10 African islands for every traveler | CNN Travel This huge landmass is splattered with sand-fringed isles, from country-sized behemoths to single-shack atolls. 1. For wildlife enthusiasts: Madagascar A peek into the wild. Eighty percent of the animals on this island are found nowhere else on earth. There are more than 70 species of lemur, from the ring-tailed lemur to the black-and-white Indri lemur. It looks like a child in a panda suit, and wails like a siren. Then there’s the fossa, one of eight species of carnivores on Madagascar, which can climb forwards down vertical tree trunks, and the aye-aye -- a creature so ridiculous European taxidermists thought it was a joke when they saw the first specimen. It has the ears of a bat, the tail of a fox and the teeth of a rat. 2. For photographers: Zanzibar, Tanzania Perfect sky. Perfect light. Perfect smiles. Many people travel to laid-back Zanzibar to lounge about under palm trees or to blink in awe through goggles at the coral reefs. But it’s most irresistible call goes out to photographers.

Historic Stone Town is an intricate weave of narrow roads and alleys, ornate balconies, tumbling plants and Arabic-style houses. The lively markets and street stalls are a treat too, and you’ll not be short of inspiration along Kenyatta Road and Gizenga Street. Some of the world's most beautiful beach shots can be captured on the east coast of the island. 4. For bird lovers: Bird Island, Seychelles Nothing Hitchcockian about these birds. The noise on Bird Island will almost certainly keep you awake, but don't blame disco-dancing night owls. It’s the sea birds. Thousands of them. From April to October every year more than a million terns, mostly sooty terns, nest on the flat, sandy coral land that is one of Seychelles’ most northern islands. Noddy terns, tropic birds, white terns and greater crested terns are all unfazed by human contact, many times allowing visitors to kneel next to them and capture their feathery details with a point-and-shoot camera. Bird Island is also an important nesting site for turtles, and the snorkeling and sea kayaking is good too. 5.

For botanists: São Tomé, São Tomé and Príncipe Trees that offer shade and solitude. Tucked under the bulge of Africa just 290 kilometers west of Gabon is the tiny island nation of São Tomé and Príncipe, where life unfolds at a delightfully mellow pace. These islands are a haven for plant enthusiasts: about 28 percent of the country is forest, of which 44 percent is primary rain forest. They’re also home to more than 150 types of tree ferns and at least 129 orchid species. There are more than 130 species of plants and 28 species of birds that you won’t find anywhere else. It's also worth trying some of the local chocolate -- at the start of the 20th century, São Tomé was one of the largest producers of cocoa in the world. 6.

For culture vultures: Lamu, Kenya A door to culture.The old town of Lamu Island is said to be the oldest and the best preserved Swahili settlement in East Africa, where the Muslim call to prayer wafts through narrow winding alleys, past elaborate merchant houses and donkey carts and around an old port town almost as it did back in the eighth century. Some 260 kilometers north of Mombasa, the UNESCO World Heritage Site can be divided into two sections, north and south. Shela in the north is a quiet seaside village and the old town of Lamu is in the south -- visitors can get between the two with a 45-minute walk or a boat ride. 7. For surfers: Sal, Cape Verde Show off your best moves at Sal. The Cape Verdes, 570 kilometers off Senegal on the west coast of Africa, are a great destination for water-sport enthusiasts, particularly during the trade winds season in winter. Sal is the most touristy of Cape Verde’s 10 islands, but Santa Maria bay is the best place on Sal to wax up –--there are no rocks, there’s a long run and it's a great beach for beginners and seasoned pros.

There are a few surf schools and places to rent boards and windsurfers too. 8. For safari lovers: Chief’s Island, Botswana The models of the savannah. One of the largest of Okavango Delta’s islands (it’s nearly 1,000 square kilometers), the fertile plains of Chief’s Island offers phenomenal game viewing opportunities. Large herds of elephant, zebra, wildebeest, red lechwe and impala congregate here, and crocodiles and hippos wallow in the water of the delta. The land is higher than the rest of the delta and doesn’t flood, so when the waters start to rise, Chief’s Island, once the hunting ground of Chief Moremi but now a protected area, becomes a haven for wildlife. 9. For history buffs: Île de Gorée, Senegal Slave history captured. Just 900 meters long and 350 meters wide, Île de Gorée, two kilometers east of the main harbor of Dakar, has become a well-known destination for people interested in the history of the slave trade.

While it’s unlikely that many slaves were processed or transported from this pretty, bougainvillea-clad island, it's on Île de Gorée that you’ll find the House of Slaves, a museum dedicated to the Atlantic slave trade. Built by the Dutch in 1776, the small building used to hold up to 200 slaves for three months before they were shipped off to the Americas. 10. For honeymooners: Mumbo Island, Malawi You could stop to look into the water, but you may miss your flight home. It’s hard to beat Mumbo Island for romance. The tiny island (just one kilometer in diameter) has never been populated, and Mumbo Island Camp can accommodate only 14 guests in its very private tents, which you reach by crossing a wooden bridge from Mumbo’s main beach. Visitors can spend the days swimming in Lake Malawi’s crystal waters, exploring hidden coves by kayak, diving or snorkeling around the massive boulders that surround the island, hiking relaxing on the beach or snoozing in the hammocks on your tent’s balcony.

Countries of the World - 3 | Britannica.com Countries of the World This general category includes a selection of more specific topics. Browse Subcategories: (240) Displaying 101 - 195 of 195 results Lithuania country of northeastern Europe, the southernmost and largest of the three Baltic states. Lithuania was a powerful empire that dominated much of eastern Europe in the 14th–16th centuries before becoming part of the Polish-Lithuanian confederation for... Luxembourg country in northwestern Europe. One of the world’s smallest countries, it is bordered by Belgium on the west and north, France on the south, and Germany on the northeast and east. Luxembourg has come under the control of many states and ruling houses... Macedonia country of the south-central Balkans. It is bordered to the north by Kosovo and Serbia, to the east by Bulgaria, to the south by Greece, and to the west by Albania. The capital is Skopje. The Republic of Macedonia is located in the northern part of the... Madagascar island country lying off the southeastern coast of Africa. Madagascar is the fourth largest island in the world, after Greenland, New Guinea, and Borneo.

