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Africa is the wellspring of the human race. The second largest continent in the world in both area and population, it offers the visitor a unique blend of natural wonders, renowned prehistoric sites, numerous and often sprawling remains of several of the world's greatest ancient civilizations, vibrant cultures, remote villages and modern cities. Africa has shorelines on the Indian Ocean to the southeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Red Sea to the northeast, the Gulf of Aden slightly further south, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north. This huge continent is more than 8,000 km (5,000 mi) across north-south and 7,500 km (4,800 mi) east-west with some islands even further out and contains many vastly different peoples, religions, and cultures. Africa has 55 sovereign countries—the most on any continent&mdash.

Africa contains what is arguably the longest river in the world—the 6,650 km-long (4,100+ mi) Nile River running from Burundi to Egypt—while the Congo River in the DR Congo is the second largest in terms of discharge as well as the deepest with a depth of over 230 m (750 ft) in some spots. Tanzania's Mount Kilimanjaro is the world's tallest free-standing mountain at 5,890 m (19,340 ft). Djibouti's Lake Assal is the second lowest point on Earth, the saltiest lake outside Antarctica, and one of the hottest places on Earth. While the first activity most people associate with Africa is safaris, there are endless possibilities for adventure. You can purchase crafts in markets, venture into the Sahara with a Tuareg caravan, visit BaAka ("Pygmy") villages, hike through jungle to watch gorillas, relax on tropical islands in the Indian Ocean, snack on exotic treats, paddle down a river in a dugout "pirogue", travel across savanna on a colonial-era railway or a myriad of other things.

Africa's cultural diversity cannot be overstated — most countries are internally diverse and there are huge differences between the Muslim countries in the North with its Arab- and Berber-influenced cultures and the Sub-Saharan nations, including the rainbow nation of South Africa that has strong European influences in addition to Bantu and other African traditions. It is also the continent with the largest genetic diversity among the population by far: There is far more genetic diversity among Africans than there is between Africans and inhabitants of any other continent. Despite what lacking media coverage might have led you to believe, Africa is not one country but 55 different countries, making it impossible to make generalisations about "all of Africa". Also, due to the nature of colonial borders most African countries are anything but homogeneous (for example, South Africa has 11 official languages), and culture, cuisine, language or even the dominant religion may change dramatically within a few hundred kilometers without ever crossing a border.

Despite rapidly growing economies in many places, there are still many packets of poverty in both the Maghreb and Sub-Saharan Africa. While poverty, corruption and ethnic as well religious violence exist in some parts of the continent, large parts of Africa have made impressive progress in recent times, with many cities that have growing middle classes and deal with problems such as traffic jams or crowded public transport, rather than the war or famine you might have heard about in some 80s documentary or development aid commercial.



Sahel (Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Sudan)
The tropical Atlantic coastal nations. Most of these countries have a Christian South that was more directly affected by European colonisation and a Muslim North, that was more influenced by Arabic culture.
The heart of Africa with high mountains in the east and the world's second largest jungle — the Congo rainforest.
The region that was the wellspring of most early hominids, comprising nations that border the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean, plus a few neighbouring landlocked nations.
Nations at and near Africa's southern tip. Likely the birthplace of modern Homo sapiens as well as the part of Sub-Saharan Africa where European influence is most visible today. Noted for an incredible diversity of plant life, as well as the Namib desert, one of the driest places on earth other than the Atacama or Antarctica.


  • Accra — Ghana's capital
  • Addis Ababa — Ethiopia's capital is one of Africa's "global cities" as a seat of both the African Union and many NGOs Chinese investment built both the AU headquarters and a new light rail
  • Cairo — Egypt's bustling capital is both the most populous city in Africa and a gateway to the heritage of Ancient Egypt
  • Marrakech — a blend of the ancient and modern in Morocco

Other destinations[edit]

Victoria Falls
  • Axum (Aksum) — the ancient capital of Ethiopia, famous for the ruins of various palaces and its stelae
  • Dogon Country — a region of south-central Mali renowned for its secluded villages embedded on cliffs and a very distinct culture
  • Kruger National Park — surely among the best known national park in Africa
  • Leptis Magna — intended by the Roman Empire as a model city its ruins are still impressive
  • Mount Kilimanjaro — the highest mountain on the continent and one of the most striking sights of Tanzania
  • Serengeti National Park — together with Maasai Mara National Reserve across the border in Kenya, this is Tanzania's best known national park and one of the most famous on the continent made a household name by the Grzimek movie
  • Valley of the Kings — burial place of several dozen Ancient Egyptian pharaohs and the site of King Tut's tomb
  • Victoria Falls — These waterfalls between Zimbabwe and Zambia are among the most impressive in the world
  • Volcanoes National Park — full of impressive tropical rainforest and volcanic scenery, trekking, and is perhaps the best place in the world to see the rare mountain gorillas.
See also: African National Parks



The pyramids at Giza: The only of the seven ancient wonders of the world still left standing and perhaps the symbol of Ancient Egypt

From the dawn of humanity to the first empires[edit]

Early precursors to human beings, most notably Australopithecus afarensis (named for the Afar region in Ethiopia), the species "Lucy" belonged to, lived and walked on two feet as early as 3 million years ago. Remains of later species such as Homo habilis and Homo erectus (the first hominid to leave Africa, as far as we know) were found in other parts of East Africa such as Kenya, Tanzania and around the Great Lakes. Homo sapiens (modern humans), most likely originated either in Southern Africa or in East Africa somewhere in what is now Ethiopia or Kenya. The oldest homo sapiens remains to date are about 195,000 years old and were found in Ethiopia but there are also hints that Homo sapiens may have been present earlier in Southern Africa. Some of the remains of early hominids as well as their tools are on display in various museums in Ethiopia, Namibia and other countries. The Cradle of Humankind is a site in South Africa, with plenty of early human fossils.

