Detailed solution paragraph § 27 in geography for students of grade 7, authors Korinskaya V.A., Dushina I.V., Shchenev V.A. 2017

Questions and tasks

1. Name the most significant geographic features South Africa.

Zambezi, Kalahari Semi-Desert, Drakon and Cape Mountains.

2. On a comprehensive map, highlight the main types of economic activity in the countries of South Africa.

Agriculture and mining.

3. What are the main features of the nature and economy of South Africa.

South Africa is a country of diverse natural complexes and huge natural wealth. Most of the country is a flat plateau, which gradually rises in steps to the south and east, giving way to mountains. The country is dominated by savannas. Natural conditions, as in all of South Africa, change not only from north to south, but also from east to west.

South Africa, with its inherent diversity of landscapes, has a very rich fauna. In many areas, hunting and fishing is still the main occupation of the local population. But with the advent of Europeans, the number of wild animals decreased markedly and many of their species almost disappeared. Especially reduced the number of herbivores - antelopes, zebras, giraffes, elephants, large black buffalo, rhinos. Almost completely disappeared lions, leopards.

In order to save wild animals from complete extermination, as well as natural complexes in general, nature reserves and national parks have been created in South Africa. In the largest of them, national park Kruger - collected all kinds of animals found on the mainland.

Territories with fertile land in the country belong to white farmers - owners of private agricultural enterprises. Farms widely use machinery and fertilizers and therefore receive high yields. They grow corn, wheat, legumes, sugar cane, citrus fruits, cotton and other crops. Sheep and cattle farms are located on elevated plateaus with good pastures. Pasture animal husbandry occupies an important place in agriculture.

The bowels of South Africa are rich in various minerals. This country is called a geological wonder. South Africa occupies one of the first places in the world in terms of reserves and production of diamonds, gold, platinum, uranium and iron ores. The country's economy is dependent on British and American monopolists, who lead the development of minerals and receive huge profits.

There are many factories and factories in the country, industry is developing rapidly.

4. Compare nature, population and its economic activity North and South Africa. What are the similarities and differences? Explain the reasons for the differences.

North Africa is part of the Middle East and even sometimes included in it. Sev. Africa is an undoubted and inseparable part of the Muslim Arab world, mostly desert territories and it is inhabited mainly by Arabs, Berbers and other Semitic-Hamitic tribes along with the traditional African population of Africa. South Africa is classic Africa, except that it is more developed, along with North Africa, than other parts of Africa due to the greater presence of the white population there due to its mineral rich lands.

GENERALIZATION OF KNOWLEDGE ON THE TOPIC

1. What are the main features of the structure of the surface of Africa. How are they explained?

According to the type of relief, Africa can be divided into two parts: low is located in the north and west, high in the east and south. The relief of the mainland is dominated by plains and plateaus with a height of 200 to 1000 m, the largest territory of which is occupied by the East African and South African plateaus. Elevated sections of the mainland alternate with basins, the largest of which are the Congo Basin and the Kalahari Basin. The highest parts of the mainland are the Ethiopian Highlands (up to 4500 m) and the Dragon Mountains (over 3000 m). Such features of the relief of Africa can be explained by the fact that most of the mainland was formed on the ancient Arabian-African platform, within the platforms the relief is represented by plains. The Atlas, Cape, and Dragon Mountains are associated with folded belts of different ages. In eastern Africa, there is a large fault in the earth's crust - the continental rift. In the rift zone, heat flows exit and matter rises from the mantle, the formed basins are occupied by lakes, along which volcano cones rise. It is here that the highest peak of Africa - Mount Kilimanjaro (5895 m) is located.

The well-known statement "Africa is the most hot mainland", can be explained by the fact that the mainland is located in the warmest climatic zones of the Earth (equatorial, subequatorial, tropical and subtropical). Africa is located on both sides of the equator, within latitudes that receive a significant amount of solar radiation from 160 kcal / cm² to 200 kcal / cm² The temperature on the mainland throughout the year is above + 20⁰С. The largest number Precipitation falls at the equator, because a belt of low atmospheric pressure is formed here, in which ascending air currents form clouds saturated with moisture. The least amount of precipitation occurs in the tropical zone, where, on the contrary, in the zone of high atmospheric pressure, cloud formation does not occur. The climate of the coasts of the mainland is influenced by warm and cold currents.

2. What are the features of Africa's climate? What do they depend on?

Features of the African climate were formed as a result of the action of a system of various factors. Most of the mainland is located between the tropics, and therefore the climate of Africa is characterized by high values ​​of total solar radiation. Accordingly, a significant part of the mainland has high temperatures, and therefore Africa is considered the hottest continent. There are areas where the air temperature sometimes exceeds 50 ° C.

In the latitudes of Africa, constant winds dominate the ocean - the Trade Winds, which significantly affect the distribution of precipitation. The southeast trade wind blows from the Indian Ocean, so it brings humid air masses. The northeast trade wind is from Eurasia and causes dry weather. The southwestern ones delay the Cape Mountains, which affect the redistribution of precipitation: coastal areas receive a large amount of them, there is little precipitation beyond the mountains.

Sea currents play a significant role in shaping the climate of the coast of Africa. Therefore, low humidity is typical for the northwestern coast (due to the cold Canary Current), southwestern, eastern (Somalia). On the contrary, the western and southeastern coasts are well moistened due to warm currents (Guinean and Mozambique, respectively).

In the central part of the mainland, the air warms up evenly throughout the year. Temperature fluctuations are clearly manifested only in tropical and especially in subtropical latitudes. The climate differs mainly in the amount and pattern of precipitation. Their greatest number falls on the Equatorial regions: the Congo River basin (Zaire) and the coast of the Gulf of Guinea - 2000-3000 mm per year, and on the slopes of the mountains - up to 9000 mm. North of 20° Mon. sh. and south of 18°S sh. The climate of Africa is tropical, in the Northern Hemisphere it is desert, very dry. In the Sahara, precipitation decreases to 100 mm or less per year; Eastern Sahara is the driest region in Africa (10–20 mm of precipitation per year).

Africa lies within seven climatic zones. Due to the fact that the equator crosses the mainland in half, climatic conditions are mirrored from the equator to the edges of the mainland. On the territory of Africa, the Equatorial, two subequatorial and two tropical belts are distinguished. The extreme southern and northern parts of the mainland are located in subtropical zones.

The equatorial belt extends in a narrow strip along the coast of the Gulf of Guinea and further inland to the eastern coast of Lake Victoria. In this belt all year round constantly moist and uniformly hot equatorial air reigns. The air temperature during the year is high here: 26°С - +28°С. The total annual precipitation is more than 2000 mm, which is distributed evenly throughout the year.

3. List the main features of the rivers of Africa. Which of them depend on the relief, which - on the climate?

The longest river in the world is the Nile (6671 km). It begins on the East African Plateau and flows through Lake Victoria. In the upper reaches, the river, rushing down the gorges, forms rapids and waterfalls. Having entered the plain, it flows slowly and calmly and is called the White Nile. Near the city of Khartoum, the river merges with the waters of the largest tributary - the Blue Nile, flowing from the Ethiopian highlands. After the confluence of the White and Blue Nile, the river becomes twice as wide and gets the name Nile. In the middle reaches, the Nile cuts through a plateau composed of hard rocks, so there were rapids that interfered with navigation. Now, thanks to the dam built near Aswan, navigation conditions have been improved. Downstream, the river flows calmly. When it flows into the Mediterranean Sea, it forms a large delta, on the site of which there was a bay several tens of thousands of years ago. mediterranean sea. The deepest and second longest river in Africa is the Congo (Zaire) (4320 km). In terms of water abundance and basin area, it is second only to the Amazon. The river crosses the equator in two places and is full of water all year round. The Congo (Zaire) flows along ledges of plateaus, so it has many rapids and waterfalls. Navigation is possible only in certain areas. The river, in contrast to the Nile, does not form a delta, its muddy fresh waters go far into the Atlantic Ocean in a wide stream. The third longest and largest river in Africa is the Niger. In the middle course it is a flat river, and in its upper and lower reaches there are many rapids and waterfalls. In a significant part, the river crosses arid territories, therefore it is of great importance for irrigation, for this purpose dams and irrigation canals have been built on the river. The Zambezi is the largest river in Africa flowing into the Indian Ocean. Here is one of the largest waterfalls in the world - Victoria. The river falls in a wide stream (1800 m) from a ledge 120 m high in a narrow gorge that crosses its channel.

The source of the river is located in the black swamp region in northwestern Zambia, among forested hills at an altitude of about 1500 meters above sea level. To the east of the source is a belt of uplands with rather steep northern and southern slopes, lying between 11 and 12 degrees south latitude. The watershed between the Congo and Zambezi river basins runs along this belt. It clearly separates the basin of the Luapala River (the main tributary of the upper Congo) from the Zambezi. In the vicinity of the source, the watershed is implicit, but these two river systems are not connected. The Zambezi is a powerful river. Although the length of the Zambezi ranks only fourth in Africa, but in terms of annual flow, it comes in second place and is second only to the Congo River. The Zambezi mainly receives food from abundant summer rains (in these latitudes, summer lasts from November to March). At other times of the year, the river is much less full-flowing. The regime of the river is characterized by a rapid decrease in the water level in March and a subsequent rise in November. In order to prove the relationship between inland waters and relief, it is necessary to trace the nature of the flow of rivers and the shape of lakes. Mountain rivers are different from lowland rivers. fast current, high banks, the presence of rapids and waterfalls. Lake Tanganyika, located along the line of the Great African Rift, has a shape elongated in the meridional direction. The length of the lake is almost 10 times its width. The full flow of rivers and lakes, the mode of their filling with water depends on the nature of the climate. One of the main sources of food for rivers and lakes is precipitation. Therefore, we can safely say that rivers and lakes located in the equatorial climate are more full-flowing compared to rivers and lakes located within the tropical desert climate. Shallow Lake Chad, located within the subequatorial climate zone, periodically changes its shape, increasing and decreasing by half. Such a transformation is associated with the periodicity of the incoming water from the rivers flowing into the lake. Thus, we see a clear relationship that exists between the relief, climate and inland waters.

Full water all year (Congo), or dependence on rains in the lower reaches and high floods (Nile).

4. What natural areas prevail in Africa? What are their features and how are they explained? Which areas are the most favorable for agriculture?

