Africa's highest mountains are in this area. A wide range of climates are found in this part of Africa. The color key, which you will be able to see clearly if you click on the thumbnail, shows the following. Tropical rain forests with all their incredible plant, animal, and insect life are found here. Vegetation is semiarid steppe.
Vegetation is sparse to nonexistent in central desert areas.
Even in highland areas with low rainfall, the lower temperatures reduce evaporation to allow more intense farming. The lower temperatures and humidities make such climates more pleasant for humans and animals by making the air more comfortable and by reducing insect populations so common in lower wetter climates. This map shows the percentage of land that can potentially be used for agriculture assuming rainfall is the only source of water. This simple data format really hides a very complex combination of many different types of data, including soil type, chemistry, suitability for regional crops, and local climate. For example, the lack of suitable soils in the brown areas of the map may be due to lack of rainfall, poor soil, extreme temperatures, or any combination of problems.