North Africa has a recorded history dating back to about 3300 BCE with numerous buildings, ruins, writings, arts, and crafts which have left traces for us to marvel at. The ancient Pharaonic civilization based in Egypt was the most enduring and among the most impressive ancient civilizations. Egypt was one of the earliest cultures to build monumental buildings, form a hierarchical state and wage large scale warfare with standing armies, and was one of the stablest empire in recorded history frequently surviving and absorbing foreign invaders, immigrants and usurpers and turning them (culturally) Egyptian.

South of the Pharaonic civilization and sometimes in their sphere of influence was the Nubian culture, which had a long history of mutual influence with its northern neighbors and even came to rule over Egypt for a short time. Their most famous remnants are the pyramids of Meroe, Sudan. Another early center of settled civilization and later an early center of Christianity outside the Roman Empire was Ethiopia, where the Aksumite Empire reigned between the fourth century BCE and the 7th century CE and served as an important trading partner of both Indian and Mediterranean powers.

Today, the legacy of ancient African civilizations lives on; many of their monuments, temples and cities are well-preserved and have become popular tourist attractions, and museums host their artifacts. Modern Jews believe themselves to be descendants of slaves from ancient Egypt and Ethiopians of all religions believe they are the descendants of the union of the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon (Sheba thought by most to refer to what is now the nation of Yemen, but the queen is believed by many to have also ruled Ethiopia). Yet outside of North Africa, Sudan and Ethiopia, very little is known about African history prior to 1000CE, as most people were hunter-gatherers (similar to some cultures still found today on the continent), with no writing systems nor lasting structures, arts, or crafts, aside from some cave paintings.

Classical antiquity[edit]

See also: Ancient Greece, Roman Empire

The Phoenicians, based in what's now Lebanon and part of the coasts of Syria and Israel, colonized North Africa, and established the city of Carthage (now a suburb of Tunis). Eventually, the Carthaginian Republic became a separate one, and a rival of the Romans as the dominant power in the Mediterranean. The Romans destroyed Carthage in the Third Punic War in 146 BCE, burning it to the ground.

Roman remains like this theater in Leptis Magna, Libya can still be found in much of North Africa

The period after 360 BCE saw the first invasions of Europeans to the continent. Macedonian ruler Alexander the Great conquered what were then the Egyptian parts of the Persian Empire in 326 BCE founded a city named after him and had himself declared pharaoh. Egypt would come under the rule of one of his general after Alexander's death and under the Ptolemaic dynasty, Alexandria became one of the leading centers of Jewish, Greek and Egyptian philosophy and culture. It was here that a library holding "the wisdom of the ancient world" stood and it was here that the Jewish holy books were translated into Koine Greek. Starting with the Punic wars, the Romans entered the African picture as a major picture, and they founded cities such as Leptis Magna, before the partially hellenized Egypt ultimately also became Roman in 31BCE. Northern Africa and later Nubia and Ethiopia were also among the earliest centers of Christianity with the first Christians in the area already by the first century CE, even before Christianity would spread to other parts of the Roman Empire. A famous letter exchange of Plinius the younger (then governor in Carthage) and emperor Trajan is among the best known sources of the treatment of Christians in the second century CE. Few documents from this time remain, but evidence suggests that heterodox forms of Christianity such as Gnosticism, which were not in line with the officially sanctioned version practiced in Constantinople, were popular in Northern Africa, and Egypt seems to have been a centre to both precursors of Christian monasteries and apocryphal gospels (i.e. religious texts not included in the "official" Bible). Gnostic Christianity, which was very prevalent in Egypt starting in the 2nd century CE, was largely crushed there by the 5th century, but left behind important papyri such as the Gnostic Gospels, which were discovered in Nag Hammadi, Upper Egypt in 1945 and have been translated into many languages.

Muslim conquest[edit]

The Muslim invasion and the beginning of the Arab Slave Trade in the 7th century AD changed the cultural landscape of Northern and much of Eastern and Western Africa. The newly formed Arab caliphate conquered North Africa and the Horn of Africa within a few decades. Due to the shrewd policy of nominal toleration combined with taxation for Christians and Jews, the Muslim conquerors were able to pacify and religiously assimilate the conquered areas remarkably fast. Some scholars have suggested that the aforementioned heterodoxy in much of the African provinces of the Roman Empire helped in the easy conquest by the Islamic conquerors who were more tolerant (or at least indifferent towards) forms of Christianity not in line with Constantinople. In the west, Berbers intermarried with the Arab invaders to become the Moorish population that later invaded the Iberian Peninsula. When Damascus was invaded in the early eighth century, the Islamic religious and political centre of the Mediterranean shifted to Kairouan in Tunisia. Their progress was limited only by the dense forests of West and Central Africa and to coastal areas in the East. The last region to come under Muslim influence was that of Nubia (modern-day northern Sudan) in the 14th century. While some of the Christian and Jewish heritage is still visible in Northern Africa, actual followers of those religions have become few and far between and Islam is culturally very dominant from Egypt to Morocco and south to Sudan and the northern parts of Nigeria, while Christianity is shrinking both due to conversion and due to emigration in its erstwhile centers in Egypt and elsewhere, Judaism virtually disappeared in the decades following the establishment of Israel when most Jews left or were forced out.