Africa is predominantly a flat continent. Mountain systems occupy only the northwestern (Atlas Mountains) and southern (Cape Mountains) outskirts of the mainland. East End Africa ( High Africa) is occupied by the highly uplifted and fragmented shifts of the earth's crust by the East African Plateau. Here are the highest peaks of the mainland - giant extinct and active volcanoes Kilimanjaro, Kenya and others. Features of the development of Africa determined the main features of the structure of its surface. Most of the mainland is characterized by a flat relief with a wide development of leveling surfaces from Permian-Carboniferous and Triassic to Neogene and even Quaternary, with separately protruding blocky and volcanic mountains among them. Thanks to his geographic location(mostly in the hot zone of illumination) Africa - is the hottest continent of the Earth. Due to its geographical position (mostly in the hot zone of illumination), Africa is the hottest continent on Earth. It receives more solar heat and light than any other continent. It is the only continent that extends roughly the same distance from the equator into the northern and southern hemispheres. The sun throughout the year between the tropics is high above the horizon, and twice a year at any point is at its zenith. The main features of the climate are determined primarily by the position of the main part of the mainland in tropical and equatorial latitudes. Always in the background high temperatures air, the main differences in the climate of individual regions are determined by the amount of precipitation and the duration of the rainy season. In tropical latitudes there are huge deserts, closer to the equator - areas of summer rains, in the equatorial zone precipitation falls throughout the year. Vast areas experience an acute lack of moisture. The continentality of the climate is especially pronounced in the northern part of Africa due to its large size and the close proximity of Eurasia. The western shores of the continent in tropical latitudes are washed by cold currents - the Canary and Benguela ones, which cool the air above them so much that its lower layers, up to a height of about 500 m, become noticeably colder than the overlying ones. This eliminates the possibility of the development of ascending currents and precipitation. Therefore, coastal deserts lie along the western coasts in tropical latitudes. The southeast coast, on the contrary, is washed by the warm Mozambique current, which increases the instability of air masses and contributes to precipitation on the mountain slopes of East and South Africa. Most of Africa is under the influence of the trade wind circulation of both hemispheres. The northern hemisphere trade winds coming from the land carry continental air with low relative humidity. The trade winds of the southern hemisphere, coming from the Indian Ocean, carry masses of humid, unstable air to the eastern margin of the mainland. The distribution of the river network and runoff across the continent is extremely uneven, which depends mainly on the difference climatic conditions, relief and nature of the rocks of certain areas. Along with areas with a dense hydrographic network and large lakes, the vast expanses of Africa are almost or completely devoid of a local river network. Many rivers do not reach the ocean and end in inland drainless depressions. Almost all rivers of the continent are fed by rain. Only in deserts and semi-deserts, their food is groundwater, and on the high peaks of the Atlas Mountains and East Africa, the sources of the rivers are also fed by melt water from snow and glaciers. In the extreme north and south, there are zones of hard-leaved evergreen forests and shrubs, followed by zones of semi-deserts and deserts, savannahs, variable and permanently humid forests. The latitudinal zonality is violated only in the mountains and highlands, but there are few of them on the mainland.

The nature of the savannas is most favorable for agriculture. A distinctive feature of the savannas is the alternation of dry and wet seasons, which take about half a year, replacing each other.

5. Name some of the most outstanding natural objects in Africa.

Sahara, Mount Kilimanjaro, Victoria Falls, Nile River.

6. What natural resources Africa has?

Crude oil, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, uranium, lead, zinc, manganese, limestone, gypsum, talc, asbestos, lead, copper, diamonds, gold. chrome ore, tungsten, mica, silver, hydropower resources, fish, salt.

7. Give examples of changes in the nature of Africa by man. What would you suggest to stop the advance of deserts on the savannas.

Back in the 19th century Africa was presented as a continent of virgin nature. However, even then the nature of Africa was significantly changed by man. The area of ​​forests, which have been uprooted and burned for arable land and pastures for centuries, has decreased. Particularly great damage to the nature of Africa was caused by European colonialists. Hunting, carried out for profit, and often for sport, led to the mass extermination of animals. Many animals are completely destroyed (for example, some species of antelopes, zebras), while the number of others (elephants, rhinos, gorillas, etc.) has been greatly reduced. Europeans exported expensive timber to their countries. Therefore, in a number of states (Nigeria, etc.) there is a danger of complete disappearance of forests. Territories on the site of reduced forests were occupied by plantations of cocoa, oil palm, peanuts, etc. Thus, savannahs formed on the site of equatorial and variable-moist forests (Fig. 59). Significantly changed the nature and primary savannas. There are huge areas of plowed land and pastures. Due to mismanagement of agriculture (burning, overgrazing, and cutting down trees and shrubs), savannahs give way to deserts for many centuries. In the last half century alone, the Sahara has moved significantly southward and increased its area by 650,000 km2. The loss of agricultural land leads to the death of livestock and crops, to starvation of people.

Stop cutting down forests, start planting vegetation, watering deserts, streamline economic activity.

8. What do you think will happen to the boundaries of natural areas if measures are not taken to protect the nature of Africa?

The zone of savannahs and equatorial forests will decrease, and deserts, including the Sahara, will expand.

9. What maps will you use to describe the nature of Madagascar? What data can be obtained from each card?

Physical (relief), climatic (precipitation, average January and July temperatures, currents), map of natural zones (vegetation, animals).

10. What peoples inhabit Africa and how are they distributed on the mainland?

Africa is inhabited by a variety of peoples. Over a long history, other peoples have been added to the indigenous people, whose roots of origin are not connected with this mainland. The colonization of Africa contributed to the migration of peoples living in the countries of Asia, Europe, and America. Arab peoples inhabit the north of the mainland. The central and southern regions are inhabited by peoples of the Negroid race. In the north and south of the mainland live the descendants of Europeans: the French, the British, the Dutch.

11. What changes have occurred on political map Africa over the past 40-50 years? What do these changes indicate?

Many of the countries have gained sovereignty. This indicates that the peoples got a chance to build their own states.

12. Name the states of Africa known to you and their capitals.

Algiers, capital of Algiers. Ghana, capital Accra. Nigeria, capital Abuja. Ethiopia, capital Addis Ababa. Republic of South Africa, capital Pretoria. Egypt, capital Cairo, Tunisia, capital Tunis.

13. Select among the countries of Africa those that are located on the plains and those that lie in the mountains.

On the plains are located: Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, Sudan, Algeria. In the mountains are located: Namibia, Botswana, South Africa.

14. Which parts of Africa would you like to travel to? Why?

I would like to travel all over the continent of Africa to see with my own eyes all the features, similarities and differences.

The continent of Africa is the second largest on the planet after Eurasia. It occupies more than twenty percent of all land and is located almost entirely in the hemisphere in the south.

The mainland is washed by several oceans: the Atlantic and Indian. The territory is divided among fifty-five countries.

African countries and their capitals

African countries are usually divided into five groups. The list looks like this:

In terms of economic indicators, the most developed and richest is South Africa, located in the south of the mainland. At the same time, residents of many states, in particular the central part of the mainland, are below the poverty line, in particular the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi - the poorest countries in Africa.

Algiers is the largest state in terms of territory, and Mayotte is the smallest. The most numerous is Nigeria, and the lowest population on the islands is the Seychelles.

African states gained their sovereignty in the middle of the twentieth century. Majority modern titles appeared at the same time.

For example, until 1985 Côte d'Ivoire was called the Ivory Coast, and Djibouti until 1977 had an official status and name in the form of the French Territory of Afar and Issa. Similar changes affected almost half of the territorial units of the mainland.

Characteristics of Africa

The area is twenty-nine million square meters. km. The distribution from the north down is eight thousand kilometers, and from the west to the left - seven and a half.

Physical map of Africa (click to enlarge)

There are several options for the origin of the name. The most common ones are:

1. Afri - people who lived near Carthage, later the Romans began to call the whole area, and then the continent Africa.
2. From the Latin aprica, sunny.
3. From the Greek afkn - without cold.

Note: Africa is considered to be the ancestral home of Homo sapiens, it is there that the remains of ancient ancestors, in particular hominids and sahelanthropes, were found.

The continent has long attracted Europeans, as the history of discovery has shown, active study began in the fifteenth century, when Vasco da Gama circled Africa on his way to India.

From the late nineteenth to the mid-twentieth centuries, the mainland was divided among the great powers:

• the north is part of the Ottoman Empire;
• south - Spain, Portugal and other colonizers.

After World War II, the map changed as the wave of independence began. Today there are several territories on the African continent under the control of Europeans, in particular Canary Islands, Madeira, Chagos Archipelago.

Extreme points of Africa

The following image tells well which point is the northernmost, southernmost, which is the easternmost, and where the westernmost is located:

Population

More than one billion people live on the mainland today. Along with this, there is the greatest increase in the number and life expectancy. Demographic estimates predict a doubling of the population over the next thirty years.

There are two main races in Africa:

• negroid - in the center;
• Caucasoid - mainly in the north and in the Republic of South Africa.

The most common people are Arabs. The population density is low compared to Europe and Asia. To date, interethnic conflicts continue.

It is worth noting: the level of urbanization in the countries is low, but its rate is the highest in the world.

As for religion, the world's leading ones are mostly widespread, but all other religious movements are also represented. Traditional beliefs are still prevalent in the central part.

Climatic zones

Africa is considered the warmest continent, here is the warmest place - Dallol. The entire territory is distributed in warm climatic zones.

The main ones and their characteristics:

1. Equatorial - heavy rains and in fact there is no change of season, here is a constant summer.
2. Subequatorial - two main seasons, rainy summer, winter is characterized by dry trade winds.
3. Tropical - almost no precipitation, deserts are common.

Minerals

Africa is rich in minerals, which come at a high price.

In particular, the main ones are:

• gold;
• oil.

north coast also rich in manganese, iron ores and phosphorites.

Flora and fauna

The organic world of Africa is characterized by exceptional diversity.

In tropical areas, there are a variety of large animals, in particular, rhinos, elephants, lions, zebras, monkeys and others.

Large birds also live on the continent, such as flamingos, ibis.

The north is dominated by lizards and snakes that have adapted to the climate of the Sahara. The business card of the south of the mainland is the "big five": buffalo, lion, leopard, elephant and rhinoceros.

The climatic conditions of northern Africa have contributed to the adaptation of many plant species. In the south, there are over two and a half thousand flowering plants - this is almost ten percent of the world's wealth.

Geographic features

atlas mountains

The main objects of African geography include:

• Atlas mountains;
• Basins of the Congo (lowest point) and the Nile;
• Rift Valley;
• Ethiopian and Ahaggar highlands;
• deserts - Kalahari, Namib and Sahara.

In addition to the oceans, the mainland is washed by one sea - the Red and Suez Canals.

Rivers and seas

One of the longest rivers in the world is located in Africa.

The length of the Nile is almost seven thousand kilometers.

Among others major rivers relate:

• Niger;
• Congo;
• Zambezi, Limpopo and Orange.

Africa is also rich in large lakes: Victoria, Nyasa, Tanganyika and Chad. The latter is the largest salt body of water, which is located inside the mainland.

Plains

Plains in Africa are represented by plateaus (East African) and pits (Chad, Congo, Kalahari).

Plateaus are high plains, along with them, pits are low.

Mountains of Africa

Mostly Africa is a mainland on the plains, it has enough mountains:

• Atalas - in the north;
• Ahagar and Tibeste - in the Sahara Desert;
• the Ethiopian highlands - in the east;
• Caps and Draconians - in the south.

Highest point Mount Kilimanjaro is 5,900 meters high.

In conclusion, I would like to focus on the concepts of "mainland" and "continent". There are only six continents on Earth, all of them are well known. But there are only four continents.

"Continent" in Latin means "continuous". Since Eurasia and Africa are connected together by the Suez Canal, they are not separated from each other, therefore they are not separately continents.

Africa is a unique continent that combines the diversity of flora and fauna. Most of the states are at the stage of economically developing countries, partly due to the long colonization of the region.

S. I. RUNKOV

NATURAL OBJECTS OF THE EARTH. AFRICA:

GEOGRAPHICAL NOMENCLATURE AND GUIDANCE

Saransk 2010

AFRICA

CAPE

NEEDLE

https://pandia.ru/text/78/225/images/image003_1.jpg" align="left" width="125" height="120 src="> S, 19°59" E d.). Located on the territory of the Republic of South Africa, 155 km southeast of Cape Good Hope.