Although located some 250 miles (400 km) from the African continent, Madagascar’s population is... Malawi landlocked country in southeastern Africa. A country endowed with spectacular highlands and extensive lakes, it occupies a narrow, curving strip of land along the East African Rift Valley. Lake Nyasa, known in Malawi as Lake Malawi, accounts for more... Malaysia country of Southeast Asia, lying just north of the Equator, that is composed of two noncontiguous regions: Peninsular Malaysia (Semenanjung Malaysia), also called West Malaysia (Malaysia Barat), which is on the Malay Peninsula, and East Malaysia (Malaysia... Maldives independent island country in the north-central Indian Ocean. It consists of a chain of about 1,200 small coral islands and sandbanks (some 200 of which are inhabited), grouped in clusters, or atolls. The islands extend more than 510 miles (820 km) from... Mali landlocked country of western Africa, mostly in the Saharan and Sahelian regions. Mali is largely flat and arid. The Niger River flows through its interior, functioning as the main trading and transport artery in the country.

Sections of the river flood... Malta island country located in the central Mediterranean Sea. A small but strategically important group of islands, the archipelago has through its long and turbulent history played a vital role in the struggles of a succession of powers for domination of... Marshall Islands country of the central Pacific Ocean. It consists of some of the easternmost islands of Micronesia. The Marshalls are composed of more than 1,200 island s and islets in two parallel chains of coral atoll s—the Ratak, or Sunrise, to the east, and the... Mauritania country on the Atlantic coast of Africa. Mauritania forms a geographic and cultural bridge between the North African Maghrib (a region that also includes Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia) and the westernmost portion of Sub-Saharan Africa. Culturally it... Mauritius island country in the Indian Ocean, located off the eastern coast of Africa. Physiographically, it is part of the Mascarene Islands. The capital is Port Louis. Land Mauritius lies about 500 miles (800 km) east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. Its outlying...

Mexico country of southern North America and the third largest country in Latin America, after Brazil and Argentina. Although there is little truth to the long-held stereotype of Mexico as a slow-paced land of subsistence farmers, Mexican society is characterized... Micronesia country in the western Pacific Ocean. It is composed of more than 600 islands and islets in the Caroline Islands archipelago and is divided roughly along cultural and linguistic lines into the states of—from west to east— Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei, and Kosrae.... Moldova country lying in the northeastern corner of the Balkan region of Europe. Its capital city is Chișinău, located in the south-cental part of the country. Formerly known as Bessarabia, this region was an integral part of the Romanian principality of Moldavia... Monaco sovereign principality located along the Mediterranean Sea in the midst of the resort area of the Côte d’Azur (French Riviera). The city of Nice lies 9 miles (15 km) to the west, the Italian border 5 miles (8 km) to the east. Monaco’s tiny territory... Mongolia country located in north-central Asia.

It is roughly oval in shape, measuring 1,486 miles (2,392 km) from west to east and, at its maximum, 782 miles (1,259 km) from north to south. Mongolia’s land area is roughly equivalent to that of the the countries... Montenegro country located in the west-central Balkans at the southern end of the Dinaric Alps. It is bounded by the Adriatic Sea and Croatia (southwest), Bosnia and Herzegovina (northwest), Serbia (northeast), Kosovo (east), and Albania (southeast). Montenegro’s... Morocco mountainous country of western North Africa that lies directly across the Strait of Gibraltar from Spain. The traditional domain of indigenous peoples now collectively known as Berbers (self-name Imazighen; singular, Amazigh), Morocco has been subject... Mozambique a scenic country in southeastern Africa. Mozambique is rich in natural resources, is biologically and culturally diverse, and has a tropical climate. Its extensive coastline, fronting the Mozambique Channel, which separates mainland Africa from the island... Myanmar country, located in the western portion of mainland Southeast Asia.

In 1989 the country’s official English name, which it had held since 1885, was changed from the Union of Burma to the Union of Myanmar; in the Burmese language the country has been known... Namibia country located on the southwestern coast of Africa. It is bordered by Angola to the north, Zambia to the northeast, Botswana to the east, South Africa to the southeast and south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. It ranges from arid in the north to... Nauru island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of a raised coral island located in southeastern Micronesia, 25 miles (40 km) south of the Equator. The island is about 800 miles (1,300 km) northeast of the Solomon Islands; its closest neighbour... Nepal country of Asia, lying along the southern slopes of the Himalayan mountain ranges. It is a landlocked country located between India to the east, south, and west and the Tibet Autonomous Region of China to the north. Its territory extends roughly 500... Netherlands country located in northwestern Europe, also known as Holland.

“Netherlands” means low-lying country; the name Holland (from Houtland, or “Wooded Land”) was originally given to one of the medieval cores of what later became the modern state and is still... New Zealand island country in the South Pacific Ocean, the southwesternmost part of Polynesia. New Zealand is a remote land—one of the last sizable territories suitable for habitation to be populated and settled—and lies more than 1,000 miles (1,600 km) southeast... Nicaragua country of Central America. It is the largest of the Central American republics. Nicaragua can be characterized by its agricultural economy, its history of autocratic government, and its imbalance of regional development—almost all settlement and economic... Niger landlocked western African country. It is bounded on the northwest by Algeria, on the northeast by Libya, on the east by Chad, on the south by Nigeria and Benin, and on the west by Burkina Faso and Mali. The capital is Niamey. The country takes its name... Nigeria country located on the western coast of Africa. Nigeria has a diverse geography, with climates ranging from arid to humid equatorial.

However, Nigeria’s most diverse feature is its people. Hundreds of languages are spoken in the country, including Yoruba,... Norway country of northern Europe that occupies the western half of the Scandinavian peninsula. Nearly half of the inhabitants of the country live in the far south, in the region around Oslo, the capital. About two-thirds of Norway is mountainous, and off its... Oman country occupying the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula at the confluence of the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea. Much of the country’s interior falls within the sandy, treeless, and largely waterless region known as the Rubʿ al-Khali, still the... Pakistan populous and multiethnic country of South Asia. Having a predominately Indo-Iranian speaking population, Pakistan has historically and culturally been associated with its neighbours Iran, Afghanistan, and India. Since Pakistan and India achieved independence... Palau country in the western Pacific Ocean. It consists of some 340 coral and volcanic islands perched on the Kyushu-Palau Ridge. The Palau (also spelled Belau or Pelew) archipelago lies in the southwest corner of Micronesia, with Guam 830 miles (1,330 km)...