The 7th-9th centuries were a period of significant change to the history of sub-Saharan Africa. In the west, there was a rise of large and powerful inland kingdoms, such as the Ghana (in Mali & Mauritania, no relation to modern Ghana), Dahomey (which lasted until French capture in 1894, now Benin), Za/Gao (in Mali and Niger), Kanem (in Chad), and Bornu (in Nigeria). As many of these kingdoms converted to Islam (usually the conversion of a king included the conversion of his subordinates, at least nominally), trans-Saharan trade grew as salt and gold were transported to Libya and Egypt in large caravans—a trade made possible by the introduction of camels from Arabia in the 10th century and would support much of the area from northern Nigeria west to Mali and Mauritania until the 19th century. During the 13th-16th centuries, many of these early kingdoms were replaced with new empires, chief among them the Mali (in Mali, Guinea, and Senegal) and later Songhay (in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger) and a plethora of small, single-ethnicity kingdoms and city-states sprouted. Many of Mali's popular tourist destinations, including Timbuktu, Djenne, and Gao, rose to prominence during this period as they became hubs of trade and Islamic scholarship. The Hausa people in northern Nigeria began organizing in walled city states, of which remnants remain in Kano. Coastal, forested West Africa remained largely unorganized, with the exceptions of a few Yoruba city-states of Benin, Ife and Oyo, along with small Dahomey and Igbo empires all in modern-day Benin and Nigeria.

Meanwhile, Islamic influence and prosperity from Indian Ocean trade rose in East Africa as ships from Arabia, Persia, India, and as far as Southeast Asia dropped anchor in major ports from Somalia down to Mozambique, bringing spices and in return for slaves and ivory. Between the 7th and 19th centuries, over 18 million people were taken from the region as part of the Arab slave trade—roughly twice as many as the Atlantic slave trade would take to the Americas. Today, that influence remains in the culture and gastronomy of many places, most notably on the Indian Ocean islands such as Zanzibar, Comoros, the Seychelles, and Mauritius, and descendents of these slaves would go on to form the Siddi community in India, who continue to preserve many African traditions despite now speaking Indian rather than African languages.

Ruins at Great Zimbabwe

Southern Africa remained largely undeveloped, with primarily nomadic hunter-gatherers such as the San people, but it did contain some small kingdoms. The Kingdom of Zimbabwe (namesake of today's state) was one of the most notable, constructing the greatest stone structures in pre-colonial sub-Saharan Africa at their capital Great Zimbabwe. The Kingdom of Mapungubwe in modern eastern South Africa also left smaller stone ruins. Both profited from the trade in gold and ivory with Arab and Asian merchants.

European exploration and early colonialism[edit]


Slaving castle in Cape Coast, Ghana


19th century imperialism[edit]


Colonial division of Africa, 1914

As accounts of Africa's interior reached Europe, nations and merchants began to view the continent as a major source of commerce and wealth, similar to their Asian exploits, while the philanthropic and missionary class saw a great opportunity to "Christianize" and "civilize" the "savage" people of Africa. With social Darwinism introduced, many countries saw Africa as a great opportunity to establish colonial empires and establish their pre-eminence among other European nations — chiefly Germany, to catch up with other European nations and France, to regain glories lost in North America and under Napoleon. Britain and Portugal joined this Scramble for Africa when they saw their interests threatened. In 1885, the Berlin Conference brought together European colonial powers to carve up the continent into defined colonial territories with many straight lines and no input from any African kingdom or settlement. Following the Berlin meeting, Italy was designated as a 'protector' over Ethiopia. In 1898, Italy waged an all-out war to colonize Ethiopia and they were defeated at the battle of Adwa. This was possible because all Ethiopians came together under emperor Menelik II to stand together. This marks the first time Africans defeated European invaders.

At the same time, disaster was befalling the people of the Congo, a land awarded to Belgium at the Berlin Conference and treated as the private property of King Leopold II, who proceeded to enslave the people and subject them to mass killings and mutilations when production targets for rubber were not achieved. Millions of people were killed in a genocide which extended into the 20th century, ending only in 1908 when worldwide criticism forced the king to relinquish his private ownership over the land and it was turned into a Belgian colony under the control of their parliament. Joseph Conrad wrote the novel Heart of Darkness from his experience as a witness to some of these crimes, which were also condemned in the satirical pamphlet King Leopold's Soliloquy by Mark Twain and another pamphlet, The Crime of the Congo, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

At the turn of the 20th century, Britain began a series of deadly South African Wars from their Cape Colony into surrounding African and Boer (white descendants of the Dutch) lands in modern South Africa, which brought Cecil Rhodes to fame for his vision to unite Africa under British rule from Cairo to Cape Town. World War I saw one battle in German East Africa (Tanzania) which the British lost, although post-war, German possessions were divided among France, Belgium and the UK. The Union of South Africa was granted independence from the UK in 1930. During World War II, Ethiopia was occupied for three years by Italy, and major fighting took place in North Africa through which the Nazis were eventually evicted by the Allies. It was the social changes stemming from the war, in which tens of thousands of Africans fought for their colonial power, and the Atlantic Charter which led to the spread of nationalistic movements after the war.

Decolonization and the legacy of the colonizers[edit]

Dates of independence across Africa.

