Africa Research Paper

Africa is the home to diverse ecosystems, from sandy deserts to lush beautiful rain forests. Africa is bounded by the Mediterranean Sea, the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean, and the Atlantic Ocean. It is divided in half almost equally by the Equator. Africa covers six percent of Earth’s total surface area and 20.4 percent of its total land area. Africa is the second-largest country and most definitely the most interesting (“Africa: Physical Geography”).

The African continent has the second greatest population in the world, at about one billion people. Well over one thousand languages are spoken by the people of Africa. Some estimates put this number closer to two thousand. Africa is by no means the most ethnically diverse country in the world, the country remains a complex blend of different races, cultural identities, languages and ethnic bonds (“Race, Ethnicity and Language in Africa”).

The largest religion in Africa is Islam, followed by Christianity. Religion in Africa is multifaceted and has been a significant influence on art, culture, and philosophy. All spiritual systems practiced traditionally by Africans, whether native or mainstream, are organized religions. The rituals of Voodoo, Orisha, Serer, etc are all highly organized and

Bao, a famous game involving a wooden board with a number of cups holding seeds or stones, is played throughout the continent of Africa. There are annual national Bao competitions to determine the greatest players. Their clothing is very fascinating, the evolution of African clothing is difficult to trace because of the lack of historical evidence. Clothing was not a necessity for warmth or protection throughout much of the African continent because of the consistently snug weather. Many cultures then developed weaving techniques to produce ravishing cloth. Raffia, the fiber of a palm plant, and cotton were common materials used to weave fabric (“Clothing and Games of African