Panama country of Central America located on the Isthmus of Panama, the narrow bridge of land that connects North and South America. Embracing the isthmus and more than 1,600 islands off its Atlantic and Pacific coasts, the tropical nation is renowned as the... Papua New Guinea island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It encompasses the eastern half of New Guinea, the world’s second largest island (the western half is made up of the Indonesian provinces of Papua and West Papua); the Bismarck Archipelago (New Britain,... Paraguay landlocked country in south-central South America. Paraguay’s recent history has been characterized by turbulence and authoritarian rule. It was involved in two of the three major wars on the continent—the War of the Triple Alliance (1864/65–70), against... Peru country in western South America. Except for the Lake Titicaca basin in the southeast, its borders lie in sparsely populated zones. The boundaries with Colombia to the northeast and Brazil to the east traverse lower ranges or tropical forests, whereas... Philippines island country of Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean.

It is an archipelago consisting of some 7,100 islands and islets lying about 500 miles (800 km) off the coast of Vietnam. Manila is the capital, but nearby Quezon City is the country’s most-populous... Poland country of central Europe. Poland is located at a geographic crossroads that links the forested lands of northwestern Europe to the sea lanes of the Atlantic Ocean and the fertile plains of the Eurasian frontier. Now bounded by seven nations, Poland... Portugal country lying along the Atlantic coast of the Iberian Peninsula in southwestern Europe. Once continental Europe’s greatest power, Portugal shares commonalities—geographic and cultural—with the countries of both northern Europe and the Mediterranean.... Qatar independent emirate on the west coast of the Persian Gulf. Occupying a small desert peninsula that extends northward from the larger Arabian Peninsula, it has been continuously but sparsely inhabited since prehistoric times. Following the rise of Islam,... Romania country of southeastern Europe. The national capital is Bucharest.

Romania was occupied by Soviet troops in 1944 and became a satellite of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R.) in 1948. The country was under communist rule from 1948 until... Russia country that stretches over a vast expanse of eastern Europe and northern Asia. Once the preeminent republic of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R.; commonly known as the Soviet Union), Russia became an independent country after the dissolution... Rwanda landlocked republic lying south of the Equator in east-central Africa. Known for its breathtaking scenery, Rwanda is often referred to as le pays des mille collines (French: “land of a thousand hills”). The capital is Kigali, located in the centre of... Saint Kitts and Nevis state composed of two islands of the Lesser Antilles in the eastern Caribbean Sea. Their combined area is 104 square miles (269 square km). The capital is Basseterre on the island of Saint Kitts. Land Saint Kitts is 23 miles (37 km) long and 5 miles... Saint Lucia island state in the Caribbean Sea.

It is the second largest of the Windward group in the Lesser Antilles and is located about 24 miles (39 kilometres) south of Martinique and some 21 miles northeast of Saint Vincent. Saint Lucia is 27 miles long and... Saint Vincent and the Grenadines island country lying within the Lesser Antilles, in the eastern Caribbean Sea. It consists of the island of Saint Vincent and the northern Grenadine Islands, which stretch southward toward Grenada. The island of Saint Vincent lies about 20 miles (32... Samoa country in the central South Pacific Ocean, among the westernmost of the island countries of Polynesia. According to legend, Samoa is known as the “Cradle of Polynesia” because Savai‘i island is said to be Hawaiki, the Polynesian homeland. Samoan culture... San Marino small republic situated on the slopes of Mount Titano, on the Adriatic side of central Italy between the Emilia-Romagna and Marche regions and surrounded on all sides by the Republic of Italy. It is the smallest independent state in Europe after Vatican...

Sao Tome and Principe country of central Africa, located on the Equator in the Gulf of Guinea. It consists of two main islands—São Tomé and Príncipe—and several rocky islets including Rôlas, south of São Tomé island, and Caroço, Pedras, and Tinhosas, south of Príncipe. Land... Saudi Arabia arid, sparsely populated kingdom of the Middle East. Extending across most of the northern and central Arabian Peninsula, Saudi Arabia is a young country that is heir to a rich history. In its western highlands, along the Red Sea, lies the Hejaz, which... Senegal country of sub-Saharan West Africa. Located at the westernmost point of the continent and served by multiple air and maritime travel routes, Senegal is known as the “Gateway to Africa.” The country lies at an ecological boundary where semiarid grassland,... Serbia country in the west-central Balkans. For most of the 20th century, it was a part of Yugoslavia.

The capital of Serbia is Belgrade (Beograd), a cosmopolitan city at the confluence of the Danube and Sava rivers; Stari Grad, Belgrade’s old town, is dominated... Seychelles island republic in the western Indian Ocean, comprising about 115 islands. The islands are home to lush tropical vegetation, beautiful beaches, and a wide variety of marine life. Situated between latitudes 4° and 11° S and longitudes 46° and 56° E, the... Sierra Leone country of western Africa. The country owes its name to the 15th-century Portuguese explorer Pedro de Sintra, the first European to sight and map Freetown harbour. The original Portuguese name, Serra Lyoa (“Lion Mountains”), referred to the range of... Singapore city-state located at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, about 85 miles (137 kilometres) north of the Equator. It consists of the diamond-shaped Singapore Island and some 60 small islets; the main island occupies all but about 18 square miles of... Slovakia landlocked country of central Europe.

It is roughly coextensive with the historic region of Slovakia, the easternmost of the two territories that from 1918 to 1992 constituted Czechoslovakia. The short history of independent Slovakia is one of a desire... Slovenia country in central Europe that was part of Yugoslavia for most of the 20th century. Slovenia is a small but topographically diverse country made up of portions of four major European geographic landscapes—the European Alps, the karstic Dinaric Alps,... Solomon Islands country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of a double chain of volcanic islands and coral atolls in Melanesia. The country comprises most of the Solomons chain, with the exception of Buka and Bougainville, two islands at the northwestern... Somalia easternmost country of Africa, on the Horn of Africa. It extends from just south of the Equator northward to the Gulf of Aden and occupies an important geopolitical position between sub-Saharan Africa and the countries of Arabia and southwestern Asia....

