The Land and Its History
Plate 3: Much of the art that remains from ancient Egypt has been found in the tombs of monarchs. This painted wooden chest came from the tomb of King Tutankhamen, who ruled from about 1332 to 1322 B.C. The chest is adorned with scenes glorifying the king, including this one of Tutankhamen in the form of a sphinx trampling Egypt's enemies.
Plate 5: Fasiladas, emperor of Ethiopia from 1632 to 1667, founded the city of Gondar and made it the capital of his kingdom. The emperor and his successors built European-style castles and churches with the help of Portuguese workers. This castle from the 1600s remains an imposing structure.
Plate 7: Gorée Island, off the coast of Senegal, played a key role in the transatlantic slave trade. Many captive Africans passed through this fortified island on their way to the Americas. European powers fought over control of Gorée, which France finally won in 1677.
Plate 9: After Nigeria became an independent nation in 1960, it was torn by civil war and oppressed by a series of military takeovers. In 1999 Olusegun Obasanjo (right) won election as president, heading the country's first civilian government in 15 years. The next year he led Nigeria in celebrating 40 years of independence.
Plate 11: Madagascar contains an amazing assortment of plant and animal life. Among the island's most distinctive animals are the lemurs, small animals related to monkeys and apes. Most lemurs live in trees and are active at night.
Plate 13: Often covered by clouds that clear at sunset, Tanzania's Mount Kilimanjaro is considered the most beautiful mountain in Africa. In the foreground, zebras graze in Amboseli National Park in Kenya.
Plate 15: Rain is rare in the Sahara desert, and snow is even rarer. Most of the people who live in the Sahara make their homes on oases or the highlands on the fringe. Desert dwellers raise camels, goats, and sheep, and in some oases they also grow gardens and date palms. Shown here is an oasis in Algeria.
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