The decolonization of Africa began with Libyan independence from Italy in 1951. Colonial powers employed varying means of control over their colonies, some granting natives representation in the government and cultivating a select few civil servants while others maintained a firm grip with an all-European government. In some countries, nationalist movements were quashed and their leaders killed or jailed, while others were able to peacefully achieve independence. In the 1950s, Guinea, Ghana and North African nations gained independence non-violently. In Algeria, France violently fought independence movements until 1963. With the establishment and new constitution of France's Fifth Republic in 1958, French West Africa and French Equatorial Africa ceased to exist, and after a brief "community" with France, the countries of these regions gained independence in 1960. By 1970, all but a handful of African nations were independent. The Portuguese bitterly fought to maintain their African possessions until 1975; all but one gained independence through war. Zimbabwe was the last major colony to gain independence from a non-African colonial overlord, in 1980, following a 14-year period of rule by a white minority government not recognized by Britain, the former colonial power. In 1990, semi-autonomous Namibia gained independence from South Africa and in 1993, Eritrea separated from Ethiopia following a protracted war. South Africa remained under firm control by its white minority, suppressing its black population under a system called apartheid until 1994. Morocco maintains control over Western Sahara despite an established independence movement, and this remains a point of contention between Morocco and Algeria. South Sudan became independent after a referendum was held in 2011.

Europe divided Africa with complete disregard for the cultures and ethnic groups in Africa, often dividing a people between two or more countries and forcing peoples with a history of fighting or differing religions into one country. Additionally, a lack of training in civil service before and even after independence left most countries with dysfunctional governments. Leaders tended to reward their own ethnic groups with jobs and money, and in many cases suppressed ethnic minorities. This has been a cause of much strife post-independence across much of sub-Saharan Africa and has led to dozens of prolonged civil wars (notably in Sudan, Angola, Ethiopia/Eritrea, Nigeria, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo), countless coups, and countless inept, corrupt leaders. During the cold war some leaders played the big power blocs against each other while others stayed in power mostly because they were backed by either side. Especially after the cold war ended, some countries such as Somalia descended into protracted internal fighting and are considered failed states as nobody really has any power over the state as a whole and local rackets and militias are unable to provide more than the most basic government functions (with the exception, in that case, of the formerly British-occupied area of Somaliland). The discovery of valuable natural resources such as oil, uranium, diamonds, and coltan (columbite–tantalite, an ore from which the rare earth metals niobium and tantalum, in very high demand for technological products such as cell phones, are extracted) is one of the reasons separatist movements have sprung up, motivated in part by the greed of warlords and in part by the neglect of resource-rich areas that want a share in the profits, like the oil-rich exclave of Cabinda, Angola and the Niger Delta in Nigeria.

Fortunately, there are numerous examples in Africa where past conflict has made way for functional governments, offering some hope for the future of Africa. The bleak picture often painted of Africa as a whole could not be further from the truth in many places and thanks to tourism, more stable and accountable governance and rapidly growing economies, some African countries are now looking towards a bright future of which the first signs are already visible.


As the second largest continent, there is a wide range of climates to be found. However, since the continent is nearly centred on the equator, much of the continent is quite warm/temperate with very few, small areas on the continent experiencing any temperatures that can be considered "cold". In the temperate regions (parts of northern Morocco & the Mediterranean coast as well as South Africa), temperatures generally range from the 10s C to the mid-30s°C (40s-90s°F) year round. Closer to the equator and on islands like Cape Verde or Mauritius, temperatures may only vary less than 20 degrees Celsius (15-35°C/65-95°F) throughout the year. In the deserts and arid regions like the Sahel and Horn of Africa, temperatures routinely hit 40°C or higher (and even 50°C or higher in the heart of the Sahara) but because sand does not retain heat like moist soil does, those same places can easily fall down to 15°C at night. There are a few bastions of cooler weather, however. Higher elevations, such as the Atlas Mountains in Morocco & Algeria or the mountains in Lesotho, are quite cold and snowy during winter and Mount Kilimanjaro, almost on the equator, is cold year-round (cold enough to support glaciers!). Peaks on islands such as Reunion, the Canary Islands, Cameroon and other countries are cool enough to necessitate a jacket much of the year.




After Africa's messy divorce from its European colonial powers, many African countries became mired in political power struggles and civil war. In recent decades, however, the nations of this continent have drawn closer and many conflicts on the continent have seen neighbouring countries intervene positively rather than intervention/invasion by European and Western powers. Most African countries are developing democracies—struggling with corruption, but moving towards democratic values, like free and fair elections, freedom of speech, and involvement in government by several strata of society.


Several national governments have a weak hold of their territory, such as Somalia, both Congos, the Central African Republic, Chad, Libya and Mali. In addition to national governments, some "tribes" continue to retain kings/chiefs recognized by the national government as well as local people and are sometimes even given limited autonomy/authority over "tribal" lands. The problem of "tribalism" that plagues many African countries is somewhat of a misnomer, as many of these "tribes" are ethnically and linguistically more diverse and different from each other than most European ethnicities, and often they were forced to live in one state due to the arbitrary nature of colonial borders. Still in some African countries ethnic and personal loyalties were more important than party ties or ideologies and the marginalized ethnicities often strived to overturn these regimes, only to replace them with one dominated by their ethnicity. Two of the most horrific examples of ethnic violence in recent decades however occurred in more or less ethnically homogeneous countries; Somalia, where over 99% of the population is Somali (but belonging to different sub-ethnicities much like tribal societies in Arab countries) and Rwanda where the distinction between Hutu and Tutsi (both mostly Catholic and both speaking the same language) was introduced by the German and Belgian colonial overlords as a divide et impera tactic.


