The second largest continent is Africa.
Africa is also the second most populous continent with a population of over a billion people.
There are fifty-four independent countries in Africa.
Africa is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea, as well as two oceans, the Atlantic and the Indian.
Africa’s landscape is varied from a sweeping desert in the north to lush tropical jungles and rain forests in the middle of the continent.
The Sahara Desert, the largest desert in the world, covers more than half of Northern Africa. The heat in the desert is fierce; water is scarce, and there is little land that can be farmed.
The longest river in the world, the Nile, is also located in Africa. The fertile banks of the Nile are densely populated.
Africa is home to the African Elephant, the rhinoceros, and the giraffe.
The Congo River flows through immense tropical rain forests. Crocodiles swim in the river and the jungles are home to chimpanzees, gorillas and tropical birds. Africa’s highest mountain is Mount Kilimanjaro. It is a dormant volcano and lies in Tanzania.

A) Make your own sentences with the following vocabulary words:
Lush – a lush area has a lot of green, healthy plants, grass and trees
Rainforests – are forests where it rains a lot. It is always hot and humid here
Desert – is a very dry area of land where few animals and plants can live
Fierce – strong, intense
Scarce – not enough
Fertile – fertile land can produce good quality crops
Immense – huge, very large
Dormant – sleeping, resting. Not active (of a volcano)

B) Discussion points: (Some can be done as Homework)
1. Please locate Africa on a world map and observe well know water bodies such as the Mediterranean Sea, the Red Sea, the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean.
2. Name three North African countries.
3. Name the river that flows through Egypt.
4. Find two facts about the Sahara.
5. Can you name a desert in another part of the world?
6. Is Mt. Kilimanjaro an active volcano?
7. Name three African animals. Find one or two facts about each of them.
8. Name three countries in southern Africa.
9. Can you name the largest country in Africa?

Audio courtesy Tara Kriplani: