Wild nature of Africa, its features and description

A huge continent, which is the second largest on the globe, is an amazing and mysterious Africa. It is famous for its hot climate, countless islands that seem to be scattered around the ocean around the continent, and a variety of pristine nature.

The area of Africa exceeds 30.3 million square meters. Km. This is 6% of the planet's surface. On the perimeter of the continent, two oceans (Indian and Atlantic) and two seas (the Red and the Mediterranean) are washed.

The population of Africa is more than one billion people, who live in 55 countries. Mostly it's the Arabs. The average life expectancy is about 45 years. The most common language is Arabic. The main religions are Christianity and Islam. In the eastern areas of the continent are widespread Buddhism, Hinduism.

Vegetation

The nature of Africa is an amazing and unique world full of beauty and secrets. The unusual vegetation of the continent is striking in its diversity: coniferous forests and dry steppes stretch closer to the north and south, tropical forests on the equator, and along the coast are dense thickets of shrubs.

In the tropical forests grow more than 25,000 species of various plants. Mountain forests are located in northern Africa. Basically, these are deciduous plantations: different types of oaks, Aleppo pine, Spanish fir, satin cedar.

The wild nature of Africa is vividly represented by the savannah. This steppe zone, where, in addition to grassy, there is shrubby and woody vegetation. Of the grasses, elephant grass is most common. This name she received in connection with the fact that elephants are very fond of her to eat.

During the rainy season everything here blooms, the vegetation becomes dense and green. And in the droughty period, which often lasts up to six months, the savanna looks like a yellow burnt steppe.

A baobab is a business card, a symbol of the continent. This African giant is not afraid of drought. The fact is that during the rainy season, he pumps his trunk with water. The uniqueness of this tree lies in its striking longevity (5000 years). In addition, this giant blossoms only once in his long life.

The nature of North Africa

This region stretches a narrow strip in the north of the continent. Most of the desert is the Sahara - the hottest place on earth.

The peculiarities of the nature of Africa in the north lie in the fact that few plants survive here. Most of the flora of these places is a variety of palm trees. Oaks, laurels, olive trees and eucalypts are much less common.

The most common animal in North Africa can safely be called a camel. This part of the continent is dominated by a subtropical (in some places tropical) climate. The officially recorded maximum temperature in the shadow was +58 degrees. In winter, there are even frosts at night.

Climatic conditions

Great variety of African nature! In the northern regions, spring is the time of sandstorms. They bring from the Sahara a wind chasmine. Storms can last from one day to a week.

In the countries of North Africa (Egypt, Libya, Mauritania) the weather in the spring is surprisingly constant - if the heat comes in early spring, then it will last until May. The same can be said about the cool and windy weather. Finally, the temperature is set at the beginning of May. At this time, the thermometer bars are already confidently occupying a place at the thirty-degree mark.

Summer here is very hot. For example, in Egypt in mid-summer, the temperature in the shade reaches fifty degrees. It is much cooler at night than in the daytime. Daily fluctuations are large enough.

The nature of Africa is characterized by a milder climate in Western Sahara. Here the temperature allows growing more plants (vegetable and cereals, fruit trees).

In the summer, very high temperatures are observed in Libya (+58). For this period, most of the public holidays in North Africa are: June 18 - Day of Liberation from the British, July 23 - Day of the Revolution, June 11 - Day of Liberation from American bases.

Autumn in North Africa is the end of an exhausting heat. In September, the temperature does not rise above 40 degrees. Water warms up to 25 degrees. Until October, the temperature continues to drop, and by the middle of autumn it fluctuates in different countries from +20 to +30.

At the same time, the saving season of rains begins. The nature of Africa comes to life. The rapid growth of bushes and grass begins. Dense green crowns appear on the trees. Animals, which in summer suffer greatly from the intolerable heat, are active. Appear on the surface of various species of fauna, which in summer could only be seen at night or at dusk. In savannahs live small, pygmy hippopotamuses, small predators, various monkeys, rodents. In the deserts, you can see snakes, lizards and invertebrates.

Winter in North Africa can be different. For example, in the mountains of Algeria at this time of year there are frosts. On the coast the weather is warmer, the air warms up to 12 degrees. In Egypt, the winter is very mild. The temperature does not fall below 25 degrees with a low amount of precipitation.

The nature of South Africa

The south of the continent is more affable and comfortable for the life of plants and animals. Today more than 24000 species of flowering plants are registered on this territory. Almost half of these plants are concentrated on the coastal strip, the width of which is about 200 kilometers. This zone is in the south-west of South Africa. Botanists refer it to the Cape floristic kingdom. All in all, six such associations are singled out on Earth, and the Cape is unique, first of all, in that it occupies only 0.4 percent of the territory of the Black Continent, while others occupy entire parts of the world - America, Australia or Antarctica. However, the Cape floristic kingdom is the richest in the world. The vegetation of these places is even more diverse than the flora of the tropical forests.

Animal world

The wildlife of Africa is very diverse. Here live about 500 species of birds, more than hundreds of species of various reptiles, numerous species of insects. But the tourists coming from different continents come here every year more than anything else: the big five - rhinoceros (black and white), elephant, buffalo, leopard, lion. These representatives of the African fauna are of great interest to fans of safaris. A hunter who has mined at least one animal from the "five" is the owner of a "big helmet", as the locals say.

Hunting for these animals is an expensive activity that involves organizational difficulties. Not every company that organizes a safari can offer such a hunt. For this, a special permit document issued at the governmental level must be issued.

