Where is Africa?
Africa is surrounded by Europe to the north, the Indian Ocean to the east and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. There are more than 50 different countries in Africa.
It is the second largest continent in the world. It is so big, that there are lots of different places and weather in Africa including wet rainforests, hot beaches, dry deserts and cold snow.
What is in Africa?
- The largest country by population in Africa is Nigeria.
- The largest country by area in Africa is Algeria.
- The longest river in Africa is the River Nile in Egypt.
- Victoria Falls in southern Africa is the largest waterfall in the world.
- The Sahara is the world's largest hot desert.
- Big cities in Africa are Cairo (in Egypt), Lagos (in Nigeria), Nairobi (in Kenya) and Luanda (in Angola).
Watch: Life in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and Edinburgh, Scotland
Narrator: Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland. It’s a very hilly city, because in and around Edinburgh are many extinct volcanoes, such as Arthur’s Seat, and Castle Rock.
Nearly seven thousand miles south of Edinburgh is Addis Ababa, the capital city of a country called Ethiopia.
Addis Ababa is at the base of an enormous mountain, Mount Entoto, which is much higher than the hills in Edinburgh.
Eden: My name is Eden. I live with my two brothers, and my mother and father, in Addis Ababa.
Rose: My name is Rose, and I am eight. I live in Edinburgh. I live with my brother James, my mum, my dad, and my three pet rabbits.
Edinburgh is quite a hilly city. It’s quite tiring to walk up and down them. This is Arthur’s Seat, one of the biggest hills in Edinburgh. In the distance I can see lots of hills.
You can see the whole city from here.
Eden: Addis Ababa is higher than other areas of Ethiopia, and the highest part of the city is called Entoto. There’s a mountain in Entoto, and from there you can see the whole of Addis.
It’s a hilly area, so it’s hard to go up, but easy to come down.
I can see the airport over there. Over there is the Ghion Hotel, and closer, over here, is our school.
Rose: The Royal Mile is a street. There’s a castle at the top, and it has got lots of shops on. It’s quite popular. This is Edinburgh Castle where the old Kings and Queens used to live.
This is one of the typical shops on the Royal Mile, that sells traditional Scottish things. This is a kilt, which is made of tartan.Some things are useful in Edinburgh: warm hats and umbrellas, because it’s usually quite cold and wet here.
Eden: Shiromeda is famous for its woven textiles. These traditional clothes are made by people from Southern Ethiopia. Both the local community and tourists come to Shiromeda to buy these clothes.
Rose: Every Friday morning we have pancakes.
Eden: Injera is the main food that we eat. We eat it every day. To prepare Injera, you grind the Teff, mix it to make a batter, and then cook on a pan.
Rose: Someone has to flip the pancake so that it turns over, and you can cook the other side.
Eden: When I go to school it takes ten minutes if I walk fast, and fifteen if I walk slowly.
My journey to school is noisy, because lots of people live in this area.
Rose: I quite often read when I’m walking to school, because there’s nothing really to do, apart from walk.
Eden: There are people who go to work, and people going to school, so the street is crowded.
I walk with my friends, and the street is usually busy and noisy.
Rose: My favourite lessons are reading, writing stories and art. We have a band every Thursday.
Eden: Most Sundays we go skateboarding. I go to the skatepark with my friends, and I like it when we play and train together.
Rose: My dad plays guitar and keyboards, and my little brother starts hitting a little drum madly every time we play. I think I’ll keep playing music as long as I’ve got a keyboard.
Let's compare: Africa and the UK
- Scotland and Ethiopia both have areas called the ‘highlands’. These are areas of high mountains.
- The city of Addis Ababa is at the foot of a high mountain called Entoto, but Edinburgh is much closer to the sea and the hills.
- Both Addis Ababa and Edinburgh are in the Northern hemisphere.
- Scotland is much further north than Addis Ababa.
- In Addis Ababa there is a wet season and a dry season. Ethiopia’s temperature is very similar for most of the year.
- Scotland has four distinct seasons: spring, summer, autumn and winter. It can be hot, wet, cool or snowy in Scotland depending on which season it is.
Activity: Africa quiz
BBC Bitesize newsletter. External Link
Sign up to our BBC Bitesize newsletter to receive monthly news, stories and updates on latest Bitesize content.
More on Explore the world
Find out more by working through a topic
- count5 of 15
- count6 of 15
- count7 of 15
- count8 of 15