European influence and development aid[edit]

European colonial powers remained active in many nations post-independence and, still today, France retains close diplomatic ties with many former colonies. The U.S., largely unburdened by the "former colonial power" stigma, has long been active in promoting conflict resolution, human rights, and providing development aid and emergency assistance. While development aid rarely exceeds 1% of the donor countries' budgets, some African countries are or have in the past been dependent on aid money and credits from countries and international institutions such as the World Bank. While there has been a change in focus from large-scale projects such as dams and highways to more local initiatives such as rural electrification or public transport for individual cities, the topic remains controversial and some African voices have even called for an end to development aid altogether. Another problem with the World Bank credits is that new (democratic) governments often have to pay back old credits that their (authoritarian, kleptocratic) predecessor have taken out and wasted or outright embezzled, thus forcing their political agenda to conform to the wishes of the World Bank in large part instead of their own people. The question whether some or all of those "onerous loans" should or could be forgiven is another contentious issue between the (mostly European and North American) creditor nations and the African debtors. Another source of money for many people as well as countries is so-called "remittances" — that is, money that emigrants from African countries send back to their friends and relatives in their former home countries. While this has sometimes helped grow local economies and bring direly needed investment, the extreme dependence of some areas on this source of revenue has created a great deal of economic problems. As a traveller you will probably notice that Western Union and similar services are available almost ubiquitously, as they are frequently used for the purpose of receiving remittances.

Chinese influence[edit]

China has notably been a major player on the continent since 2000 and Western diplomats are now trying to play catch-up and fight for influence with China. The Chinese demand for natural resources is great and the Chinese have accosted many African governments without the stigma of being a rich, Western nation or caring much about the values (human rights, political freedom, etc.) of the governments they deal with. Another selling point for them is the large number of state-run companies they have and the integration between the Chinese government and the state-owned companies they use to mine and build roads and infrastructure compared to the relationship between Western governments and private businesses. China has largely sought mineral rights by building infrastructure and seeking lucrative concessions for their state-owned companies as up-front "payment" for resources to be later extracted. When building, they will almost always import Chinese workers to complete such projects. As a result it is not uncommon to see teams of hundreds of Chinese camped along and working to build a new road or housing project. The most auspicious gift from the Chinese is likely the new US$200 million headquarters complex for the African Union, built and financed by China and opened in 2012. Whether the Chinese involvement proves beneficial or just another form of neo-colonialism remains to be seen and is a controversial topic both inside the countries China is involved in and outside of them. Remarkable is that the Chinese, much like European colonial powers before them, build infrastructure primarily to serve their own mining interest and not to serve the people of the country they do it in. A railway for example is more likely to connect a mine and a port than two important cities.


The primary religions of Africa are Christianity and Islam, with a sizable number of irreligious/atheist Africans and adherents to traditional religions. The exact percentages of religious adherents vary widely among respected sources, with roughly 40-45% Christian, 40-50% Muslim, 10-15% indigenous beliefs and 5-10% irreligious.

Christianity is spread across a large region, encompassing nearly all of Southern, Central and Eastern Africa, and has a long history in Africa. Egypt is closely associated with early Christian Church history. Ethiopia was among the first nations to adopt Christianity as their official religion (in 330 C.E.) Most Christians are Protestant or Roman Catholic and mix it with indigenous beliefs, except for the Orthodox populations of Egypt, Ethiopia and Eritrea. Christian missionaries and the desire to "civilize" tribal Africans through conversion was a major drive of European colonization.



  • 27 May – 24 June 2017 (1438 AH)
  • 16 May – 14 June 2018 (1439 AH)
  • 6 May – 3 June 2019 (1440 AH)
  • 24 April – 23 May 2020 (1441 AH)
  • 13 April – 12 May 2021 (1442 AH)


Islam is the largest religion on the continent by number of adherents (according to most sources) but, bolstered by the large Muslim populations of Egypt and Nigeria, covers a smaller geographic footprint. All North African countries are 97-100% Muslim except Egypt (not far behind, at 90%). Nearly all of West and Sahelian Africa is also majority Muslim, except for Cape Verde, Liberia, Ghana, Benin and Togo. Nigeria, Chad and Cote d'Ivoire are all about equally split between Muslim populations in the north and Christians in the south. Islam was first brought to the continent in the centuries after its birth, spreading across northern Africa and later spread down the Indian Ocean coast by merchants and seafarers to the coasts of Kenya, Tanzania and the Comoros. The Swahili language is strongly influenced by Arabic. Most Muslims are Sunni, with a large population of moderate Sufis in West Africa and Sudan, who often blend Sunni Islam with traditional beliefs. An attempt has been made to promote more conservative forms of Islam in recent decades, through Muslim NGOs and Saudi Arabian assistance, although this coincides with a fear of radicalization and the emergence of al Qaeda and other Islamist groups in parts of North Africa and the Sahel (particularly Mali, Niger and Algeria). In certain Muslim regions, adherence to religious law is expected such as no alcohol consumption (but khat is fine, where legal) and the covering of women's limbs, and extreme offence is taken when these rules are broken or, worse, Islam or its prophets are insulted.