Animal life of coastal waters of South Africa is diverse. Here you can see the huge, the largest inhabitant of the Earth - the blue whale. The length of his body exceeds 30 meters. Eight kinds of whales are found in these waters .

Amazes a huge variety of fish. The sixth part of all known today to science species is represented in the coastal part of South Africa.

Typical representatives of the fauna of the Sahara are antelope (addax, oryx), gazelle (dorkas, lady), mountain goat.

Human and nature

The fauna of southern Africa is represented by exotic, rare animals. However, there are also problems. The main one is the influence of man on the nature of Africa. It destroys, destroys unique representatives of nature, prevents them from developing. Illegal shooting, poaching, rash business - all this leads to sad consequences.

For the sake of justice, it must be said that the influence of man on the nature of Africa is reduced not only to its destruction. In recent years, African governments have been working to protect the ecology, flora and fauna of their continent. To this work scientists with world names are connected, supported by enthusiasts from African countries.

Even in the XIX century, the Black Continent was considered a continent of virgin nature. But even in those times the nature of Africa had already been changed by man. The area of forests has significantly decreased, they gave way to plowed fields and pastures.

However, the nature of Africa received the greatest damage from European colonizers. Hunting for profit, and often in general for the sake of sports interest led to a significant destruction of animals. Many species were completely destroyed. This can be said about some species of antelope, zebra. Significantly decreased the number of other animals: rhinoceroses, elephants, gorillas.

Europeans barbarously destroyed African forests and exported valuable timber to Europe. Therefore, in some states of the continent (in Nigeria, etc.) there is a real danger of forest disappearing!

The areas were occupied by planting oil palm trees, cocoa plantations, peanuts, etc. Savannas formed in the place where the richest equatorial and variable-moist forests were located. The nature of the primary savannah has also been largely changed. Today, there are plowed lands and pastures.

To save savannas from the onset of deserts, a forest belt in the Sahara is 1500 km long. It will shield agricultural land from dry hot winds. There are several original projects of watering the Sahara.

Serious changes in natural conditions became visible after the development of certain types of minerals, as well as the rapid development of industry on the continent. As a result of improper agriculture (grazing, burning, cutting down bushes and trees), the deserts are increasingly stepping on the savannahs. Only in the last 50 years Sahara has significantly stepped to the south and increased the territory by 650 thousand square meters. Km.

In turn, the loss of agricultural land leads to the death of crops and livestock, to people's hunger.

National Parks and Reserves

Nowadays, people have realized the need to protect all life on Earth. To this end, reserves are created on all continents (special territories that preserve natural complexes in their natural state) and national parks.

In reserves it is allowed to be only to those people who conduct research work. In contrast, national parks are open to tourists.

Today the nature of Africa is under protection in many countries located on the Black Continent. Protected areas on the mainland occupy huge areas. Most of them are located in Eastern and Southern Africa. A number of such institutions enjoy global popularity. These are the national parks of Kruger, Serengeti. Thanks to the great work of scientists, researchers and grass-roots lovers of nature, the number of some species of animals has been fully restored.

Every year, only more than a million tourists come to Kruger Park, which is located in the northeast of South Africa, who are interested in the wild nature of Africa. This park can reasonably be called the birthplace of the Big Five. The five main types of African animals feel very comfortable. The rhinos and lions, giraffes and hyenas, zebras and numerous antelopes feel no less free at these territories.

The diversity of Africa's nature is widely represented in other national parks in South Africa. Not all countries in the world have as many such institutions as South Africa. Now in South Africa there are up to two dozen national parks and hundreds of nature reserves, which are in different regions of the country.

Predators

The wild nature of Africa is of great interest for researchers and ordinary tourists. Predators of this continent are not only mammals, but reptiles that are no less dangerous. In addition, there are birds of prey and fish.

Lions

African savannahs are distinguished by a large number of these predators. The king of animals feels very comfortable on the Black Continent.

The wild nature of Africa is inconceivable without lion prides - groups of animals into which males, females and their young offspring are united. In the family responsibilities are very clearly distributed - young lionesses take care of the pride, and strong and large males guard the territory.

The main food of lions are zebras, antelopes. In their absence, predators will not give up smaller animals, they do not scoff with carrion.

I would like to dwell on the relationship between lions and spotted hyena. For a long time it was believed that she was content with the remnants after the "royal" meals, that the animal is extremely cowardly, inactive and unable to independently hunt.

However, recent observations of scientists have shown that this is far from the case. As it turned out, hyenas hunt at night (perhaps that's why hunting was little known), predators easily kill fairly large prey, such as a zebra or antelope. But the most striking thing is that scientists have proved that hyenas are not afraid of lions, but vice versa! Hearing the voices of the hyenas that possessed the prey, the lions immediately rush there to drive them away and take the trophy. But it happens that hyenas come into desperate battle, and then the lions are forced to retire.

Leopards, cheetahs

Features of the nature of Africa, many tourists associated with the presence of a large number of predators of the species of felines. First of all, these are cheetahs and leopards. These beautiful strong cats are a bit similar, but they lead a completely different lifestyle. Now their livestock has significantly decreased.

The main prey of the cheetah are gazelles, the leopard is not such a fastidious hunter, except for small antelopes, he successfully hunts wild pigs - warthogs and baboons. When in Africa almost all leopards were destroyed, warthogs and baboons, having multiplied, became a real disaster for agricultural crops. I had to take leopards under guard.