Climate Although Africa is generally hot because of its location in the tropics, areas of higher elevations have regularly cooler temperatures It mostly lies within the tropics of cancer and capricorn But some cities in the higher regions, actually have cooler summer temps than some cities in the southern US The Equator - In Africa, the equator runs along for almost 2500 miles, passing through 6 countries: Gabon, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Kenya and Somalia. And in some high areas, there are mountains that are snow-covered year-round Kilimanjaro

Vegetation/Biodiversity Interestingly, Africa is divided into three very distinct climate/vegetation regions: 1. Tropical rainforests near the equator 60-160 inches of rain a year 8,000 plant species Most of Africa’s animal species Always hot and rainy Average of 100 inches of rain a year Hundreds of kinds of trees Dense canopies Similar to the Brazilian rainforest Slowly shrinking; trying to be protected by environmentalists

2. Dry savannas north and south of the rainforests Inhabited by lions, giraffes, rhinos, elephants, etc. 10-60 inches of rain a year savanna has more the 40-60 inches and the stepp (semiarid—10-20 inches) Tall grasses, scattered trees Hot all year, but has a dry season So not rain 24/7 like in the rainforest As you move father from the rainforest, at the northern and southern edges of the grasslands, the average annual rainfall drops and dry seasons get longer these areas have shorter grasses and fewer trees After Antarctica, Africa is the driest continent

The savanna is actually home to one of the largest living animal in the world: the African elephant 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

3. Dry deserts on the northern and southern tip of the continent The Sahara Desert in the North The Kalahari and Namib Desert in the South The Kalahari isn’t quite as dry as the Sahara---some antelope will be seen grazing on grasses there The Namib, is one of the hottest and driest places on earth 60-100 degrees Less than 4 inches of rain a year 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

Lastly, on the very southern tip of Africa, a mild climate region is found Heavily populated and used for farming, also known for a penguin colony Good fro farming One of the most heavily populated areas in Africa South Africa has a penguin colony, which thrives thanks to the cold Antarctic currents on the west coast near the Cape.

Africa also has several island countries, including Madagascar, which is home to 50% of the world’s chameleon species Madagascar is the home of the worlds largest as well as the smallest chameleons! Almost half of the world’s chameleon species live on the island of Madagascar