Africa

Regional Page for Africa.

Africa is the second largest continent on earth, occupying 20% of the Earth's land area. Africa measures about 5,000 miles (8,000 km) from north to south and about 4,600 miles from east to west. Africa's land area is roughly 11.724 ml. sq. ml. (30.3657 ml. sq. km). The coastline of Africa is18, 950 miles. It has an average elevation of about 2,200 feet (670 m). The largest country in Africa is Sudan spanning 968,000 sq mi. Africa’s population is slightly less than 14% of the total world population. The largest lake in Africa is Lake Victoria, the chief reservoir of the Nile River. And the highest mountain in Africa is Mt Kilimanjaro (19,317 ft) in Tanzania. Africa's major languages include Arabic (North), Berber (Morocco and Algeria), Bantu group of languages (central and southern Africa), Swahili (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda), Akan (Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire), Saharan and Maba (Chad basin), Koma (the Blue Nile basin), and Songhai (upper-middle Niger River region). The most prevalent diseases in Africa include malaria, dysentery, tuberculosis, whooping cough, typhoid fever, gonorrhea, and AIDS.
Africa is home to the largest desert in the world: the Sahara. Grasslands cover much of the land, and rainforests are in western Africa near the equator. The Nile River is in Africa and it is the world’s longest river, spanning 4,160 miles from the Mediterranean Sea in North East Africa to Lake Victoria in South East Africa. Other long rivers in Africa are the Congo, Niger, Zambezi, and Orange Rivers.
Thousands of species of animals live in Africa and so do many different kinds of people. There are over 1000 languages spoken in Africa. Some of the languages have been spoken for hundreds of years, and some Africans speak the European languages of the explorers and colonists from other countries. Africa is also home to some of the tallest and the shortest people in the world.
Africa's share of the world's major mineral reserves is estimated as follows: 8% petroleum, 27% bauxite, 29% uranium, 20% copper, 67% phosphorites, and substantial reserves of iron ore, manganese, chromium, cobalt, platinum, and titanium. Algeria, Egypt, Libya, and Nigeria are the major petroleum and natural gas producing countries in Africa. Botswana, Congo (D. R.), and South Africa together produce 50% of the world's diamonds. Ghana, South Africa, and Zimbabwe together produce nearly 50% of the world’s gold.

Africa is the continent of not less that 52 countries and it is one among the six inhabitant continents, where Space Generation as the global youth network operates. So far the Space Generation Advisory has representatives (NPoCs) in 11 African Countries which are Tanzania, Ethiopia, Zambia, Nigeria, Libya, Egypt, Madagascar, Mauritius, Senegal, Burundi and Burkina Faso. With the few resources it has,but still the African Region is trying hard to promote Space generation, as there is a lot that Africa can get out of space. Due to the technological constraints, you can find that in most of African countries space technology isn’t that good, though we can not deny the fact that there are some African countries such as South Africa, Nigeria, Mauritius which have developed a little bit further in space technology, for example South Africa is thinking of having the first Space Agency next year. But still there is a lot that can make Africa to keep on promoting Space Generation because it connect us with theInternational Organizations such as UN, also we can in contact with various Space Agencies across the Planet Earth, not only that but also many young space enthusiasts from Africa can have an opportunity to interact with other young space professionals from other parts of the World, that is why as Regional Coordinators, we shall always keep on promoting space generation in our Region. We believe that by participating in various space programs and space projects, we develop our thinking and being able to channel out our views and share the experience with the external world. The only great task ahead is to mobilize the government in all African countries so that they can adopt space policy, which I believe will open the ground for the intrusion of space industry in our countries. Everything is possible and I strongly believe that Africa I able, with our togetherness we can change our continent and make space generation flourish in Africa.

Africa is always driven with these words of wisdom bellow;-

“This is the youth time, and the destiny of the World is on the hands of youth”

“Youth are trustees for posterity of the natural contents of our World”

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful youth, committed citizens, can change the World. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has”

“In the end we conserve what we love, we love what we understand and we understand what we are taught”
The words of wisdom have been given out by SGAC Regional Coordinator for Africa Mr.Castory Ntullu

THE COMING EVENT IN AFRICA

On 6th-7th May 2008: There will be a Space Education Workshop to be held in Tanzania this year particularly in Dar es Salaam and Arusha. The event has been organized by UNESCO in association with the Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education; it has been put forward by Yolanda Berenguer
Space Education Programme Coordinator
UNESCO Representative.

On 8th-9th May 2008: There will be a Regional Launch of the International Year of Planet Earth (IYPE), this event also is going to be held in Tanzania, and it has been organized by UNESCO in association with the Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education

A NOTE OF WELCOME

It is my great pleasure to introduce to you Mr.Michael Kio form Nigeria who is our New SGAC Regional Coordinator. I would like to tell you that this time Space Generation will greatly flourish as it has very active RCs in place.Let us all give strong cooperation to Mr. Kio