South Africa the southernmost country on the African continent, renowned for its varied topography, great natural beauty, and cultural diversity, all of which have made the country a favoured destination for travelers since the legal ending of apartheid (Afrikaans:... Spain country located in extreme southwestern Europe. It occupies about 85 percent of the Iberian Peninsula, which it shares with its smaller neighbour Portugal. Spain is a storied country of stone castles, snowcapped mountains, vast monuments, and sophisticated... Sri Lanka island country lying in the Indian Ocean and separated from peninsular India by the Palk Strait. It is located between latitudes 5°55′ and 9°51′ N and longitudes 79°41′ and 81°53′ E and has a maximum length of 268 miles (432 km) and a maximum width of... Sudan country located in northeastern Africa. The name Sudan derives from the Arabic expression bilād al-sūdān (“land of the blacks”), by which medieval Arab geographers referred to the settled African countries that began at the southern edge of the Sahara.... Sudan, South country located in northeastern Africa.

Its rich biodiversity includes lush savannas, swamplands, and rainforests that are home to many species of wildlife. Prior to 2011, South Sudan was part of Sudan, its neighbour to the north. South Sudan’s population,... Suriname country located on the northern coast of South America. Suriname is one of the smallest countries in South America, yet its population is one of the most ethnically diverse in the region. Its economy is dependent on its extensive supply of natural resources,... Swaziland landlocked country in the eastern flank of South Africa, where it adjoins Mozambique. It extends about 110 miles (175 kilometres) from north to south and about 80 miles from west to east at its largest dimensions. The name Swazi is the Anglicized name... Sweden country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in northern Europe. The name Sweden was derived from the Svear, or Suiones, a people mentioned as early as 98 ce by the Roman author Tacitus. The country’s ancient name was Svithiod. Stockholm has been the... Switzerland federated country of central Europe. Switzerland’s administrative capital is Bern, while Lausanne serves as its judicial centre.

Switzerland’s small size—its total area is about half that of Scotland —and its modest population give little indication... Syria country located on the east coast of the Mediterranean Sea in southwestern Asia. Its area includes territory in the Golan Heights that has been occupied by Israel since 1967. The present area does not coincide with ancient Syria, which was the strip... Taiwan island, located about 100 miles (161 km) off the southeast coast of the China mainland. It is approximately 245 miles (394 km) long (north-south) and 90 miles across at its widest point. The largest city, Taipei, is the seat of the government of the... Tajikistan country lying in the heart of Central Asia. It is bordered by Kyrgyzstan on the north, China on the east, Afghanistan on the south, and Uzbekistan on the west and northwest. Tajikistan includes the Gorno-Badakhshan (“Mountain Badakhshan”) autonomous... Tanzania East African country situated just south of the Equator.

Tanzania was formed as a sovereign state in 1964 through the union of the theretofore separate states of Tanganyika and Zanzibar. Mainland Tanganyika covers more than 99 percent of the combined... Thailand country located in the centre of mainland Southeast Asia. Located wholly within the tropics, Thailand encompasses diverse ecosystems, including the hilly forested areas of the northern frontier, the fertile rice fields of the central plains, the broad... Togo country of western Africa. Lomé, the capital, is situated in the southwest of the country and is the largest city and port. Until 1884 what is now Togo was an intermediate zone between the states of Asante and Dahomey, and its various ethnic groups lived... Tonga country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of some 170 islands divided into three main island groups: Tongatapu in the south, Haʿapai in the centre, and Vavaʿu in the north. Isolated islands include Niuafoʿou, Niuatoputapu, and Tafahi (together... Trinidad and Tobago island country of the southeastern West Indies.

It consists of two main islands—Trinidad and Tobago—and several smaller islands. Forming the two southernmost links in the Caribbean chain, Trinidad and Tobago lie close to the continent of South America,... Tunisia country of North Africa. Tunisia’s accessible Mediterranean Sea coastline and strategic location have attracted conquerors and visitors throughout the ages, and its ready access to the Sahara has brought its people into contact with the inhabitants of... Turkey country that occupies a unique geographic position, lying partly in Asia and partly in Europe. Throughout its history it has acted as both a barrier and a bridge between the two continents. Turkey is situated at the crossroads of the Balkans, Caucasus,... Turkmenistan country of Central Asia. It is the second largest state in Central Asia, after Kazakhstan, and the southernmost of the region’s five republics. The country is bordered by Kazakhstan on the northwest, Uzbekistan on the north and east, Afghanistan on the... Tuvalu country in the west-central Pacific Ocean. It is composed of nine small coral islands scattered in a chain lying approximately northwest to southeast over a distance of some 420 miles (676 km). The de facto capital is the village of Vaiaku, where most...

Uganda country in east-central Africa. About the size of Great Britain, Uganda is populated by dozens of ethnic groups. The English language and Christianity help unite these diverse peoples, who come together in the cosmopolitan capital of Kampala, a verdant... Ukraine country located in eastern Europe, the second largest on the continent after Russia. The capital is Kiev (Kyiv), located on the Dnieper River in north-central Ukraine. A fully independent Ukraine emerged only late in the 20th century, after long periods... United Arab Emirates federation of seven emirates along the eastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula. The largest of these emirates, Abū Ẓaby (Abu Dhabi), which comprises more than three-fourths of the federation’s total land area, is the centre of its oil industry and borders... United Kingdom island country located off the northwestern coast of mainland Europe. The United Kingdom comprises the whole of the island of Great Britain—which contains England, Wales, and Scotland —as well as the northern portion of the island of Ireland. The name... United States country in North America, a federal republic of 50 states.

Besides the 48 conterminous states that occupy the middle latitudes of the continent, the United States includes the state of Alaska, at the northwestern extreme of North America, and the island... Uruguay country located on the southeastern coast of South America. The second smallest nation on the continent, Uruguay has long been overshadowed politically and economically by the adjacent republics of Brazil and Argentina, with both of which it shares many... Uzbekistan country in Central Asia. It lies mainly between two major rivers, the Syr Darya (ancient Jaxartes River) on the northeast and the Amu Darya (ancient Oxus River) on the southwest, though they only partly form its boundaries. Uzbekistan is bordered by... Vanuatu country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, consisting of a chain of 13 principal and many smaller islands located about 500 miles (800 km) west of Fiji and 1,100 miles (1,770 km) east of Australia. The islands extend north-south for some 400 miles (650...

