(1) As three-quarters of Africa lies within the tropics the greater part of the continent is hot, though in many regions, especially in the southeast, the elevation somewhat moderates the actual temperature.
(2) Since the Equator almost bisects Africa. We may expect to find somewhat similar climatic conditions on either side, though we must not forget that the seasons are reversed, and thus, for example, when the north is having its summer, the south is having its winter. There is, it is true, a great climatic similarity, but the actual conditions are somewhat modified by
(a) the much greater breadth of the north, which lessens the oceanic influence in this region, and causes the climatic belts to be more extensive than those in the south; and
(b) the presence of the great land mass of Asia to the north-east of continent.
(3) The cool Benguela Current, flowing northwards along the southwest coast, greatly reduces the temperature of this region. The Canaries Current cools the west coast of North Africa. The warm Guinea Current brings great heat and moisture to the coastlands of the Gulf of Guinea.
Temperature. In July the sun is vertically overhead near the Tropic of Cancer and the hottest part of the continent lies north of the Equator, where the temperature over the greater part of the Sahara and the Nile Valley is 900 F. In the Sahara itself, owing to the lack of protective covering and to the absence of cloud, the ground both gains and loses heat rapidly. Thus the daily range of temperature is great. South of the Equator, July is one of the cool season months.
In January the sun is vertically overhead in the south of Africa, and the hottest regions lie south of the Equator.
In the equatorial belt temperatures are uniformly high throughout the year, and the annual range is small. Notice, however, that, owing mainly to the presence of clouds, the highest temperatures are found near the Tropics and not near the Equator.
"The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page", St. Augustine said. Here at www.travel-university.org we believe that every page must be read and explored. Travel is an avenue of learning that no text or classroom can teach. The world is a living classroom and you the student. We invite you to the www.travel-university.org library where you can read general interest and detail oriented articles.