A Shona witch doctor in Zimbabwe





  • Battuta, Ibn. The Travels of Ibn Battuta. The travel diaries of the legendary explorer Ibn Battuta, considered one of the greatest travelers in history. In 1325, he set out on the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca from his native Morocco, age 21, and over the next three decades passed through more than 40 modern countries travelling over three times the distance than near-contemporary Marco Polo. His 1325-1332 trip visited North Africa, Somalia, and the Swahili Coast (Kenya, Zanzibar and Tanzania). A journey between 1349-1354 visited Timbuktu, passing through modern Morocco, Mauritania, Mali, Niger and Algeria. A few modern translations exist, including the 1829 translation by Samuel Lee (The Travels of Ibn Battuta. Cosimo Classics, 2009. ISBN 978-1605206219) and a 2003 one by Tim Mackintosh-Smith (The Travels of Ibn Battuta. Macmillan UK, 2003. ISBN 978-0330418799), who also re-traced Battuta's footsteps in the early 21st century and published a few other books about his journeys. Battuta's pilgrimage to Mecca, traveling across medieval North Africa & the Middle East was the basis for the 2009 IMAX film (Journey to Mecca: In the Footsteps of Ibn Battuta, IMDb). Berkeley University has a good online account of his travels.

Get in[edit]

By plane[edit]

The Harare International Airport
Main article: Flying to Africa




From Europe[edit]


From Asia and the Middle East[edit]

Nearly all North African countries along with Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti and Somalia have extensive connections with the Middle East. And similarly, countries with large Muslim populations are likely to have a connection to Jedda/Mecca either year-round or seasonal (e.g. during hajj). Middle Eastern airlines such as Emirates, Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways have greatly expanded their services to Africa, and offer connections to many major African cities at competitive rates than European airlines.

From the Americas[edit]


From Australia[edit]


By road or ferry[edit]





By boat[edit]

Many Mediterranean cruises stop in North African countries such Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, the Canary Islands and Cape Verde. Some ocean liners will stop in the Canary or Cape Verde Islands on trans-Atlantic crossings or in South Africa, Madagascar, Mombasa, Zanzibar, the Seychelles, or Mauritius on round-the-world trips.


The Seychelles, Reunion and Mauritius are popular destinations for yachts and private vessels, but piracy around the Horn of Africa has kept a lot of the European vessels away.

For a truly unique experience, take the RMS St Helena from the UK to Cape Town via St Helena — one of the world's most remote islands!

Get around[edit]


The general rule that visas are more difficult to obtain for countries that have more authoritarian governments and are less "classical" tourist destinations is true for Africa as well, although there are exceptions. Also with few exceptions it is easier to get into most countries if you are from a "first world" country. Visa requirements and costs for African countries differ depending on your nationality/citizenship and by country. Many countries in southern and eastern Africa have visa-free or visas available at the airport or border crossing for E.U., American, Canadian, and a few other nationalities with a minimal amount of paperwork and wait. On the other hand, some countries have burdensome requirements that often differ among their embassies and border crossings.


There are four customs unions in effect in Africa:



By plane[edit]




Caution NOTE: Consider airline safety when flying in Africa. Although South African Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, and Kenya Airways all meet EU and FAA safety standards, the same isn't true for all airlines, especially smaller domestic carriers in countries where political stability may be lacking, tenuous or only recently reintroduced. Check with the EU Commission on Air Safety for a list of airlines that do not meet their safety standards.

By car[edit]

Bloukrans Bridge along South Africa's Garden Route




By bus[edit]


By thumb[edit]


By overland truck[edit]


By train[edit]

see also rail travel in Africa

A train in Zambia

As most railway lines were built by the colonial powers and haven't been extended or maintained well for the most part, passenger railways in Africa are sparse and the majority are short, slow and within one country. South Africa and Egypt are the two countries with significant passenger railroad services. South Africa additionally has the modern, fast Gautrain which connects Pretoria, Johannesburg, Sandton and OR Tambo International Airport (previously known as Johannesburg International Airport). Luxury trains like the Blue Train and Rovos Rail also allow for relaxing travel in South Africa. There are also a handful of interconnected railways running from Botswana through Zimbabwe and Zambia to Tanzania (work on a link from Tanzania to Burundi & Rwanda began in early 2013). Fortunately in recent years there has been movement towards improving rail infrastructure all over the continent and with Chinese and European investment some lines are actually being built. Morocco has two modern, fast train lines connecting most major cities. Morocco is also building a French-style high speed rail network. In Kenya, there is a Mombasa-Nairobi-Kisumu line which is popular for wildlife spotting. Namibia has a line running from Swakopmund to Windhoek and south to near the South African border.

There are also a handful of very old, slow trains in Africa: Wadi Halfa-Khartoum, Sudan (with a short ferry on Lake Aswan, you can continue north to Cairo); Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso-Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire; a couple of trains in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; and short lines in Cameroon and Gabon. The Chinese are building railroad lines in Angola which should open in the next few years.


By boat[edit]

Pirogue on the Niger River in Mali

Where there is water, there is usually boat services to some extent. In the DRC, boats are the primary means of transportation due to the extensive network of rivers and lack/quality of roads and railways. Some noteworthy river journeys in Africa are:

Along the Niger River small, wooden pirogues varying in design from a 2-person canoe to wide, ~10 person boats with a canopy and toilet. Travelling by pirogue is slow, but the Sahelian scenery and people you meet on the boat and during stops make this a memorable African experience. Due to cataracts, pirogues on the Niger only operate in Mali & Niger

Along the Congo River large, old and often overcrowded ferries connect cities along the river in the Republic of the Congo, DR Congo, & Central African Republic. Small boats from villages come out and moor themselves to these ferries to sell food and merchandise and the boat is a bustling marketplace of hundreds of people much of the time. Conditions aboard these ferries are poor and bearable only by the most seasoned of travellers. Talk to the captain to see if you can use one of the handful of rooms to sleep.