RAS HAFUN

Hafun, a cape on the Somali Peninsula, the easternmost point of the African continent (10 ° 26 "northern latitude and 51 ° 23" eastern longitude).

https://pandia.ru/text/78/225/images/image012_0.jpg" align="left" width="100" height="64 src="> Cape Verde is a peninsula on the African coast of the Atlantic Ocean, in Senegal The westernmost point of continental Africa.On the southern tip of the Verde is the city of Dakar, the capital of Senegal.

https://pandia.ru/text/78/225/images/image014.gif" width="19" height="40">.gif" alt="Signature:" align="left" width="316" height="130 src=">.jpg" align="left" width="94" height="64"> Эль-Абьяд, мыс на побережье Средиземного моря, в 13 км к северо-западу от г. Бизерта (Тунис). Самая !} north point Africa (37° 21° N and 9° 45° E).

BAYS AND BAYS

SIDRA (GREAT SIRTH)

https://pandia.ru/text/78/225/images/image021_0.jpg" align="left" width="106" height="83 src="> Sidra (original Great Sirte) is a large bay of the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Libya, up to 1374 m deep, up to 465 km wide (at the entrance to the bay).

GABES

https://pandia.ru/text/78/225/images/image023.jpg" align="left" width="136" height="112 src="> Gabes is a bay of the Mediterranean Sea off the northern coast of Africa, in ancient times it was called Little Sirte. Washes the territory of Tunisia. It extends over 100 km and has a depth of about 50 m. In the southern part of the entrance to the bay is the island of Djerba, and in the north - the island of Kerkenna

TUNISIAN

https://pandia.ru/text/78/225/images/image029.jpg" align="left" width="232" height="96 src="> The Gulf of Tunis is a large bay of the Mediterranean Sea off the northern coast of Africa, washes the territory of Tunis.On the southern shore of the bay, where the capital of Carthage used to be, is now the city of Tunis.

GUINEAN

https://pandia.ru/text/78/225/images/image031_0.jpg" align="left" width="126" height="86 src=">

The Gulf of Guinea is a gulf of the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Equatorial Africa. It protrudes into land between Capes Palmas in the northwest (Liberia) and Palmeirinhas (Angola) in the southeast. The constituent parts of the Gulf of Guinea are the bays of Benin (in the north) and Biafra (in the east).

BENIN

https://pandia.ru/text/78/225/images/image034.jpg" align="left" width="131" height="102 src="> Benin is a bay in the Atlantic Ocean on south coast West Africa, an integral part of the Gulf of Guinea. It extends 640 km east of Cape St. Paul (Ghana) to the mouth of the Niger River. The waters of the Gulf of Benin wash the coasts of Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria.

BIAFRA

https://pandia.ru/text/78/225/images/image037_1.jpg" align="left" width="104" height="81 src="> Biafra - Bay in Atlantic Ocean, part of the Gulf of Guinea. The waters of the bay wash the coasts of Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Giveni and Gabon.

ADEN

https://pandia.ru/text/78/225/images/image039.jpg" align="left" width="298" height="169 src=">

The Gulf of Aden is part of the Arabian Sea of ​​the Indian Ocean. Length 890 km. The northern shore of the Gulf is the Arabian Peninsula (state of Yemen). The southern and western shores of the gulf are the African continent (the states of Somalia and Djibouti). In the west, the Gulf of Tadjoura is distinguished; in the southeast, the bay is separated from the rest of the Indian Ocean by the Socotra Islands (Yemen). The bay is connected to the Red Sea by the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

STRAITS

GIBRALTAR

https://pandia.ru/text/78/225/images/image042.jpg" align="left" width="148" height="102 src=">The Strait of Gibraltar is an international strait between the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula and the north - the western coast of Africa, connecting the Mediterranean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean.Length 65 km, width 14-44 km.

BAB-EL-MANDEB

https://pandia.ru/text/78/225/images/image045.gif" align="left" width="186" height="165 src="> Bab el-Mandeb Strait - the strait between the southwestern the tip of the Arabian Peninsula (the state of Yemen) and Africa (the states of Djibouti and Eritrea. It connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden of the Arabian Sea. The smallest width is 26.5 km, the smallest depth in the fairway is 182 m.

MOZAMBICAN

https://pandia.ru/text/78/225/images/image048_0.jpg" align="left" width="123" height="102 src=">

OCEANIC CURRENTS

CANARY

https://pandia.ru/text/78/225/images/image051_0.jpg" align="left" width="172" height="161 src="> The Canary current is a cold and, subsequently, moderately warm sea current in the northeast Atlantic Ocean The Canary Current draws most of its water from the Azores and the Portuguese currents, as well as from deep, mineral-rich waters, initially flowing south and southwest along the northwest coast of Africa and past the Canary Islands .

BENGEL

The Benguela current, the cold current of the Atlantic Ocean, the northern branch of the current of the West Winds. Passes along the western coast of South Africa from south to north and further to the northwest, passing into the South Equatorial Current.

MOZAMBIQUE

https://pandia.ru/text/78/225/images/image059.gif" width="20" height="112">.gif" width="19" height="75">.gif" width= "64" height="115">

https://pandia.ru/text/78/225/images/image065.jpg" align="left" width="294" height="198 src="> The Amirant Islands are an archipelago in the western part of the Indian Ocean to the north east of the island of Madagascar, about 300 km southwest of the Seychelles, part of the Republic of Seychelles, with an area of ​​83 square kilometers.

https://pandia.ru/text/78/225/images/image067.jpg" align="left" width="88" height="69 src=">.jpg" align="left" width="148 "height="115 src=">

O. Ascension

Ascension Island - volcanic island located in the Atlantic Ocean 1600 km west of the African coast. It is part of the British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena, from which it is located 1287 kilometers to the north-west.

CANARY

https://pandia.ru/text/78/225/images/image072.jpg" align="left" width="112" height="76 src=">.jpg" align="left" width="100 "height="76 src=">

GREEN CAPE

https://pandia.ru/text/78/225/images/image076.jpg" align="left" width="100" height="76 src=">.jpg" align="left" width="100 " height="76 src="> The Cape Verde Islands are a cluster of 10 large and 8 small islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Senegal, divided into Leeward and Windward groups.

MADEIRA

https://pandia.ru/text/78/225/images/image081.gif" align="left" width="142" height="172 src=">Employees" href="/text/category/sluzhashie/ " rel="bookmark">serving as a haven for seabirds - the Desertas Islands and the Selvagens Islands.

ST. HELENA

https://pandia.ru/text/78/225/images/image084.jpg" align="left" width="98" height="69 src=">148" height="40" style="vertical- align:top"> Saint Helena is located in the Atlantic Ocean 2800 km west of Africa and belongs to the UK. Also, Saint Helena is an overseas possession of Great Britain, which, in addition to Saint Helena itself, includes the Ascension Islands and the Tristan da Cunha archipelago, as well as small islets and rocks.

COMOROUS

https://pandia.ru/text/78/225/images/image088.jpg" align="left" width="208" height="88 src="> The Comoros, the Union of the Comoros (SKO) on the archipelago of -vov (Anjouan (Njuani) - 424 sq. km, Grand Comore (Ngazidzha) - 1146 sq. km, Mayotte (Maore), Moheli Island state off the southeast coast of Africa. Located in the Mozambique Strait of the Indian Ocean between east coast Africa and northwestern about. Madagascar.

SEYCHELLES

https://pandia.ru/text/78/225/images/image091.jpg" align="left" width="89" height="100 src="> Republic Seychelles - Island state in the western part of the Indian Ocean, a little south of the equator, about 1600 km east of the African mainland, north of Madagascar. The republic includes more than 100 islands and islets, only 33 are inhabited. big Island- Mahe (142 sq. km.). It is the capital of the state - Victoria. Other large islands are Silhouette, Praslin, La Digue.

MASCARINSKY

https://pandia.ru/text/78/225/images/image093.jpg" align="left" width="124" height="84 src=">.gif" width="43" height="137 "> PEMBA

https://pandia.ru/text/78/225/images/image098.jpg" align="left" width="100" height="76 src="> Pemba, coral island in Indian Ocean, y east coast Africa, separated from the mainland by the Pemba Strait. Area 984 sq. km. Part of Tanzania. Height up to 99m. The climate is equatorial monsoon. Precipitation up to 1000mm per year. Clove tree, coconut palm are cultivated.

https://pandia.ru/text/78/225/images/image102.jpg" align="left" width="132" height="89 src="> Zanzibar is an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of Tanzania, which The largest islands are Pemba and Unguja, commonly called Zanzibar.

https://pandia.ru/text/78/225/images/image104.gif" width="96" height="78">.jpg" align="left" width="112" height="85 src= ">.gif" width="31" height="106"> Madagascar is the fourth largest island in the world, located in the Indian Ocean, off the eastern coast of Africa, separated from it by the Mozambique Channel. The area of ​​the island is 590 thousand square meters. km. Length - about 1600 km, width - over 600 km. The island is home to the Republic of Madagascar.

SOCOTRA

Socotra is a small archipelago of six islands in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Somalia, about 350 km south of the Arabian Peninsula.

Gulf of Guinea

https://pandia.ru/text/78/225/images/image116.jpg" align="left" width="184" height="116 src="> Largest islands Bioko, Sao Tome, Principe, Annobón. Bioko is an island in the Gulf of Biafra (an integral part of the Gulf of Guinea) of the Atlantic Ocean, the largest of the islands belonging to the Equatorial

Guinea; ocean.

PENINSULES

SOMALIA

https://pandia.ru/text/78/225/images/image118.jpg" align="left" width="125" height="107 src="> Somalia (Horn of Africa) is a peninsula in the east of the African continent. From the north it is washed by the waters of the Gulf of Aden, from the east by the Indian Ocean.The territory of the peninsula is part of the state of Somalia, part of it is part of Ethiopia.The area is about sq. km.

RIVERS

https://pandia.ru/text/78/225/images/image120.gif" width="97" height="59"> NILE

https://pandia.ru/text/78/225/images/image123.jpg" align="left" width="92" height="63 src="> The Nile is a river in Africa, one of the two longest rivers in the world.The river originates in the East African Plateau flows into the Mediterranean Sea, forming a delta.In the upper reaches, it receives large tributaries - Bahr el-Ghazal (left) and Achva, SOBAT, Blue Nile and Atbara (right). Below the mouth of the right tributary of the Atbara, the Nile flows through the semi-desert, having no tributaries for the last 3000 km. The length of the Nile (including Kagera) is about 6700 km (the most commonly used figure is 6671 km), but from Lake Victoria to the Mediterranean Sea it is about 5600 km. The basin area, according to various sources, is 2.8-3.4 million square meters. km. (in whole or in part covers the territories of Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan and Egypt).

ATBARA

Atbara (arab. Bahr el-Asuad) is a river in Africa (in Sudan and Ethiopia), the right tributary of the Nile (flowing into the Nile River near the city of Atbara in Sudan). The source is located near Lake Tana in Ethiopia. It flows mainly along the Sudanese plateau.

BLUE NILE

The Blue Nile is much shorter than the White Nile, but plays a much larger role in shaping the regime of the Nile below Khartoum. The Blue Nile originates from the Abyssinian Highlands, flowing from Lake Tana.

WHITE NILE

Below Sobat, the river takes the name of the White Nile (Bahr el Abyad), leaves behind a region of swamps, and then flows calmly in a wide valley through a semi-desert area to Khartoum, where it merges with the Blue Nile. From here to the Mediterranean Sea, the river is called the Nile (El-Bahr). The distance from Khartoum to the Nimule Gorge is approximately 1800 km; to Lake Victoria - about 3700 km.

KAGERA

Kagera - a river in East Africa, flows through the territory of Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, and also partially along the borders between them. It is the longest tributary of the Nile. It is formed at the confluence of the Nyavarongo and Ruvuvu rivers near Lake Rweru, from where its length to the mouth is 420 km; if counted from the source of the Rukarara River, which is located in Burundi near the northern edge of Lake Tanganyika and is the most distant point from the mouth river system Kagera, its length is about 800 km.

