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African Continent
AfricanContinentFlag

Regional Flag

Founder The Empire of Patrua
WA Delegate N/A
Off-site Forum [Continent Subforum]
Notable Former Nations
North Transvaal
Patrua
Sahndaq
Azania
Demonym African
[African Continent NS]

The African Continent or simply, Africa, is the second oldest region within the Nationstates World Regions. At about 30.2 million km² (11.7 million sq mi) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the NWR Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area. With billions of people in several territories spread across the continent itself, it accounts for a substantial amount of NWR's population. The continent is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, both the Suez Canal and the Red Sea along the Sinai Peninsula to the northeast, the Indian Ocean to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Africa, particularly central eastern Africa, is widely regarded within the scientific community to be the origin of humans and the Hominidae clade (great apes), as evidenced by the discovery of the earliest hominids and their ancestors, as well as later ones that have been dated to around seven million years ago.

Africa straddles the equator and encompasses numerous climate areas; it is the only continent to stretch from the northern temperate to southern temperate zones. Africa is the largest of the three great southward projections from the largest landmass of the Earth. Separated from Europe by the Mediterranean Sea, it is joined to Asia at its northeast extremity by the Isthmus of Suez (transected by the Suez Canal), 163 km (101 miles) wide. From the most northerly point, Ras ben Sakka (37°21' N), to the most southerly point, Cape Agulhas (34°51'15" S), is a distance of approximately 8,000 km (5,000 miles); from Cape Verde, 17°33'22" W, the westernmost point, to Ras Hafun, 51°27'52" E, the most easterly projection, is a distance of approximately 7,400 km (4,600 miles). The coastline is 26,000 km (16,100 miles) long, and the absence of deep indentations of the shore is illustrated by the fact that Europe, which covers only 10,400,000 km² (4,010,000 square miles) – about a third of the surface of Africa – has a coastline of 32,000 km (19,800 miles).

Abundant in natural resources, Africa remains an area that show great promise for international significance. While only a handful of nations in the past such as Patrua and Egyria, accounted for the international power of the NWR world and put Africa as a strong political center, today Africa remains in a state of limbo in regards to its significance in the international community. While several states exist that hold a great deal of political power in the international community, it is yet to be seen whether or not this will translate into political significance for the entire continent.

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