Vatican City ecclesiastical state, seat of the Roman Catholic Church, and an enclave in Rome, situated on the west bank of the Tiber River. Vatican City is the world’s smallest fully independent nation-state. Its medieval and Renaissance walls form its boundaries... Venezuela country located at the northern end of South America. It occupies a roughly triangular area that is larger than the combined areas of France and Germany. Venezuela is bounded by the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean to the north, Guyana to the east,... Vietnam country occupying the eastern portion of mainland Southeast Asia. Tribal Viets inhabiting the Red River delta entered written history when China’s southward expansion reached them in the 3rd century bce. From that time onward, a dominant theme of Vietnam’s... Yemen country situated at the southwestern corner of the Arabian Peninsula. It is mostly mountainous and generally arid, though there are broad patches with sufficient precipitation to make agriculture successful. The people speak various dialects of Arabic... Zambia landlocked country in Africa. It is situated on a high plateau in south-central Africa and takes its name from the Zambezi River, which drains all but a small northern part of the country.

Large parts of the country are thinly populated. Much of population... Zimbabwe landlocked country of southern Africa. It shares a 125-mile (200-kilometre) border on the south with the Republic of South Africa and is bounded on the southwest and west by Botswana, on the north by Zambia, and on the northeast and east by Mozambique.... Geography & Wildlife — Madagascar — Our Africa Geography & Wildlife A large and varied island Madagascar is the world’s fourth largest island (1600km long and 570km wide). Along with India, it parted from the giant landmass of southern continents (known as Gondwana) around 165 million years ago. Around 65 million years ago, it broke free entirely and now lies separated from Africa by the Mozambique Channel. A red island Madagascar is sometimes called the ‘Great Red Island’. This is because the central highlands are dominated by a red soil. Its technical name is ‘laterite’. This red clay-like soil comes from the weathering of underlying rocks in a humid and tropical environment.

Rain dissolves and takes away easily soluble elements (such as sodium and silicon) and leaves more insoluble elements such as iron oxide, which gives the soil its red colour. A chain of mountains runs down the eastern side and their steep escarpments trap the moisture on which the island’s rainforests thrive. This high forested area descends suddenly to meet the narrow east coast strip which lies along the Indian Ocean. The middle of the island has a central highland plateau (from 800-1800m), which is partly volcanic in origin. Here, there are extinct volcanoes, as well as other distinctive rocky features, such as massive granite outcrops. In the far north, the highest peak, Maromokotro (at 2876m), is part of the Tsaratanana Massif. To the west, the high areas descend more gradually and there is a wide coastal plain along the Mozambique Channel. A Noah’s ark for animals and plants Cute chameleons Madagascar is home to the smallest type of chameleon. These are known as Leaf chameleons (Brookesia) and can be just 3cm in length.

The island also has the largest, the Parson’s Chameleon, (Calumma parsonii) at up to 40cm. Watch the Wildlife video and you'll see one of the most colourful of Madagascar's chameleons. Thanks to its wide variety of habitats, particularly the tropical rainforests, Madagascar is considered a ‘hotspot’ for biodiversity. Although it covers less than 1% of the earth’s surface, the island is home to over half the planet’s plant and animal species. Because of its separation for millions of years, many of these are unique to Madagascar. Over 70% of its 12,000 plant species are only found here, including a number of palms, ferns and cycads (seed-bearing plants). The ferns and cycads help to give a glimpse of how forests might have looked in pre-historic times. In the dry southwest, there is one whole family of thorny plants – Didiereaceae – which only grow here. And of course, Madagascar has many insects, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and animals which are unique to the island.

So for example, 99% of its frogs and over sixty of its mammal species are only found here. Probably the most famous of these mammals is the lemur, a tree-living animal which evolved around 40–50 million years ago. Monkeys evolved around 35 million years ago and it's believed they drove lemurs to extinction elsewhere. But a few lemurs survived and thrived on their island sanctuary of Madagascar. See Lemurs for more on these amazing creatures. However, as in many countries, deforestation and loss of habitat threaten precious plant and animal populations – see Forests . To help combat this loss, nearly 50 protection areas and parks have been set up; some of these national parks are shown on the Map . There are over 340 species of reptile in Madagascar, which include around half of the world’s species of chameleon. These amazing reptiles can change colour (which they normally do to communicate rather than for camouflage), have eyes which swivel separately and a long suction tongue to catch their insect prey. Baobab A real-life Treebeard The locals of Tete in the northwestern province of Mozambique talk about the most revered of their native trees – the baobab.

Geography for Kids: African countries and the continent of Africa Durban, South Africa Bordering Bodies of Water: Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Red Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Gulf of Guinea Major Rivers and Lakes: Nile River, Niger River, Congo River, Zambezi River, Lake Victoria, Lake Tanganyika, Lake Nyasa Major Geographical Features: Sahara Desert, Kalahari Desert, Ethiopian Highlands, Serengeti grasslands, Atlas Mountains, Mount Kilimanjaro, Madagascar Island, Great Rift Valley, the Sahel, and the Horn of Africa Countries of Africa Learn more about the countries from the continent of Africa. Get all sorts of information on each African country including a map, a picture of the flag, population and much more. Select the country below for more information: Zimbabwe Fun Facts about Africa: The highest point in Africa is Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania at 5895 meters high. The lowest point is Lake Asal in Djibouti at 153 meters below sea level. The largest country in Africa is Algeria, the smallest is the Seychelles. The most populated country is Nigeria.

The largest lake in Africa is Lake Victoria and the longest river is the Nile River, which is also the longest river in the world. Africa is rich with varied wildlife including elephants , penguins, lions, cheetahs, seals, giraffes , gorillas, crocodiles, and hippos. African languages are varied with more than 1000 languages spoken across the continent. Coloring Map of Africa Color in this map to learn the countries of Africa. Click to get a larger printable version of map. Other Maps 51 Random Facts about Africa 51 Random Facts About . . . Africa Africa is the second largest of the earth’s seven continents and makes up approximately 22% of the earth’s total land area.g With the inclusion of the disputed Western Sahara territory and the island nations off the continental coast, there are a total of 54 independent nations in Africa.a The current population of Africa is nearly one billion people. Due to rapid population growth in the continent over the last 40 years, its general population is relatively young.