CONGO

https://pandia.ru/text/78/225/images/image130.gif" width="13" height="62"> Lualaba - the local name for the upper reaches of the Congo River, is described by foreign researchers as the main tributary of the Congo. It flows from its source on the Shaba plateau to the Stanley Falls in the Congo. The length is about 2100 km. A hydroelectric power station was built in the upper rapids. In the middle reaches the river is navigable (644 km).

LUAPULA

Upper "href="/text/category/verhovmze/" rel="bookmark"> upper reaches of the Congo River). Some researchers consider it the main source of the Congo River (Zaire). The length (from the source of Chambeshi) is over 1500 km, the basin area is 265.3 thousand sq. km It originates south of Lake Tanganyika, flows into Bangweulu Lake by several branches, then flows through Lake Mweru, below which it is called Luvua.

LOVUA

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LUCUGA

SCRAPS

Lomami - a river in Africa, on the territory of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the left tributary of the Congo. The length is 1450 km, the basin area is about 110,000 sq. km. The river originates on the Katanga plateau, flows to the north, forming numerous waterfalls and rapids.

https://pandia.ru/text/78/225/images/image139.jpg" align="left" width="256" height="255 src="> UBANGI

Ubangi, a river in Central Africa, the largest right tributary of the river. Congo (Zaire); flows along the borders of the Republic of Zaire with the Central African Republic and People's Republic Congo. Formed by the confluence of the Knot and Mbomu. The length from the source of the Node is about 2300 km (according to other sources, about 2500 km), the basin area is 772.8 thousand square meters. km.

QUANGO

Kwangor is a river in Angola and in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Kwango River is the left tributary of the Kassai River. Its length is 1,100 kilometers. The sources are in the highlands of central Angola, the river flows mainly to the north. In its middle reaches, the Kwango forms state border between Angola and the Congo, overcomes the Shute-Tembo waterfall, then flows through the territory of the Congo and flows into the Kasai below the city of Bandundu.

KASAI

Kasai, the river in the Center. Africa, the largest left tributary of the river. Congo, the runoff is 20% of the runoff of the Congo. The length is 2153 km, the basin area is 880.2 thousand square meters. km. It originates on the Lund plateau, descends from it northern slope, forming picturesque rapids and waterfalls; separates Angola and Congo. The main tributaries on the right are Lulua, Sankuru, Fimi-Lukeniya, on the left - Kwango.

RUFIJI

https://pandia.ru/text/78/225/images/image145.gif" align="left" width="208" height="165 src="> Rufiji is a river in Tanzania. The river is formed at the confluence of the Kilombero rivers and Luwegu, originating in the mountains east of Lake Nyasa (Malawi).Length - about 600 km, the source is located in the southwestern part of Tanzania.In the upper reaches is a typical mountain river.Below the Shuguli waterfall flows through the lowland in a wide valley.It flows into the Indian Ocean off Mafia Island about 200 km south of Dar es Salaam Basin area 178,000 sq km Main tributary Greater Ruaha

RUVUMA

Interstate structures" href="/text/category/mezhgosudarstvennie_strukturi/" rel="bookmark"> between the states of Tanzania and Mozambique. Length about 800 km, basin area 145 thousand sq. km. Originates in the mountains east of the lake Nyasa (Malawi), flows into the Indian Ocean, the largest tributary is the Luzhenda River (right).

ZAMBEZI

https://pandia.ru/text/78/225/images/image149.gif" width="125" height="55"> The Zambezi is the fourth longest river in Africa. The basin area is 1 sq. km, the length is 2 574 km The source of the river is in Zambia, the river flows through Angola, along the border of Namibia, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe, to Mozambique, where it flows into the Indian Ocean.

KWANDO

https://pandia.ru/text/78/225/images/image152.gif" width="172" height="38"> LUANGWA

https://pandia.ru/text/78/225/images/image154.gif" width="100" height="31"> LIMPOPO

https://pandia.ru/text/78/225/images/image156.jpg" align="left" width="220" height="162 src="> Limpopo is a river in South Africa. It flows through South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique It originates on the slopes of the Witwatersrand ridge, flows into the Indian Ocean, the length of the river is 1600 km, the basin area is sq. km.

ORANGE

https://pandia.ru/text/78/225/images/image158.jpg" align="left" width="160" height="147 src=">.gif" width="116" height="47 "> Shari, a river in Central Africa (CAI, the Republic of Chad and along the border of the latter with Cameroon). Formed by the confluence of the Uam and Gribingi; flows into the lake Chad. The length, according to various sources, is 1400-1500 km (from the source of the Uam River), the basin area is about 700 thousand square meters. km.

NIGER

The Niger is the most important river in West Africa. Length 4,180 km, basin area 2,118 thousand square meters. km, the third in these parameters in Africa after the Nile and the Congo. The source is in Guinea, then the river flows through Mali, Niger, along the border of Benin, then flows through Nigeria and flows into the Gulf of Guinea. Major tributaries of the Niger: Milo, Bani (right); Sokoto, Kaduna and Benue (left).

BENOUE

https://pandia.ru/text/78/225/images/image165.jpg" align="left" width="80" height="88 src=">.gif" width="96" height="50 "> The Senegal is a river in West Africa and forms a natural border between the states of Senegal and Mauritania. The length of the river is about 1970 km. The area of ​​the river basin is 419575 sq. km. Main tributaries: Falem, Karakoro and Gorgol.

GAMBIA

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LAKES

VICTORIA

Victoria is a lake in East Africa, on the territory of Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda. It is located in the tectonic trough of the East African platform, at an altitude of 1134 m. The area is 68.870 thousand square meters. km, length 320 km, maximum width 275 km. The high-water Kagera River flows in, the Victoria Nile River flows out. The northern coast of the lake crosses the equator.

RUDOLF

https://pandia.ru/text/78/225/images/image180.gif" width="78" height="58"> Kyoga is a large shallow lake, more precisely a complex of lakes, in Uganda, an area of ​​about 1720 sq. km, located at an altitude of 914m above sea level, the White Nile flows into Kyoga on the way from Lake Victoria to Lake Albert.

SLEEVE

Sleeve, endorheic shallow water salt Lake in East Africa, in the southwest. Tanzania. Lies in a tectonic depression at an altitude of 792m.

https://pandia.ru/text/78/225/images/image185.gif" width="16 height=16" height="16">

NYASA

https://pandia.ru/text/78/225/images/image188.jpg" align="left" width="220" height="112 src="> Malawi (Nyasa) is a lake in Central East Africa. The lake runs from north to south, the length is 560 km, the depth is 706 m.

BANGWEULU

https://pandia.ru/text/78/225/images/image191.gif" width="137" height="66"> .jpg" align="left" width="148" height="132 src="> Mveru - mountain fresh lake on the border between Zambia and DR Congo. Located at an altitude of 917m above sea level, southwest of Lake Tanganyika. Maximum length 110 km, width 45 km, depth up to 27 m. Navigable. There are bream and tilapia in the lake. Described by David Livingston.

https://pandia.ru/text/78/225/images/image196.gif" width="19" height="123"> .gif" width="275" height="34"> TANA

https://pandia.ru/text/78/225/images/image201.jpg" align="left" width="315" height="78 src="> Tana, Tsana, Dembea, a lake in Ethiopia, in Ethiopian Highlands, at an altitude of 1830m Length 75km, width up to 70km Area 3100-3600 sq. km Depth up to 70m.

CHAD

https://pandia.ru/text/78/225/images/image204.jpg" align="left" width="127" height="86 src="> The surface of the lake is not constant: it usually occupies about 27 thousand square meters km, the lake in the rainy season spills up to 50 thousand, and in the dry season it is reduced to 11 thousand sq. km From the south, the Shari rivers with a wide and shallow delta and Mbulu flow into the lake, from the west - Komadugu-Vaube, and from the east - shallow Bar-el-Ghazal.

ASSAL

https://pandia.ru/text/78/225/images/image206.jpg" align="left" width="122" height="100 src="> "Livingston Falls" - a system of rapids and rapids in the lower reaches the Congo River, located on the territory Democratic Republic Congo (DRC) in western equatorial Africa. Named after the Scottish explorer Livingston, the "waterfall" system is a 350 km long rapids section of the river with a total drop of 270 m.

VICTORIA

https://pandia.ru/text/78/225/images/image208.jpg" align="left" width="122 height=94" height="94"> STANLEY Stanley Falls, waterfalls in the upper reaches of the river. Congo (Zaire), between the cities of Ubundu and Kisangani, on the territory of the Republic of Zaire. 7 significant rapids, separated by stretches, at a distance of about 150 km; total fall about 40m.

MURCHISON

https://pandia.ru/text/78/225/images/image210.jpg" align="left" width="222" height="155 src="> atlas mountains, mountain system all in. Africa; to the west. parts of Morocco - three parallel. chains: medium (High Atlas or Idrar-in-Deren with the peak of Jebel-Ayashi. 4500 m., southern Anti-A. and northern Er-Rif; in Algeria and Tunisia, two chains: on S. Small. Atlas or Tell , to the south of the Big Atlas (2300m.), Between them is the plateau of Shotts (1100m.).

SUGAR ATLAS

Saharan Atlas, a system of mountain ranges and massifs in the south of the Atlas mountainous country within Algeria. Altitude 1200-1500 m, individual peaks over 2000 m (Aisa mountain up to 2336 m).

ANTIATLAS

https://pandia.ru/text/78/225/images/image223.jpg" align="left" width="124" height="89 src="> Ethiopian (Abyssinian) highlands - a mountain system in the northeast Africa in Ethiopia, Eritrea, and northern Somalia Average height m.

MITUMBA, MOUNTAINS

Mitumba, mountain range in the center. part of the East African Plateau, to the SE. and V. Congo (formerly Zaire). It is composed of young volcanic and ancient crystalline rocks. Length from north to south approx. 400km, height up to 3305m. Flat tops dominate at several levels. Sev. part of the ridge extends along a tectonic depression occupied by lakes Edward, Kivu and Tanganyika.

DRAGON MOUNTAINS

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CAPES

Cape Mountains, mountains in southern Africa, in South Africa, between Port Elizabeth in the east and the mouth of the river. Olifants in the west. The length is about 800 km. Consist of several parallel ridges. The average height is 1500m, the highest is 2326m.

RAS DASHAN, MOUNTAIN

Ras Dashan, the most high peak in the Semien Mountains in the Ethiopian Highlands. Altitude 4620m.

KENYA

Kenya is the highest mountain in Kenya and the second highest mountain in Africa (after Kilimanjaro). The highest peaks are Batianm), Nelionm) and Point Lenanam). The mountain is located in the central part of the country a little south of the equator, 150 km north-northeast of Nairobi.

KILIMANJARO, VOLCANO

https://pandia.ru/text/78/225/images/image234.jpg" align="left" width="173" height="120 src="> Somalia is a plateau bordered in the southeast and north by coastal lowland rivers - Jubba, Vebi-Shebeli Most of the territory is desert.

DARFUR, PLATEAU

https://pandia.ru/text/78/225/images/image238.gif" width="98" height="51"> The high plateaus are the common name for the intermountain semi-desert plateaus in the Atlas. Altitude m in the west, 700-800m in the east. They are located between the Tel Atlas ridges in the north and the Saharan Atlas in the south.

BELLOWS-HOLES

BODELE

https://pandia.ru/text/78/225/images/image241.jpg" align="left" width="115" height="80 src="> Qattara is a waterless depression in Egypt in the north of the Libyan Desert in Africa Area sq. km.

