Zambia and Burundi.
Problems Of Landlocked Countries
- They experience high freight cost.
- They depend economically on other countries.
- They depend politically on other countries.
- They experience loss of revenue due to smuggling and inability to control duties.
- There is always insecurity of goods.
- There is also political instability.
Revision Questions
- (a) Describe the location and position of Africa in relation to other countries. (b) Explain the size and political division of Africa.
- Define landlocked country (b) what are the problems of landlocked countries?
- Describe the political division of Africa.
Conclusion
In summary, Africa’s geographical location and position make it one of the most strategically placed continents in the world, lying across the equator and stretching into both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Its vast size accommodates diverse climates, cultures, and natural resources. The presence of several landlocked countries within the continent highlights the varying challenges in access to international trade and development. A clear understanding of Africa’s location, size, and internal geography is essential in studying its economic, political, and environmental dynamics on the global stage.