In many African states, more than half of the population is under the age of 25.g Africa is the most centrally located of all of the continents with both the prime meridian (0 degrees longitude) and the equator (0 degrees latitude) passing through it.a The primary region of Africa is often called sub-Saharan Africa and excludes the mostly Islamic countries of North Africa: Western Sahara, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt. Sub-Saharan Africa includes 42 nations on mainland Africa and the six island nations.a While Africa makes up about 16% of the world’s population, fully one quarter of the world’s languages are spoken only in Africa.g Arabic (in various dialects) is the most common language spoken in Africa with about 170 million speakers, primarily residing in North Africa. In the continent as a whole, there are over 2,000 recognized languages spoken.g Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa, with an estimated population of 125–145 million people.

Egypt is the second most populous country with over 76 million people.g The most populated city in Africa is the Egyptian capital of Cairo with an estimated 17 million residents in the metropolitan area.g The largest country in Africa is Algeria with a total area of 967,490 square miles (2.5 million square kilometers), and the smallest country is the island nation of The Seychelles with a total area of just 175 square miles (453 square kilometers).g Population experts estimate that there are at least 3,000 distinct ethnic groups (tribes) in Africa. Nigeria alone has more than 370 recognized tribes within its population.h The Nile River is the longest river in the world with a total length of 4,132 miles Lake Victoria is the largest lake in Africa and the second-largest freshwater lake in the world, covering an area of 26,830 square miles (69,490 square kilometers).e The Nile River, which drains into the Mediterranean Sea at the northeastern edge of Africa, is the longest river in the world with a total length of 4,132 miles (6,650 kilometers).

It is formed from the juncture of two smaller rivers: the White Nile and the Blue Nile.e Africa contains the world’s largest desert, the Sahara, which makes up an area greater in size than the entire continental U.S.e Egypt is the most popular tourist destination in Africa, attracting around 10 million visitors per year.e While Egypt is most well known for its pyramids, the Republic of Sudan actually has 223 of its own pyramids, double the number of pyramids in Egypt. Smaller and steeper than their Egyptian counterparts, the pyramids of Sudan are not nearly as famous.e Four of the five fastest land animals reside in Africa: the cheetah, the wildebeest, the lion, and the Thomson’s gazelle.

All of these animals can run at speeds above 50 miles per hour, with the cheetah reaching a top speed of about 70 miles per hour.e Africa is home to the world’s largest living land animal, the African elephant, which can weigh between 6 and 7 tons.e The novel Tarzan of the Apes, set in Africa and published by American author Edgar Rice Burroughs in 1912, created such a compelling image of Africa and the book’s title character that a New Orleans newspaper writer only half-jokingly suggested that if Tarzan were to run for president in 1929, he would receive as many votes as incumbent president Herbert Hoover.e The deserts of Tunisia housed the original Star Wars movie sets for the film's planet Tatooine. More than 30 years after the premier of the first movie in the series, the sets are still very well preserved and visitors to Tunisia can even stay in Luke Skywalker’s home.e Africa is the poorest and most underdeveloped of all of the continents, despite its wealth of natural resources.

The average poor person in sub-Saharan Africa is estimated to live on just $.70 a day.g More than 17 million people in sub-Saharan Africa have died of AIDS, and experts estimate that at least 25 million more people in Africa are HIV-positive.f Approximately 90% of all cases of malaria worldwide occur in Africa, and 3,000 African children die each day from its effects.f The African continent has not moved much from its original position in the super-continent Pangaea Scientists believe Africa was once joined with Earth’s other continents in a super-continent called Pangaea. While Asia and South America split from Africa in the late Cretaceous epoch (roughly 80 million years ago), the African continent remained relatively stable and has not moved much throughout time. Geologists believe the large island of Madagascar split from the African continent as early as 160 millions years ago.h Central eastern Africa is believed by most scientists to be the origin place of both humans and great apes.

The earliest remains of the modern human species Homo sapiens have been found in Ethiopia and date to roughly 200,000 years ago.h The scientist Charles Darwin was the first to suggest that the ancestors of human beings may have originated in Africa. However, prejudicial attitudes toward the continent made many people in the Western world highly resistant to the idea until well into the twentieth century.h In 1974, the skeleton of “Lucy,” a hominid who lived approximately 3.2 million years ago and has been considered a common ancestor to the human family, was discovered in Hadar, Ethiopia. In 1979, a 165-foot trail of the earliest hominid footprints was discovered in the Kibish region of Tanzania. The two discoveries indisputably marked northeastern Africa as the birthplace of humanity.h Throughout human prehistory, Africa contained no major nation-states and was inhabited primarily by small groups of hunter-gatherers. Scientists believe that cattle were domesticated by hunter-gatherers in Africa as early as 6000 B.C., long before the advent of agriculture on the continent.d The oldest literate civilization in Africa is the Pharaonic civilization of ancient Egypt.

Historical records date the rise of the Egyptian state to about 3300 B.C. and the fall from influence at 343 B.C., making it one of the world’s oldest and longest-lasting civilizations.d Europeans first began exploring the northern coast of Africa around 332 B.C., when Alexander the Great came into Egypt and established the city of Alexandria. The Roman Empire soon after began to integrate much of North Africa’s Mediterranean coastline into the Roman system.d While there are several different theories regarding the origin of the name “Africa,” most etymologists believe the name derived from Afri, the title for a group of people who dwelt in North Africa near Carthage around the third century B.C., and -ca, the Roman suffix for “country” or “land.”d The name ”Africa” was derived from Greek and Latin words that highlighted the continent's sunny, warm climate Ancient Greeks and Romans originally used the term “Africa” to apply only to the northern region of the continent.