Kalahari

Kalahari, a depression in central South Africa, coinciding with the African Platform syneclise of the same name. Located on the territory of Angola, Zambia, Namibia, Botswana, Southern Rhodesia and South Africa. The area is about 630 thousand square meters. km.

DESERT

ARABIAN

https://pandia.ru/text/78/225/images/image243.gif" width="44" height="70"> Arabian desert, north-east. part of the Sahara (Egypt) between the Nile Valley and the ridge. Etbay stretching along the Red Sea. In the south (at 22° north latitude) it passes into the Nubian desert. The plateaus drop from east to west to the Nile valley from 1,000 to 200 m and are intensively dissected by valleys with dry channels (wadis).

https://pandia.ru/text/78/225/images/image246.jpg" align="left" width="149" height="114 src="> NUBIAN

Nubian desert, in Africa, mostly in Sudan, between the river. Nile and the Red Sea, from which it is separated by the Etbay ridge.

LEBYAN

Libyan Desert, a desert in Africa, in the northeast of the Sahara, west of the river. Nile, within eastern Libya, western Arab Republic of Egypt and northern Sudan. The area is about 2 million square meters. km.

People who lived not far from ancient Carthage, the inhabitants of the city called the word "afri". From the Phoenician word afar means "dust", it is to this language that this name is attributed. When the Romans conquered Carthage, they named this province Africa. Later, they began to call the regions that were known on this continent. And then the whole continent.

Another version says that the word has the roots of the Berber word ifri, i.e. cave. This meant the cave dwellers, the Afri people. Also, the Muslim province called "Ifriqiya", which later arose in this place, also had the same root in the name.

I. Efremov, a well-known writer and scientist, believed that the word "Africa" ​​has roots in the ancient language of Ta-Kem ("Afros" - a foamy country, Egypt). This is due to the fact that when approaching the mainland in the Mediterranean Sea, several currents collide.

Etymology of the names of physical and geographical objects in Africa

Gulf of Aden. Gulf of the Indian Ocean. The name was given to the city of Aden in the south of the Arabian Peninsula. According to one version, the toponym is based on the Arabic root in the meaning of "settlement". According to another interpretation, the name was formed by the term from the ancient Semitic-Hamitic languages ​​\u200b\u200bedinu - plain, steppe, which clearly reflects natural features.

Azores. Archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean. Belongs to Portugal. The Portuguese called Ilhas dos Azores - "islands of hawks" for the abundance of these birds off the coast and in the archipelago.

Amirant Islands. Archipelago in the Indian Ocean. They were discovered by the expedition of Admiral Vasco to Gama and named after him llhas de Almitante - "The Admiral's Islands".

Annobon.Island in the Gulf of Guinea. Named by the Portuguese Anno Bon - "Good Year" ( New Year), because they first set foot on the island on January 1, 1474.

Atlas. Atlas mountains.In northwest Africa. The name has a direct connection with the name of the mythical titan Atlas, who holds the earth on his mighty shoulders. The ancient Greeks deified these mountains, worshiping the mountain spirit in the form of a petrified giant supporting the Earth. So says the legend. Apparently, this was facilitated by a possible source from (the Berber word "adrar", which means "mountain".

Augrabis.Waterfall on the river Orange. The name comes from the Hottentot aukrebis, "great noise".

Afar.Tectonic depression in Djibouti. The lowest place in Africa (-153 m above sea level). The name is given by the name of the Afar people living in Djibouti, Eritrea and Ethiopia.

Ahaggar.mountain range in the Central Sahara. The name comes from the name of the Tuareg tribe Kel-Ahaggar. The ethnonym, apparently, is based on the Arabic term "Akhgar" - a cave, i.e. "ahaggar" - "cave dwellers", "cave spirits".

Bab el Mandeb Strait. Separates Africa and the southwest of the Arabian Peninsula. The name comes from the Arabic words "bab" - gate, "mandib" - tears, i.e. means "gate of tears". The toponym-metaphor reflects the difficult conditions of navigation in the strait.

White Nile.The name of the middle course of the Nile to the confluence of the Blue. The Arabic name for the Bahr el-Abyad river is "white river". According to experts, the definition of "white" refers either to the cloudy color of the water, or corresponds to an unknown color orientation.

Benguela current. Cold current in the Atlantic Ocean. The name is given after the city of Benguela in Angola: in one of the Bantu languages, benguela means "country of reeds".

Benue.Left tributary of the river. Niger. The name comes from the Batta language, where be is "water", nue is "mother", i.e. means"mother of waters"

Bioko.Island in the Gulf of Guinea. The Portuguese, having discovered Bioko, called it Formosa - "Beautiful" for the abundance of lush vegetation and the presence of fresh water. Later, the island was called Fernando Po in honor of the Portuguese discoverer, and in the 70s of the XX century, Macias Nguema Biyogo in honor of the President of Equatorial Guinea. Bioko is a modified name, so it is difficult to call the true meaning.

Vaal. River, right tributary of the river. Orange, The name was given by the Dutch Boer colonists for the color of the water: vaal - "muddy", "gray". The toponym is included in the name of one of the provinces of South Africa - Transvaal (Transvaal) - "beyond the Vaal".

wadi, oueddy. The general name of the beds of temporary watercourses in North Africa, filled with water only during the rainy season. The Arabic geographical term "wadi", "wedd" - a dry channel, a valley.

Weld.The name of an arid plateau in southern Africa. In Dutch and Afrikaans (the language of Afrikaners), veld is a vernacular geographic term meaning "field".

Victoria.Lake in East Africa, the largest on the mainland. Unlike the Victoria Falls, named by D. Livingston in honor of the Queen of Great Britain, the name of Lake Victoria was given by the traveler D. Speke. Therefore, at present, in the young African countries located on the shores of the lake, other names are offered: Umoja - "unity", Uhuru - "freedom", Shirikisho - "unification", Uhuru na Umoja - the state motto of Tanzania, inscribed on the coat of arms of the state.

Victoria.Waterfall on the river Zambezi. It was discovered by the outstanding English traveler David Livingston and named after the Queen of Great Britain. Locals call the waterfall Mosi-oa-Tunya - "thundering smoke", or Seongo - "place of the rainbow".

Virunga.Volcanic mountains in East Africa. The name in the language of the Nyoro people means "volcano".

Volta.River in West Africa. The name Rio-da-Volta - "river of return" was given by the Portuguese, because. in the 15th century their ships stopped at the mouth of the river before returning to their homeland. In Ghana, on the Volta created the reservoir of the same name - one of the largest in the world (8480 km 2 ).

Guardafuy.Cape in the east of the Somali Peninsula. Scientists believe that the name is derived from the Portuguese word guardafu, distorted by the Arabs - "beware", which is associated with dangerous navigation conditions. There has long been a legend that, as if at the easternmost tip of the Somali peninsula, there is a magnetic mountain that attracts the iron parts of ships approaching it. As a result, the ships, approaching it, crashed against the rocks. In fact, here is the narrowest shelf zone. With strong winds, high waves, poor visibility, the ships were often carried out to the peninsula, and they crashed on the coastal reefs. The word "Guardafui" was a warning to sailors who sailed past this cape.

Gulf of Guinea.Gulf of the Atlantic Ocean off the western coast of Africa. It is named after the historical and geographical region of Guinea, washed by it. There are several versions of the origin of the toponym Guinea. According to one of them, the name is based on the name of the Berber tribe Kinava (the Arab scientist Ibn-Yakut mentioned the region of Kinava in the 13th century). Another point of view is based on the fact that the toponym is formed by the Berber words "agvinau" - "black" or "iguaven" - "mute" (i.e. not those who know the language Berbers) and belonged to the territory inhabited by black tribes. Later Europeans corrupted the original word into Gunua, Ginua and finally Guinea.

Strait of Gibraltar.Separates Africa from the Iberian Peninsula of Europe. Named after the rock of Gibraltar on the European side of the strait. The modern form of the name of the rock arose as a result of the centuries-old use and transformation of the primary Arabic Jebel el-Tariq - "mountain of Tariq".

Blue Nile.The largest tributary of the Nile. In Ethiopia, the river is called Abbay - "father of the waters, and in Arab countries Bahr el-Azraq - "blue river". The color name, according to some scientists, reflects the color of the water in the river, which carries bluish silt.

Good Hope. Cape in southern Africa. Discovered in 1488 by the Portuguese navigator B. Dias and named by him Cabo Tormentoso - "Cape of Storms". King João II of Portugal did not like the name and, at his behest, the cape was renamed Cabo da Bona Esperanza - "Cape of Good Hope", referring to the hope of reaching a fabulously rich and attractive India for Europeans. Some historians believe that B. Dias immediately called the cape the name of Good Hope, and the above version is only historical legend. However, it is impossible to prove or disprove this hypothesis due to the lack of sources contemporary to Dias' voyage.

dragon mountains. Located in South Africa. It is assumed that the mountains are named after one of the European colonizers, the harrow Drakenstein. Etymologically, the surname consists of two words: draken - "dragon", stein - "stone".

Zambezi.River in South Africa. Previously, the name of the river on the maps was transmitted in various ways; Ambezi, Luambezi, Liambey, etc. According to modern toponymists, the primary form of the name is Ambezi (or Ambey), which means "big river" in the local Bantu languages. The name of the river in the middle course in the Tonga language, Murongo-Mucuri, has the same meaning, which is a tracing paper of the main toponym.

Zanzibar.An island in the Indian Ocean off the east coast of Africa. The toponym comes from the Persian term "bar" - "shore", "edge" and the ethnonym "zinj", which is based on the Arabic or Persian "zang", "zeng" - "black". Zinji is the collective name for the Negroid tribes of East Africa in medieval Muslim literature.

Cape Green. It is located on the peninsula of the same name to the east of Cape Almadi. Named in 1445 by the Portuguese D. Diasem Cabo Verde - "Green Cape", because. was the first dry land covered with tropical flora, which contrasted sharply with the sands of the Sahara.

Cape Verde Island.Archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean. Named after m. Green, against which it is located. The transfer of the name of the islands into other languages ​​is accepted in the form of a translation, in contrast to the name of the state located on them.

Needle.Cape, the southernmost tip of Africa. Discovered in 1488 by B. Dias and named by him Cabo Sao Brandao - St. Brandan's Cape, because. the discovery took place on the day of this saint. However, the name was soon changed, and the cape was mapped under the name Agulhas - Agulhas. The word agulha in Portuguese means "needle", "arrow". Modern toponymists see the Portuguese metaphorical term agulha as the basis of the name, meaning "peak", "top". Proceeding from this, the toponym is interpreted as "cape of peaks", and the reason is a rocky cape.

Go-Amin-Dada; Edward.Lake in East Africa. Opened in the 19th century. and named Edward in honor of the Crown Prince of Great Britain. In 1971, President Idi Amin Dada came to power in Uganda, and the lake was named after him. To this day, both names have been preserved behind the reservoir.

Cabarega.Waterfall and national park on the river Victoria Nile in Uganda. The waterfall was discovered in the 19th century. and named Murchison in honor of Rodrik Murchison, eminent geologist, president of the Royal Geographical Society of London. In 1962, it was renamed in honor of the national hero of Uganda, the fighter against the British colonialists Kabarega Chwa II.

Kalahari.A semi-desert region in South Africa. At the heart of the toponym is a geographical term from the Hottentot language karaha - "area of ​​sand and stone." The popular interpretation of the name from the Tswana language in the past, where karri-karri - "tormented by thirst" or "painful", is now recognized by toponymists as unlikely. The Dutch Boer settlers called the semi-desert Bosjeveld - "field of thorny bushes", which reflected the specifics of vegetation.