Africa's linguistic diversity is exemplified by South Africa, which has eleven official languages, some of which have the most complex inventory of sounds in any human language, with over a hundred different sounds to distinguish meaning. English in comparison has less than half that number.


Flora and fauna[edit]

A giraffe in Niger


Natural wonders[edit]

Mt. Nyiragongo's lava lake, viewed from the rim.

Africa is home to many famous natural wonders, from the Nile River, the world's longest river, to Victoria Falls. The continent is home to two of the world's four volcanoes with permanent lava lakes—the dramatic Mount Nyiragongo which rises hundreds of meters above Goma, DR C ongo and Erta Ale in Ethiopia's stark Danakil Depression (the others are Mt.Erebus in Antarctica & Kilauea in Hawaii). Both volcanoes can be climbed by the adventurous tourist to stand at the rim gazing in awe at the bubbling lava below, an especially incredible sight at night! Mount Cameroon and its glorious stretch of lava also creates a beautiful site with a variety of flora and fauna.


Roughly centered on the Equator, Africa is known for landscapes typical for warm parts of the world.

Northern Africa is dominated by the immense Sahara desert wedged between the Atlantic, the Mediterranean and the Red Sea. Apart from the coastal rim and the banks of the Nile, this is a dry and remote part of the continent. The most notable (and likely easiest accessible) mountain range here is the Atlas mountains range in Morocco. The highest peak is Jbel Toubkal, the highest mountain in Africa not located in the east of the continent.

South of Sahara, vegetation gradually increases the further south one travels. From southern Sahel onwards, the terrain is rather flat with savanna and steppe. This is however not the case at these latitudes in the eastern part of Africa; this is the northern end of Africa's "backbone" of several mountain chains stretching down all the way from Ethiopia to South Africa like an extension of the Nile. Eastern Central Africa is also where you can find the largest lakes, including Lake Victoria. Named after the 19th century British queen Victoria, this is the world's second largest fresh water lake by surface area and the source of one of the two forks of the Nile. Southwest of the lake, a little more than halfway to the Indian Ocean, lies Africa's highest mountain, Kilimanjaro.

Bisected by the Equator, unsurprisingly the heart of Africa is dominated by rainforest. The Congo rainforest is the second largest in the world, remote and mostly uninhabited, and going here is often more of an expedition than a tourist trip. The Eastern Central part is also the best place to go on the continent if you are interested in volcanoes.

Further south, the landscape becomes more and more dry again, especially in the western half. Namibia in particular is known for its deserts and canyons. The landscape is different in the east with scenic mountains and waterfalls including the mighty Victoria Falls, yes, it too was named after the queen. On the highland plateau in this corner of Africa is Lesotho, the only country in the world that is entirely located higher than 1400 m above the sea level. The southernmost part of the continent — in other words South Africa — is reminiscent of the northernmost rim with Mediterranean climate and subtropical vegetation.

There are also several island nations or territories located in the oceans outside mainland Africa. They are as a rule mountainous with mountain chains often consisting of volcanoes. Surrounded by sea, they as a rule have cooler temperatures than inland locations at the same latitudes.

Historical civilizations[edit]










See also: Safaris
Viewing zebras in Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania.

Safari – an overland travel to view the stunning African wildlife – is arguably the greatest tourist attraction in Africa. Most countries, except in the north, have at least one national park with organized safaris.

A safari can take on a range of forms, from a simple one-day minibus ride, to week-long stays at a private lodge. Commonly it is a 4x4 ride across the savanna in search of the "Big five": elephants, lions, leopards, rhinos, & buffalo. Such safaris are offered primarily in Southern and East Africa. Many parks have strict regulations both on visitor activities and behavior, along with modest-to-expensive entry & camping fees. Terrain and wildlife varies across the continent; among the most well-known park to experience such safaris are South Africa's Kruger National Park, Tanzania's Ngorongoro Crater, the Okavango Delta region of Botswana, and the Tsavo East/West National Parks, and Nairobi National Park.

The three basic safari styles are driving safari, walking safaris, and mobile safari. Some regions also offer safaris on boats/canoes or riding on horses or elephants. Some operators offer aerial trips over parks on hot air balloon or light aircraft which are marketed as "safaris", offering breath-taking views of the environment. A "fly-in safari" is the term used for any of these types of safari where the visitor is flown directly (or very close) to a lodge on light aircraft, rather than arrive at an international airport and driving hours overland to the lodge. The driving safari is by far the most popular form of safari and is best for most first-timers as it is easier, often cheaper, and generally allows you to see more wildlife. A driving safari can be a one-day affair, but it often includes a couple nights spent camping (for low budgets) or in lodges within the park. Low-price driving safaris are often made in minibuses without a guaranteed window seat. Luxury safaris will likely include drives in a 4x4 vehicle with only a handful of others and stays at fine lodges with swimming pools and spas. A walking safari consists of hiking, either for a few hours or several days. These safaris don't permit viewing as many animals as when driving, but allows hikers to get closer to some animals and have experiences like stumbling upon the bones of a recent lion kill. For mobile safaris, an entire camp or lodge is set up each night of your safari. Waking up in the morning, you will leave by 4x4 or foot to explore the park, a small camp with meals already prepared is set up for lunch, and after more sightseeing, you arrive at a luxurious camp, moved during the day.

Interior of a more luxurious tented camp.