In Latin, the word Africa means “sunny,” and the word Aphrike in Greek means “without cold.”e By the first century A.D., Africa had been subdivided by geographers into three distinct regions: Egypt, Libya, and Ethiopia. The last term was more or less used to describe the whole of sub-Saharan Africa.d The African region of Ethiopia is featured prominently in several ancient Greek dramas and poems. The Greek poet Homer mentions Ethiopians in both the Iliad and the Odyssey as a “blameless race” and “amongst the noblest of men.”e Islam became a prominent influence in North Africa by the seventh century A.D. and spread into sub-Saharan Africa through trade routes and migration. The population of North Africa is still considered widely Muslim today.d Prior to the colonization of the African continent, historians believe Africa was made up of as many as 10,000 different states and autonomous groups, ranging in size from small family groups of hunter-gatherers to large kingdoms.d While slavery has been practiced in Africa all throughout recorded history, Africa is the only continent to have a large percentage of its inhabitants transported elsewhere for slave labor.

Historians estimate that approximately 7–12 million slaves were transferred from Africa to the Americas between the fifteenth and nineteenth centuries.d Only two African nations have never been under European colonial power: Liberia, an independent nation settled largely by African Americans, and Ethiopia, an Orthodox Christian nation known in Europe as Abyssinia. The rest of the continent was colonized by European imperial powers in the nineteenth century “scramble for Africa.”d During the 1950s, colonized African states began to fight for independence from imperial rule with Libya being the first African nation to declare its independence. The independence movements brought great hope and inspired U.S. civil rights leaders like Malcolm X to fight for increased freedoms at home.d South Africa was one of the first African nations to gain its independence from colonial rule after the imperial period. However, black residents of the state lived under a forced system of segregation called Apartheid (meaning “separateness”) until 1994 when the country held its first democratic elections with universal suffrage.

The famous civil rights leader Nelson Mandela was elected as president.d Children were commonly recruited and even compelled to serve as soldiers in the Second Congo War The Second Congo War, which began in 1998 and involved eight African nations, is the largest war in African history. An estimated 5.4 million people died as a result of the war and its aftermath, making it the deadliest worldwide conflict since World War II. The war officially ended in 2006, but hostilities still continue today.g Africa is currently politically organized into the African Union, a federation created in 2001 and consisting of all of Africa’s nations except Morocco.a Islam is currently the largest religion in Africa, with Christianity following closely behind.

These two religions make up 85% of the continent’s population, while just 15% of the population are nonreligious or follow traditional African religions.g While Africa is the second largest of the earth’s seven continents, it has the shortest coastline, due to very few jutting edges and bays in its landscape.a Among the native population of Africa, there are more physical variations than on any other continent in the world.h There are fewer people with Internet access in the entire continent of Africa than in New York City alone.a The average life expectancy on the African continent ranges from 74 years in the island nation of Mauritius to just under 32 years in sub-Saharan Swaziland.b, c Two of the most popular sports in Africa are soccer (called football) and cricket. Both sports were introduced during colonial times and have flourished on the continent due to the international success of African teams.a A popular fashion statement in eastern Africa is to wear a kanga, a large cotton cloth with a message printed on it.

Kanga are worn by both men and women and they originated during the nineteenth century in Zanzibar and Mombassa.a The “evil eye” is a term that originated in North Africa and the Mediterranean and is widely believed to cause harm, especially to the sick and vulnerable. In Morocco, it is common for men and boys to decorate the backs of their cloaks with bright red eyes to reflect back and cast off the look of the evil eye.a In Tunisia, images of fish are often used to protect against evil. New buildings often have fish bones or tails embedded in them as they are built, and cars have brightly colored plastic or cloth fish attached to them to provide protection to the people inside.a -- Posted July 23, 2009 Africa | Travels Travels Africa Africa On March 5, 2013, I started a five-year adventure that take me across all 54 countries in Africa. Yes, even the crappy ones. The journey is called The Unseen Africa. To get updates on the voyage, subscribe to my newsletter , and don't worry, you can easily unsubscribe. Visit every country in Africa. Film it to make a documentary and TV show about it. Write a book about Africa's unseen sides.

Get a tan. What's your general travel plan? Follow the red line on the MAP on the right (move your mouse over the map to zoom into a section). I started in Morocco. I've gone through West Africa. I'm now going through Central Africa until I reach South Africa. Then I'll travel up through East Africa, eventually traversing North Africa (making sure to hit all the countries in between). The red line gives you a rough idea of our journey's path. It crosses all the countries in Africa. Realistically, I will make adjustments, so don't analyze the red line too carefully. I expect my real journey to be far less efficient, with lots of backtracking and circuitous ways to a destination. For example, just because the red line doesn't go to East Angola doesn't mean we won't go there. The only promise is that I will try to visit every country. If I follow the red line, I'll do just that. How will you document the journey? Four ways: Share photos on Facebook and tweet whenever possible. Will you travel on foot everywhere? No.

Although I've backpacked 20,000 km (12,500 miles) in the mountains , Africa has two things that make it unattractive to walk across. First, it's mind-bogglingly big. Consider the following facts: The island of Madagascar is bigger than California. The combined territory of just three countries (Sudan, South Sudan, and Congo) is over half the size the USA, including Alaska. The combined land of Algeria and Egypt are the same size as all of Western Europe combined (including France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and Greece)! In short, Africa is bigger than your backyard. Second, Africa has vast flat areas. As I learned on El Camino Santiago , I don't like flat. To top it off, it is often murderously hot in much of Africa. Imagine walking 10,000 km in hot, dry, flat deserts. I can barely imagine it. No thanks. I will climb peaks and trek through jungles as much as possible. I'd love to get to highest peak of every country. Although most are rather short, the logistics of getting to many of them will be a nightmare.

Still, it is a great excuse to go to rarely seen places. Will you have a vehicle? Yes. In Spain, I bought a 4x4 truck. I put it on a ferry across the Strait of Gibraltar so that the journey can start in Morocco. There are many downsides to having a car, including: Worrying where to park it and what to leave in it. Unable do a one-way trek - you always have to get back to the car. Border crossings are more expensive - bribes, fees, insurance, and hassle increase dramatically. You're in a bubble: when you take public transportation or hitchhike, you interact with the people, which is my biggest joy in traveling. A car isolates you from that. Africa's road conditions are unforgiving, so maintaining the vehicle will be expensive. A car encourages you to take too much crap. On the other hand, the benefits more than offset the downsides: You can break the "bubble problem" by picking up hitchhikers, thereby interacting with the locals. I've picked up over 1,000 African hitchhikers in the first 9 months.