Cameroon.Volcanic massif in Equatorial Africa. The Portuguese slave merchant Fernand Gomizh, sailing past the coast of Africa in the equatorial waters of the Gulf of Guinea, noticed high mountain about which he wanted to know more. He sent a detachment of daredevils deep into the mainland. On the way, they met an obstacle in the form of a small river with clean clear water, which was very useful, since they needed to replenish their drinking water supplies. Having filled the barrels with delicious water, the sailors saw an abundance of crabs in the river, after which, for fun, they caught crabs and shrimp and delivered them to the ship. And the river flowing in close proximity to the mountain was called Rio des Camaroes (camarues), which means "river of crabs" in Portuguese. At the same time, Mount Cameroon also received this name, and later the state was named that way. Locals have long had a superstitious fear of the snowy volcanic peak of Cameroon and call it "Maongo ma Loba", which means "mountain of heaven" or "mountain of God".

Canary Islands.Archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean. Belongs to Spain. The islands were known in ancient times under the Latin name Insulas Fortunatae. The Spaniards, who visited the archipelago at the beginning of the 15th century, called them islas Canarias - "dog islands". According to one version, the sailors saw a large number of dogs on the shores of the islands, which was the reason for the appearance of the toponym. According to another version, the archipelago was named after the main island of Gran Canaria. and the island fairyland Canaria, mentioned in medieval European legends.

Canary Current.Cold current in the Atlantic Ocean. Named after the Canary Islands.

Cape Mountains.Located in southern Africa. They are named after the Cape Colony founded by the Dutch, which received its name from its original location on the Cape of Good Hope (Dutch. Kaar - "cape"). With the expansion of the colony, the name spread to the mountains. Folk etymology connects the toponym with the Dutch kaar - "profit", i.e. the colony was supposedly so named for the fact that it brought a lot of income to the treasury. However, there is no scientific evidence for this interpretation.

Carr.General name for semi-desert plateaus and intermountain depressions in South Africa. The name is based on the Hottentot geographical term karusa, modified by the Boers - "dry", "anhydrous", which clearly reflects the natural conditions.

Kenya.Volcanic massif in East Africa. Toponymists see the Masai term "kee-niya" - "white mountain" as the basis of the toponym, which is associated with the presence of glaciers and snow on the top of the mountain.

Kilimanjaro.Volcanic massif in East Africa. The highest point of the mainland. Scientists associate the origin of the name Kilimanjaro with a word distorted by Europeans from the Swahili language, which means "mountain of the god of cold", or, according to another version, "mountain that shines".

Comoros.Archipelago in the Mozambique Channel of the Indian Ocean. The islands have been known to the Arabs since the 8th century, and it was they who named the archipelago Jezair al-Komr - "Islands of the Moon", which was associated with the spread of the cult of this luminary. The Portuguese borrowed the Arabic name in a distorted form of Somoges, which was fixed on European maps.

Congo; Zaire.River in Equatorial Africa. The mouth of the river was discovered in the 15th century. the Portuguese D.Kan called it Rio da Padrao - "padran river" (padran - a stone pillar that the Portuguese erected in honor of discoveries, carving on it a coat of arms, the name of the king and discoverer). The name did not stick, and the river was renamed Congo - that was the name of the country and the people who lived in it before the arrival of Europeans. Locals call the river differently in different parts of the course: Nzadi or Nzari - "the river that absorbs all others" or " great river" (distorted form of Zaire), Zembere - "mother of waters"; Kulla - "great water", and in the upper reaches of Lualaba - "big river".

Red sea.Sea of ​​the Indian Ocean between Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. IN Ancient Egypt it was called the Great Greens, later - the Arabian Gulf, among the Greeks Pelagos Eritre ("erythros" - "red"), from where it came into European languages ​​in a translated form. There are several versions of the origin of the toponym. According to one of them, the name is given for the red hue of the water in the sea. Another version is based on the ancient color orientation among the peoples of the East, where the south was indicated by red. Another interpretation of the toponym was noted - from the ethnic name of the ancient tribe of the Khamarites, which meant "red".

Kruger.National park in South Africa. Named in honor of Stephanus Kruger - President of the Boer Republic of Transvaal: commander of the Boer army in the war with Great Britain 1899-1902.

Libyan desert.Located in the Sahara. The name is given by the ancient name of Africa - Libya, which comes from the ethnonym "libu".

livingstone waterfalls. Located in the lower reaches of the river. Congo (Zaire). Named after the outstanding explorer of Africa, a Scot by origin, D. Livingston.

Limpopo.River in South Africa. The etymology of the name is unknown. The Dutch Boer colonists called the Crocodil River - "Crocodile River" for the abundance of these reptiles in its waters.

Mauritius.Island in the Indian Ocean. The Dutch, having captured the island, named it Mauritius - Mauritius in honor of the Dutch prince Mauritius (Mauritius; Maurice) of Orange.

Maghreb.The common Arabic name for the northwest of Africa since the early Middle Ages: "Maghrib" - West.

Madagascar.Island in the Indian Ocean. Known to Arab sailors as Jezira al-Komr - "island of the moon", which is associated with the cult of this luminary. In the XVI century. The Portuguese named the island Sao Lourenzo - St. Lawrence, because saw the land of Madagascar on the day of this saint. The French, having conquered the island in the 19th century, called it Ile Dauphine - "the island of the Dauphin" (ie the heir to the throne). Malagasy call their homeland Nossi Damba - "island of wild boars" or Tani-Be - "great". The toponym Madagascar in the distorted form Madeigaskar is first found in Marco Polo (XIII century). According to scientists, it is based on the ethnic name Malagasy, as the inhabitants of the island are now called.

Madeira.Archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean. Belongs to Portugal. The Portuguese called Maderia - Forest, because. indeed was covered with forests, later completely cut down. The earliest names of the archipelago: among the Carthaginians Al-Agnam - "island of goats" (for the abundance of these animals), among the Romans Insulae Purpurinae - "islands of purple" (for the paint mined there).

Mascarene Islands.Archipelago in the Indian Ocean. Opened in the 16th century. Portuguese expedition of Pedro de Mascarenhas (Mascarenhas) and named after him.

Mobutu-Sese-Seko; Albert.Lake in East Africa. Opened in the 19th century. The British named Albert in honor of Queen Victoria's husband. In 1973, it was renamed in honor of the President of Zaire, Mobutu Sese Seko. The locals call the reservoir Mbutan Nzighe - "the reservoir of dead shells" for the abundance of shellfish on the shores, or Nyasa - the geographical term for "lake" in the Bantu languages. Perhaps one of these names will become the new official, which is associated with the death of President Mobutu.

Mozambique Channel.Divides Africa and about. Madagascar. Named after the state of Mozambique. A similar origin of the name of the warm Mozambique Current in the Indian Ocean.

Namib.Desert in southwestern Africa. There are two versions of the origin of the toponym from the languages ​​of the Hottentot tribes. According to one of them namib - "shield"; on the other - "that which is bypassed" (dangerous, lifeless). The second interpretation reflects the complexity natural conditions in a desert.

Nasser.Reservoir on the river. Nile in Egypt. It is named after the President of Egypt, Gamal Abdel Nasser, during whose reign the reservoir was created and the Aswan Dam was built.

Niger. River in West Africa. The name is a Berber name of the river N "Egiren - "river" distorted by the Portuguese and other Europeans. In different parts of the course it has different names in local languages: in the upper Jolib - "big water"; in the middle and lower Kuara - "river", Issa Bari - "great river" Mayo - "river" The explanation of the name from the word niger in the meaning of "black" from European languages ​​is considered incorrect by modern toponymists.

Nile.The longest river in Africa. The oldest form of the name of the river Aur is "hidden" (i.e., with an unknown source). The Egyptians called her Hapi in honor of the god of fertility and harvest. Modern Arabs call the river El-Bahr - "river". The toponym Nile in the form of Neilos is first found among the ancient Greeks. The Romans borrowed it as Nilus. According to one version, the toponym is based on the ancient Semitic term "nagal" - "river", changed by the Greeks. According to another version, the Greeks borrowed from the Libyan tribes the word lil - "water", distorting it into nil. Philologists note the possibility of such a transformation.

Nubian desert. Located in northeast Africa. named after historical area Nubia, located between the Nile rapids. The toponym is based on the ancient Egyptian word "nuba" - "gold". In ancient times, the largest mines were located here, from where gold came to the palace of the pharaohs.

Nyasa; Malawi.Lake in East Africa. The toponym is formed by a popular geographical term from the Bantu languages ​​nyasa - "lake". In the Republic of Malawi, the lake is officially called Malawi after the main people of this country.

Orange.River in South Africa. The Hottentots called her Kai Garib - big river, the Dutch settlers of the Groat River Boers with the same meaning. At all times, people often gave names to objects (rivers, lakes) according to the color of the water or the coast. But the name of the Orange River has nothing to do with color. This name was given to her by settlers from the Netherlands (Holland) Boers in honor of the princes of Orange - the then rulers of the Netherlands. With someone's light hand, and perhaps through transformation, the name Oranskaya turned into Orange.

Principe.Island in the Gulf of Guinea. Opened in the 15th century. Portuguese expedition and named Principi - "first", because. was the first island discovered by this expedition. According to another version - "Prince".

Reunion.Island in the Indian Ocean. Named at the end of the 18th century by the French Reunion - "Connection", because. the inhabitants of the island decided to unite with Fr. Mauritius into a single administrative region. The name has changed several times: in the XVI century. Portuguese Santa Apollonia (in honor of St. Apollonia), in the 19th century. - Bonapart (in honor of Napoleon), Ile de Burbon - "Bourbon Island" (in honor of the dynasty of kings). Since 1848 - again Reunion.

Rwenzori.Mountain range in East Africa. The height of the mountains is reflected in their name: in the local Bantu languages ​​ruwenzori means "lord of the clouds". A national park in Uganda is also named after the mountains.


San Tome.Island in the Gulf of Guinea. Opened by the Portuguese on the day of St. Tome (Thomas) and named Sao Tome in his honor.

Sahara.Desert in North Africa. The name is formed by the Arabic geographical term "sahara" - "desert" in the plural form, i.e. Sahara - "deserts". According to philologists, the term is based on the Arabic "ashar" - "reddish", which reflects the dominant color and color background of the desert. Archipelago in the Indian Ocean. Named in the 18th century. French in honor of the Minister of Finance Moreau de Setelle (Seychelles).

Senegal.River in West Africa. According to one version, the toponym is based on the name of the Berber tribe Senega, go Sankhaya. Other toponymists believe that the name ancient city Senegana crossed over to the river. In the past, the toponym was explained as "navigable", but due to lack of evidence, modern scientists do not consider this option.

Somalia.Peninsula in East Africa. Named after the Somali people living in a large part of it. The ethnonym comes from the Cushitic languages ​​and means "dark", which is associated with the skin color of the people. In Ptolemy (II century), the peninsula is called the Southern Horn (now the Horn of Africa is sometimes found). According to the peninsula, the cold current in the Indian Ocean is named Somali.

Tanganyika.Lake in East Africa. There are several explanations for the name Tanganyika. According to one of them, the toponym is formed by the local geographical terms tonga - "lake" and nyika - "savanna", i.e. means "lake in the savanna". The discoverer of the reservoir R. Burton believed that the name comes from local dialects, where tanganjika - "meeting of waters" There is also a variant of interpretation "sail in the savannah". Other names of the lake in local languages ​​are known: Msaga - "stormy", as well as Kooko and Udidji that do not have explanations.

