Countries

Algeria
Angola
Benin
Botswana
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cameroon
Cape Verde
Central African Rep.
Chad
Comoros
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
Congo, Republic of
Cote d'Ivoire
Djibouti
Egypt
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Gabon
Gambia, The
Ghana
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Kenya
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Madagascar
Malawi
Mali
Mauritania
Mauritius
Morocco
Mozambique
Namibia
Niger
Nigeria
Rwanda
Sao Tome and Principe
Senegal
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Somalia
South Africa
Sudan
Swaziland
Tanzania
Togo
Tunisia
Uganda
Zambia
Zimbabwe

Overview: Africa

Africa, long ago a land of mystery, is today a land of economical paradox. Blessed with a wealth of natural resources, from petroleum, natural gas, tin and coal in Nigeria to diamonds, copper, gold and lithium in Namibia, the continent is still marred in poverty. While countries such as Egypt and South Africa made the emerging market lists, twenty-two of the twenty-six countries on the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) list in 2001 were African nations.

Two of the main features of the African landscape are the Saharan Desert and the Nile River. The great Saharan desert covers an area almost as large as the United States. The Nile River, home to the ancient Egyptian civilizations, is recognized as the world’s longest river. It flows in the Northeast portion of Africa and travels more than 6, 600 kilometers.

Approximately three-quarters of the population live south of the Saharan Desert. Nigeria, the most populated country, accounts for more than 125 million residents.

Regional Headlines