For the most basic trips, travelers should have a minimum budget of US$70/day, while some of the most visited parks may cost US$100–150/day. Luxury trips can easily run over US$1000/day. If a price offer seems too good to be true, it often is, and there is probably a good reason why. This can be the result of hidden fees, large errors/omissions/lies when calculating a price, an unlicensed operator, abusive labor practices, poor equipment, length of the trip, and extras that you may not have thought of or which this operator plans to charge a steep fee. Make sure to thoroughly check what each tour operator provides in their cost, and make sure to get a written agreement before payment and departure. Self-drive safaris are possible in some parks, but highly discouraged for first-time safari goers.






Trekking and hiking[edit]



Sport fishing[edit]



Relax on a beach[edit]





Rugby is played by several former British colonies in Southern & Eastern Africa. South Africa's Springboks are among the best teams in the world. And while they were traditionally associated with the white and specifically the Afrikaner part of the population they have now significant following among all ethnic groups after Nelson Mandela famously wore a Springbok jersey during the 1995 world cup that was held in and won by South Africa.

Cricket is also played, especially in former British colonies.




The three easiest currencies to exchange within Africa are the euro, US dollar, & UK pound sterling. In some countries with a large tourism sector Australian & Canadian dollars and Japanese yen may be exchanged at large banks and some currency exchanges, but you will receive a poor exchange rate as these currencies are uncommon and more troublesome for the banks in turn to exchange. The continent is roughly split between a blocks where the US dollar is easiest to exchange and use and where the euro is. In Southern African countries the South African rand enjoys a regionally dominant position (see below) and may be easier to exchange than other currencies.

Due to concerns about counterfeiting, money exchangers, banks, and most likely even merchants will not accept US dollar banknotes that are worn or more than ten years old. As strange as that sounds, it seems to be a steadfast rule among anyone dealing much in dollars and you will find it difficult or even impossible to dispose of worn or older dollar banknotes. The same does not seem to hold true for euro banknotes, but may for other non-African currencies.


There are three currency unions in Africa:

Despite sharing the same name and same exchange rate (655.957 CFA francs = €1), the two "CFA franc" currencies are issued by different banks and are not interchangeable. A 1000 CFA franc banknote from Gabon will not be accepted by a merchant in Benin, and vice versa. Indeed, even with banks and money changers it will likely be easier (and you'll receive a better exchange rate) to exchange euro banknotes or even US dollars. Given the fixed exchange, if visiting any of these countries, the euro will receive a more favorable exchange rate.

The Mauritanian ouguiya & Malagasy ariary are the only two non-decimal currencies in use in the world, divided into 1/5th fractions known as khoums & iraimbilanja, respectively.

US dollar[edit]

The U.S. dollar has been the de facto currency of Zimbabwe since the collapse of the Zimbabwean dollar and allowance of foreign currency as tender in January 2009. Dollar coins are usually not accepted in Zimbabwe and you may have problems getting change for small purchases. The Djiboutian franc (178.8=US$1) and Eritrean nakfa (16.5=$1) are pegged to the dollar.





South African rand[edit]



Prohibited items[edit]






Food varies wildly and you can find Arab-influenced cuisine (in the North) as well as European-derived (in South Africa and Namibia) or local food originating from times before colonization. While you won't find five-star restaurants in every city or indeed every country, if you keep an open mind, you are in for some truly amazing and once-in-a-lifetime culinary experiences, once you venture out of standard tourist fare.


As could be expected from a continent as huge and diverse as Africa, there are a large variety of drinking options. While South Africa has come to be known as a wine growing region of international acclaim in recent years, drinking anything alcoholic in the muslim majority countries or the predominately muslim areas of countries such as Nigeria may be unwise or even illegal. As tab water is not always up to hygienic standards, bottled water (be careful to take a look at the seal before opening the bottle as some people simply refill bottles with tab water) is an option if you want to decrease the risk of traveller's diarrhea, especially on shorter stays. Remember to always drink enough, especially on hot climates and avoid drinking too much alcohol when you don't know your surroundings and/or have just recently arrived. There are also a variety of non alcoholic drinks that either originated from Africa or have been perfected here, such as Roibos tea in South Africa or Coffee in Ethiopia.


While business districts and resort cities have high-end hotels, accommodation can be very basic off the beaten path.

While camping in a national park can be an exciting experience, be aware of dangerous animals, as well as crime.

Stay safe[edit]

Safety map of Africa



The Democratic Republic of the Congo is home to the second largest jungle after the Amazon and most of the country is impassable by land. The eastern and northeastern regions are home to rebels and general lawlessness and have been home to the bloodiest conflict since World War II. Safe regions are the west (incl. Kinshasa), south (near Zambia border, incl. Lubumbashi), and a few spots practically on the border, such as Goma, Bukavu, & Virunga National Park.







Stay healthy[edit]

See also: Tropical diseases, Pests, Travel in developing countries

Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest rates of HIV and AIDS infection on Earth. A 2005 UN Report says over 25 million Africans are infected, over 7% of adults on the continent. Be extremely cautious about any sexual activity in Africa. The rates of HIV infection among sex workers are phenomenally high.

Bushmeat from gorillas, monkeys, chimpanzees mandrills should be avoided. Due to their similarity to humans, a number of diseases (including yet-undiscovered or poorly studied ones) can be spread by consuming their flesh, especially if it is not sufficiently heated. HIV is undoubtedly the most famous disease transmitted from other primates, but others include ebola, anthrax and yellow fever.



See also: Telephone service and List of country calling codes.





Internet access[edit]

Cybercafe in Kigali, Rwanda.