Tristan da Cunha.Archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean. Discovered by the Portuguese navigator Tristan da Cunha and named after him.

Turkana; Rudolf.Lake in East Africa. Opened in the 19th century. and named Rudolf in honor of the heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary. At the same time, the name Turkana is used - after the name of the people living on the shores of the lake. The Turkana themselves call the reservoir Basso-Narok - "dark water". Tsavo.National park in Kenya. Named after r. Tsavo, flowing within the park. In the Maasai language, "tsavo" means "land stained with blood." Initially, the toponym referred to the territory adjacent to the river. The name reflects the red color of the soil of the area or indicates the presence of a large number of predators.

Chad.Lake in Central Africa. The name is formed by the geographical term "chad" from the Kanuri language and means "lake", "water". Ethiopian Highlands.Located in northeast Africa. Named after the country of Ethiopia.

Etymology of the names of physical and geographical objects in Africa
Gulf of Aden. Gulf of the Indian Ocean. The name was given to the city of Aden in the south of the Arabian Peninsula. According to one version, the toponym is based on the Arabic root in the meaning of "settlement". According to another interpretation, the name was formed by the term from the ancient Semitic-Hamitic languages ​​\u200b\u200bedinu - plain, steppe, which clearly reflects natural features.

Azores. Archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean. Belongs to Portugal. The Portuguese called Ilhas dos Azores - "islands of hawks" for the abundance of these birds off the coast and in the archipelago.

Amirant Islands. Archipelago in the Indian Ocean. They were discovered by the expedition of Admiral Vasco to Gama and named after him llhas de Almitante - "The Admiral's Islands".

Annobon. Island in the Gulf of Guinea. Named by the Portuguese Anno Bon - "Good Year" (New Year), because. they first set foot on the island on January 1, 1474.

Atlas. Atlas mountains. In northwest Africa. The name has a direct connection with the name of the mythical titan Atlas, who holds the earth on his mighty shoulders. The ancient Greeks deified these mountains, worshiping the mountain spirit in the form of a petrified giant supporting the Earth. So says the legend. Apparently, this was facilitated by a possible primary source from (the Berber word "adrar", which means "mountain"

Augrabis. Waterfall on the river Orange. The name comes from the Hottentot aukrebis, "great noise".

Afar. Tectonic depression in Djibouti. The lowest place in Africa (-153 m above sea level). The name is given by the name of the Afar people living in Djibouti, Eritrea and Ethiopia.

Ahaggar. Mountain range in the Central Sahara. The name comes from the name of the Tuareg tribe Kel-Ahaggar. The ethnonym, apparently, is based on the Arabic term "Akhgar" - a cave, i.e. "ahaggar" - "cave dwellers", "cave spirits".

Bab el Mandeb Strait. Separates Africa and the southwest of the Arabian Peninsula. The name comes from the Arabic words "bab" - gate, "mandib" - tears, i.e. means "gate of tears". The toponym-metaphor reflects the difficult conditions of navigation in the strait.

White Nile. The name of the middle course of the Nile to the confluence of the Blue. The Arabic name for the Bahr el-Abyad river is "white river". According to experts, the definition of "white" refers either to the cloudy color of the water, or corresponds to an unknown color orientation.

Benguela current. Cold current in the Atlantic Ocean. The name is given after the city of Benguela in Angola: in one of the Bantu languages, benguela means "country of reeds".

Benue. Leyy tributary of the river. Niger. The name comes from the Batta language, where be is "water", nue is "mother", i.e. means
"mother of waters"

Bioko. Island in the Gulf of Guinea. The Portuguese, having discovered Bioko, called it Formosa - "Beautiful" for the abundance of lush vegetation and the presence of fresh water. Later, the island was called Fernando Po in honor of the Portuguese discoverer, and in the 70s of the XX century, Macias Nguema Biyogo and the honor of the President of Equatorial Guinea. Bioko is a modified name, so it is difficult to call the true meaning.

Bush. General name for shrub formations in South Africa. The Dutch and English geographic term bush is "bush".

Vaal. River, right tributary of the river. Orange, The name was given by the Dutch Boer colonists for the color of the water: vaal - "muddy", "gray". The toponym is included in the name of one of the provinces of South Africa - Transvaal (Transvaal) - "beyond the Vaal".

wadi, oueddy. The general name of the beds of temporary watercourses in North Africa, filled with water only during the rainy season. The Arabic geographical term "wadi", "wedd" - a dry channel, a valley.

Weld. The name of an arid plateau in southern Africa. In Dutch and Afrikaans (the language of Afrikaners), veld is a vernacular geographic term meaning "field".

Victoria. Lake in East Africa, the largest on the mainland. Unlike the Victoria Falls, named by D. Livingston in honor of the Queen of Great Britain, the name of Lake Victoria was given by the traveler D. Speke. Therefore, at present, in the young African countries located on the shores of the lake, other names are offered: Umoja - "unity", Uhuru - "freedom", Shirikisho - "unification", Uhuru na Umoja - the state motto of Tanzania, inscribed on the coat of arms of the state.

Victoria. Waterfall on the river Zambezi. It was discovered by the outstanding English traveler David Livingston and named after the Queen of Great Britain. Locals call the waterfall Mosi-oa-Tunya - "thundering smoke", or Seongo - "place of the rainbow".

Virunga. Volcanic mountains in East Africa. The name in the language of the Nyoro people means "volcano".

Volta. River in West Africa. The name Rio-da-Volta - "river of return" was given by the Portuguese, because. in the 15th century their ships stopped at the mouth of the river before returning to their homeland. In Ghana, on the Volta created the reservoir of the same name - one of the largest in the world (8480 km 2).

Guardafuy. Cape in the east of the Somali Peninsula. Scientists believe that the name is derived from the Portuguese word guardafu, distorted by the Arabs - "beware", which is associated with dangerous navigation conditions. There has long been a legend that, as if at the easternmost tip of the Somali peninsula, there is a magnetic mountain that attracts the iron parts of ships approaching it. As a result, the ships, approaching it, crashed against the rocks. In fact, here is the narrowest shelf zone. With strong winds, high waves, poor visibility, the ships were often carried out to the peninsula, and they crashed on the coastal reefs. The word "Guardafui" was a warning to sailors who sailed past this cape.

Gulf of Guinea. Gulf of the Atlantic Ocean off the western coast of Africa. It is named after the historical and geographical region of Guinea, washed by it. There are several versions of the origin of the toponym Guinea. According to one of them, the name is based on the name of the Berber tribe Kinava (the Arab scientist Ibn-Yakut mentioned the region of Kinava in the 13th century). Another point of view is based on the fact that the toponym is formed by the Berber words "agwinau" - "black" or "iguaven" - "mute" (i.e., those who do not know the language of the Berbers) and referred to the territory inhabited by black tribes. Later Europeans corrupted the original word into Gunua, Ginua and finally Guinea.

Strait of Gibraltar. Separates Africa from the Iberian Peninsula of Europe. Named after the rock of Gibraltar on the European side of the strait. The modern form of the name of the rock arose as a result of the centuries-old use and transformation of the primary Arabic Jebel el-Tariq - "mountain of Tariq".

Blue Nile. The largest tributary of the Nile. In Ethiopia, the river is called Abbai - "father of waters", and in the Arab countries Bahr el-Azraq - "blue river". The color name, according to some scientists, reflects the color of the water in the river, which carries bluish silt.

Good Hope. Cape in southern Africa. Discovered in 1488 by the Portuguese navigator B. Dias and named by him Cabo Tormentoso - "Cape of Storms". King João II of Portugal did not like the name and, at his behest, the cape was renamed Cabo da Bona Esperanza - "Cape of Good Hope", referring to the hope of reaching a fabulously rich and attractive India for Europeans. Some historians believe that B. Dias immediately named the cape after Good Hope, and the above version is only a historical legend. However, it is impossible to prove or disprove this hypothesis due to the lack of sources contemporary to Dias' voyage.

dragon mountains. Located in South Africa. It is assumed that the mountains are named after one of the European colonizers, the harrow Drakenstein. Etymologically, the surname consists of two words: draken - "dragon", stein - "stone".

Zambezi. River in South Africa. Previously, the name of the river on the maps was transmitted in various ways; Ambezi, Luambezi, Liambey, etc. According to modern toponymists, the primary form of the name is Ambezi (or Ambey), which means "big river" in the local Bantu languages. The name of the river in the middle course in the Tonga language, Murongo-Mucuri, has the same meaning, which is a tracing paper of the main toponym.

Zanzibar. An island in the Indian Ocean off the east coast of Africa. The toponym comes from the Persian term "bar" - "shore", "edge" and the ethnonym "zinj", which is based on the Arabic or Persian "zang", "zeng" - "black". Zinji is the collective name for the Negroid tribes of East Africa in medieval Muslim literature.

Green Cape. It is located on the peninsula of the same name to the east of Cape Almadi. Named in 1445 by the Portuguese D. Diasem Cabo Verde - "Green Cape", because. was the first dry land covered with tropical flora, which contrasted sharply with the sands of the Sahara.

Cape Verde Island. Archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean. Named after m. Green, against which it is located. The transfer of the name of the islands into other languages ​​is accepted in the form of a translation, in contrast to the name of the state located on them.

Needle. Cape, the southernmost tip of Africa. Discovered in 1488 by B. Dias and named by him Cabo Sao Brandao - St. Brandan's Cape, because. the discovery took place on the day of this saint. However, the name was soon changed, and the cape was mapped under the name Agulhas - Agulhas. The word agulha in Portuguese means "needle", "arrow". Modern toponymists see the Portuguese metaphorical term agulha as the basis of the name, meaning "peak", "top". Proceeding from this, the toponym is interpreted as "cape of peaks", and the reason for the nomination was the sharpness of the rocky cape.

Go-Amin-Dada; Edward. Lake in East Africa. Opened in the 19th century. and named Edward in honor of the Crown Prince of Great Britain. In 1971, President Idi Amin Dada came to power in Uganda, and the lake was named after him. To this day, both names have been preserved behind the reservoir.

Cabarega. Waterfall and national park on the river. Victoria Nile in Uganda. The waterfall was discovered in the 19th century. and named Murchison in honor of Rodrik Murchison, eminent geologist, president of the Royal Geographical Society of London. In 1962, it was renamed in honor of the national hero of Uganda, the fighter against the British colonialists Kabarega Chwa II.

Kalahari. A semi-desert region in South Africa. At the heart of the toponym is a geographical term from the Hottentot language karaha - "area of ​​sand and stone." The popular interpretation of the name from the Tswana language in the past, where karri-karri - "tormented by thirst" or "painful", is now recognized by toponymists as unlikely. The Dutch Boer settlers called the semi-desert Bosjeveld - "field of thorny bushes", which reflected the specifics of vegetation.

Cameroon. Volcanic massif in Equatorial Africa. The Portuguese slave merchant Fernand Gomizh, sailing past the coast of Africa in the equatorial waters of the Gulf of Guinea, noticed a high mountain, about which he wanted to know more. He sent a detachment of daredevils deep into the mainland. On the way, they met an obstacle in the form of a small river with clean clear water, which was very useful, since they needed to replenish their drinking water supplies. Having filled the barrels with delicious water, the sailors saw an abundance of crabs in the river, after which, for fun, they caught crabs and shrimp and delivered them to the ship. And the river flowing in close proximity to the mountain was called Rio des Camaroes (camarues), which means "river of crabs" in Portuguese. At the same time, Mount Cameroon also received this name, and later the state was named that way. Locals have long had a superstitious fear of the snowy volcanic peak of Cameroon and call it "Maongo ma Loba", which means "mountain of heaven" or "mountain of God".