Compared to African public transportation, you can cover at least 5 times more ground in the same time and get to places that are hard to access. Taxis and hitchhiking options are sometimes non-existent. Sleeping options expand: you drive to remote locations to camp or find couchsurfing hosts that are not on the public transportation routes. You can comfortably carry the heavy camera equipment that's necessary to shoot a TV show. If it's too much of a headache, I can always sell it. What is your rough schedule like? 2013: West Africa 2016: East Africa 2017: North Africa As the map shows on the top of this page shows, I started in Morocco. I will go counter-clockwise around Africa and finish in Algeria. I will not leave the continent *even for a day) until 2017 (unless I get an offer I can't refuse). How much time will you spend in each country? I plan to spend, on average, five weeks in each country. That's not a lot of time, given that many of the countries are enormous. With 54 countries, that's about five years. Why not skip some countries to spend more time in others?

That's unacceptable to my goal of seeing all the countries of the world . Of course, I would love to spend more time exploring, but most people spend less than 2 weeks in one corner of Africa in their once-in-a-lifetime trip. I'm lucky that I can spend 4 years. Also, one-month-per-country is an average. For example, I may only spend 3 days in Sierra Leone or Somalia, but spend 2 months in Morocco or South Africa. What will slow you down? If I find an idyllic spot, I will stay there for a couple of months to focus on my book and catch up on my digital life. Won't you get robbed? Yes, it's part of the budget. I plan to be robbed three times. I'll look at the theft as a contribution to the African economy. The thief will spend the money he gets from me in Africa. That money will trickle into the economy when the thief buys anything. That money will help whoever provides that good or service to the thief. Seen in that light, getting ripped off in Africa won't feel so bad--it's a form of charity! UPDATE: So far on the trip, I was burglarized once in Cape Verde.

Lost about $2,500. My smartphone was pulled out of my pocket when I was tackled from behind in Accra, Ghana. In Cameroon, three people stole from me, but only one of those was violent, involving strangulation. So my prediction was pretty wrong. Are you afraid? A little. Some worry that I will be killed by some random guy, or get eaten by a lion, or die from a disease. Although I am pretty sure that I will be robbed and get sick at least once, what worries me the most is dying in a car accident. I've never been to Africa, but I know they drive like they have death wishes. Also, thanks to Barack Obama's Kenyan background, no other region in the world loves America as much as Sub-Saharan Africa . That should translate into friendly treatment there. On the other hand, no other region in the world dislikes America as much as Islamic countries, which dominate North Africa. I'm not afraid, but in some places I will be cautious, just like I would be in parts of America and Europe. "What we get from this adventure is just sheer joy. And joy is, after all, the end of life.

We do not live to eat and make money." - George Leigh Mallory, who died trying to be the first person to summit Mt. Everest How will you avoid the war-torn regions? Go around them. Most African countries dwarf European ones. If war rages in Mali, for example, you just have to avoid the hot-spots. Although that hot-spot may be as big as Italy, when the whole country is as big as Western Europe, it's easy to avoid "Italy." Also, I may just peek in the country for a day (like Somalia) to minimize the risk. How often will I connect digitally? Perhaps a couple of times a week. As the map below illustrates, most Africans don't have Internet at home. The African country with the highest percentage of people with Internet at home was Algeria. However, even there, less than half (48%) had it in 2012. Iceland had the world's highest Internet penetration rate (94%). Meanwhile, when Gallup surveyed 1,000 random people in Guinea, for example, nobody had Internet at home. Obviously, this is all changing quickly. Not only are Internet penetration rates rising fast, but nearly every African has a mobile phone.

Soon they will upgrade to smart phones (or tablets) with Internet access. So while they may not have a PC at home, by 2017 many will have mobile Internet access. Still, Africa is about 10 years behind the developed world. Therefore, I suspect that wifi will be rare outside of cities. This may mean that I will go for a couple of weeks without Internet. I'm used to that: when I was writing my book on Eastern Europe, I spent just one hour per week on the Internet for an entire year. While I walked across America twice , I checked email even less often during that seven-month period. Also, my mom is used to not hearing me for weeks. She doesn't like it, but that's what may happen. Fortunately for my mom (and anyone else who wants to stalk me), Delorme has given me their InReach device which can track my movement . Finally, I think travelers who spend so much time being digitally connected while they're traveling are doing themselves and the places they are visiting a disservice. They need to present and immersed in their environment. If you have one foot in digital land, then you're not truly 100% in the environment. Unplugging is good.

How will you travel? I rough it more than most. I love doing it because it gives me a good perspective of the real people and culture, and it also lets you travel for longer. Therefore, couchsurfing and camping will be my first choice, while hostels/hotels will be my last resort option. As the map below illustrates, couchsurfing is sparse, but I'm sure random strangers will invite me to sleep in their backyard. Will you take planes? Only as a last resort. For example, it might be much cheaper to get to Africa's island nations (e.g., Comoros, Seychelles, Madagascar) by plane instead of by boat. Can I come along? I am happy to meet travelers along the way. Above you'll find a vague schedule. Unfortunately, I probably won't make it much more specific than that since I like to improvize while I travel. However, certain visas may dictate a few fixed dates along the way. Once the trip gets started, check this page and my Twitter or Facebook status. You can see the last place where I've checked in on my satellite map . If it looks like our paths could cross, then contact me. Are there really 54 countries in Africa?

Yes, there are 54 countries in Africa . There are also two quasi-states, Somaliland (a separatist region in Somalia) and Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (a separatist region in Western Sahara) that dream of become independent countries. Finally, there's Cabinda, Angola's exclave, which is attached to Congo. I intend to visit the quasi-states too because I don't want to have someone tell me a year or two after my long voyage that I "missed one." An easy way to tell someone about this page is to point them to Africa54.com . Why the world needs a book about what we can learn about Africa This video below spoofs the fact that the average person doesn't know much about Africa. What are 3 differences between Niger and Nigeria or Algeria and Angola? By the end of my future book, you should know. Enjoy the video... If you have questions about this trip, I prefer that you post the question on my forum so that I don't have to answer it multiple times. Below are the latest blog posts about Africa

Question: Which African country is known as the ‘Great Red Island’?
Answer: Madagascar