Africa

Africa takes readers on a journey of discovery from the mostly Arab nations in North Africa, through the vast savannas of East Africa, to the nations of West Africa that gave up their sons and daughters to the slave trade in the Americas, to the evolving nations of southern Africa and those in the continent's interior. The birthplace of our earliest human ancestors, Africa is a continent that has attracted and fascinated outsiders for centuries. It is a land of extremes-with the world's largest desert, its longest river, and, in the Great Rift Valley, one of its largest geographical features. Africa is the home of many different cultures, of extraordinary wildlife, breathtaking scenery, and great cities, such as Cairo, Nairobi, and Lagos. Africa is also, however, the world's poorest region-a continent troubled by disease, hunger, and deadly conflict, and one that struggles to keep pace with the rest of the world. Book jacket.