Canary Islands. Archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean. Belongs to Spain. The islands were known in ancient times under the Latin name Insulas Fortunatae. The Spaniards, who visited the archipelago at the beginning of the 15th century, called them islas Canarias - "dog islands". According to one version, the sailors saw a large number of dogs on the shores of the islands, which was the reason for the appearance of the toponym. According to another version, the archipelago was named after the main island of Gran Canaria. and the island - according to the fabulous country of Canaria, mentioned in medieval European legends.

Canary Current. Cold current in the Atlantic Ocean. Named after the Canary Islands.

Cape Mountains. Located in southern Africa. They are named after the Cape Colony founded by the Dutch, which received its name from its original location on the Cape of Good Hope (Dutch. Kaar - "cape"). With the expansion of the colony, the name spread to the mountains. Folk etymology connects the toponym with the Dutch kaar - "profit", i.e. the colony was supposedly so named for the fact that it brought a lot of income to the treasury. However, there is no scientific evidence for this interpretation.

Carr. General name for semi-desert plateaus and intermountain depressions in South Africa. The name is based on the Hottentot geographical term karusa, modified by the Boers - "dry", "anhydrous", which clearly reflects the natural conditions.

Kenya. Volcanic massif in East Africa. Toponymists see the Masai term "kee-niya" as the basis of the toponym - " white mountain", which is associated with the presence of glaciers and snow on the top of the mountain.

Kilimanjaro. Volcanic massif in East Africa. The highest point of the mainland. Scientists associate the origin of the name Kilimanjaro with a word distorted by Europeans from the Swahili language, which means "mountain of the god of cold", or, according to another version, "mountain that shines".

Comoros. Archipelago in the Mozambique Channel of the Indian Ocean. The islands have been known to the Arabs since the 8th century, and it was they who named the archipelago Jezair al-Komr - "Islands of the Moon", which was associated with the spread of the cult of this luminary. The Portuguese borrowed the Arabic name in a distorted form of Somoges, which was fixed on European maps.

Congo; Zaire. River in Equatorial Africa. The mouth of the river was discovered in the 15th century. the Portuguese D.Kan called it Rio da Padrao - "padran river" (padran - a stone pillar that the Portuguese erected in honor of discoveries, carving on it a coat of arms, the name of the king and discoverer). The name did not stick, and the river was renamed Congo - that was the name of the country and the people who lived in it before the arrival of Europeans. Local residents call the river differently in different parts of the course: Nzadi or Nzari - "a river that absorbs all others" or "great river" (a distorted form of Zaire appeared from this name), Zembere - "mother of waters"; Kulla - "great water", and in the upper reaches of Lualaba - "big rea".

Red sea. Sea of ​​the Indian Ocean between Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. In ancient Egypt, it was called the Great Greens, later - the Arabian Gulf, among the Greeks Pelagos Eritre ("erythros" - "red"), from where it came into European languages ​​in a translated form. There are several versions of the origin of the toponym. According to one of them, the name is given for the red hue of the water in the sea. Another version is based on the ancient color orientation among the peoples of the East, where the south was indicated by red. Another interpretation of the toponym was noted - from the ethnic name of the ancient tribe of the Khamarites, which meant "red".

Kruger. National park in South Africa. Named in honor of Stephanus Kruger - President of the Boer Republic of Transvaal: commander of the Boer army in the war with Great Britain 1899-1902.

Libyan desert. Located in the Sahara. The name is given by the ancient name of Africa - Libya, which comes from the ethnonym "libu".

livingstone waterfalls. Located in the lower reaches of the river. Congo (Zaire). Named after the outstanding explorer of Africa, a Scot by origin, D. Livingston.

Limpopo. River in South Africa. The etymology of the name is unknown. The Dutch Boer colonists called the Crocodil River - "Crocodile River" for the abundance of these reptiles in its waters.

Mauritius. Island in the Indian Ocean. The Dutch, having captured the island, named it Mauritius - Mauritius in honor of the Dutch prince Mauritius (Mauritius; Maurice) of Orange.

Maghreb. The common Arabic name for the northwest of Africa since the early Middle Ages: "Maghrib" - West.

Madagascar. Island in the Indian Ocean. Known to Arab sailors as Jezira al-Komr - "island of the moon", which is associated with the cult of this luminary. In the XVI century. The Portuguese named the island Sao Lourenzo - St. Lawrence, because saw the land of Madagascar on the day of this saint. The French, having conquered the island in the 19th century, called it Ile Dauphine - "the island of the Dauphin" (ie the heir to the throne). Malagasy call their homeland Nossi Damba - "island of wild boars" or Tani-Be - "great". The toponym Madagascar in the distorted form Madeigaskar is first found in Marco Polo (XIII century). According to scientists, it is based on the ethnic name Malagasy, as the inhabitants of the island are now called.

Madeira. Archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean. Belongs to Portugal. The Portuguese called Maderia - Forest, because. indeed was covered with forests, later completely cut down. The earliest names of the archipelago: among the Carthaginians Al-Agnam - "island of goats" (for the abundance of these animals), among the Romans Insulae Purpurinae - "islands of purple" (for the paint mined there).

Manyara. National park in Tanzania. Named after the lake Manyara, around which is located. The etymology of the hydronym is unknown.

Mascarene Islands. Archipelago in the Indian Ocean. Opened in the 16th century. Portuguese expedition of Pedro de Mascarenhas (Mascarenhas) and named after him.

Mobutu-Sese-Seko. Lake in East Africa. Opened in the 19th century. The British named Albert in honor of Queen Victoria's husband. In 1973, it was renamed in honor of the President of Zaire, Mobutu Ssse Seko. The locals call the reservoir Mbutan Nzighe - "the reservoir of dead shells" for the abundance of shellfish on the shores, or Nyasa - the geographical term for "lake" in the Bantu languages. Perhaps one of these names will become the new official, which is associated with the death of President Mobutu.

Mozambique Channel. Divides Africa and about. Madagascar. Named after the state of Mozambique. A similar origin of the name of the warm Mozambique Current in the Indian Ocean.

Nakuru. National park in Kenya. Named after the lake Nakuru, within the limits of which he was created. The etymology of the hydronym is unknown.

Namib. Desert in southwestern Africa. There are two versions of the origin of the toponym from the languages ​​of the Hottentot tribes. According to one of them namib - "shield"; on the other - "that which is bypassed" (dangerous, lifeless). The second interpretation reflects the complexity of natural conditions in the desert,

Nasser. Reservoir on the river. Nile in Egypt. It is named after the President of Egypt, Gamal Abdel Nasser, during whose reign the reservoir was created and the Aswan Dam was built.

Ngorongoro. Reserve in Tanzania. Named after vol. Ngorongoro, in the crater of which it is located. The etymology is unknown.

Niger. River in West Africa. The name is a Berber name of the river N "Egiren - "river" distorted by the Portuguese and other Europeans. In different parts of the course it has different names in local languages: in the upper Jolib - "big water"; in the middle and lower Kuara - "river", Issa Bari - "great river" Mayo - "river" The explanation of the name from the word niger in the meaning of "black" from European languages ​​is considered incorrect by modern toponymists.

Nile. The longest river in Africa and the whole world. The oldest form of the name of the river Aur is "hidden" (i.e., with an unknown source). The Egyptians called her Hapi in honor of the god of fertility and harvest. Modern Arabs call the river El-Bahr - "river". The toponym Nile in the form of Neilos is first found among the ancient Greeks. The Romans borrowed it as Nilus. According to one version, the toponym is based on the ancient Semitic term "nagal" - "river", changed by the Greeks. According to another version, the Greeks borrowed from the Libyan tribes the word lil - "water", distorting it into nil. Philologists note the possibility of such a transformation.

Nubian desert. Located in northeast Africa. It is named after the historical region of Nubia, located between the Nile rapids. The toponym is based on the ancient Egyptian word "nuba" - "gold". In ancient times, the largest mines were located here, from where gold came to the palace of the pharaohs.

Nyasa; Malawi. Lake in East Africa. The toponym is formed by a popular geographical term from the Bantu languages ​​nyasa - "lake". In the Republic of Malawi, the lake is officially called Malawi after the main people of this country.

Orange. River in South Africa. The Hottentots called it Kai Garib - Big River, the Dutch settlers of the Boers Groat River with the same meaning. At all times, people often gave names to objects (rivers, lakes) according to the color of the water or the coast. But the name of the Orange River has nothing to do with color. This name was given to her by settlers from the Netherlands (Holland) Boers in honor of the princes of Orange - the then rulers of the Netherlands. With someone's light hand, and perhaps through transformation, the name Oranskaya turned into Orange.

Principe. Island in the Gulf of Guinea. Opened in the 15th century. Portuguese expedition and named Principi - "first", because. was the first island discovered by this expedition. According to another version - "Prince".

Reunion. Island in the Indian Ocean. Named at the end of the 18th century by the French Reunion - "Connection", because. the inhabitants of the island decided to unite with Fr. Mauritius into a single administrative region. The name has changed several times: in the XVI century. Portuguese Santa Apollonia (in honor of St. Apollonia), in the 19th century. - Bonapart (in honor of Napoleon), Ile de Burbon - "Bourbon Island" (in honor of the dynasty of kings). Since 1848 - again Reunion.

Rwenzori. Mountain range in East Africa. The height of the mountains is reflected in their name: in the local Bantu languages ​​ruwenzori means "lord of the clouds". A national park in Uganda is also named after the mountains.

Savannah. Borrowed by the Spaniards at the end of the 15th century. from the language of the Carib Indians (or Arawaks), where sabana is "high-grass plain", "open space". General name for a zonal landscape type.

San Tome. Island in the Gulf of Guinea. Opened by the Portuguese on the day of St. Tome (Thomas) and named Sao Tome in his honor.

Sahara. Desert in North Africa. The name is formed by the Arabic geographical term "sahara" - "desert" in the plural form, i.e. Sahara - "deserts". According to philologists, the term is based on the Arabic "ashar" - "reddish", which reflects the dominant color and color background of the desert.

Sahel. A band of semi-deserts and desertified savannahs in North Africa. The name was given by the Arabs in the Middle Ages; "sahel" - "coast", "edge", "border", or rather - "coast of the desert".

Saint Helena island. Located in the Atlantic Ocean. Discovered by the Portuguese on St. Helena and is named after her. Received worldwide fame as a place of exile and death of Napoleon Bonaparte.

Seychelles. Archipelago in the Indian Ocean. Named in the 18th century. French in honor of the Minister of Finance Moro de Setelle (Seychelles)

Senegal. River in West Africa. According to one version, the toponym is based on the name of the Berber tribe Senega, go Sankhaya. Other toponymists believe that the name of the ancient city of Senegana was transferred to the river. In the past, the toponym was explained as "navigable", but due to lack of evidence, modern scientists do not consider this option.

Serengeti. National park in Tanzania. It is named after the Serengeti plateau, within which it is located. The toponym is based on the term from the Maasai language serenget - "open space", which fully corresponds to geographical realities - vast savannahs on the territory of the plateau.

Socotra. Island in the Indian Ocean. The name of the island was given by Indian sailors: Dvipa Sakhadara - "the island of the harbinger of good luck." Later, this name, reflecting the importance of the island as the most important junction on the ancient sea routes from India to the west, was transformed under the influence of the Arabic language into Socotra.