The African continent is home to a broad array of rare and endangered animals in its multiple distinct environments due to its tremendous diversity. Not to mention the many millions of people that live on the continent. From deserts to mountains to savannah plains to coral reefs brimming with life to innumerable different and intriguing civilizations and histories, the African continent provides something for every type of traveler. The area is therefore replete with wonders, but seven of them stand out from the rest and were chosen by public voting on February 11, 2013. The following are Africa’s Seven Natural Wonders:
1. Okavango Delta
A wide region of marshy, inland delta known as the Okavango Delta lies where the Okavango River meets a geological depression. The delta is located in the Kalahari’s endorheic basin. The river’s water evaporates throughout the dry season and never reaches the ocean. The Moremi Game Reserve is located on the Okavango Delta’s eastern edge. The region is home to African bush elephants, hippopotamuses, South African cheetahs, Southwest African lions, African buffaloes, larger kudus, rhinoceroses, chacma baboons, and other wildlife. Because of its majesty and vastness, the Okavango Delta has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
2. Red Sea Reef
The Red Sea is a saltwater inlet in the Indian Ocean that connects Asia and Africa. This Sea is linked to the rest of the world through the Bab el Mandeb Strait and the Gulf of Aden. Red Sea Rift, one of Africa’s Seven Wonders, is located beneath the sea. The Red Sea has a length of 1,400 miles and a width of 221 miles, encompassing an area of 169,000 square miles. The Red Sea has a maximum depth of 7254 feet. Corals and other marine life are abundant in the Red Sea’s vast network of shallow shelves.
The Red Sea is home to about 1,000 invertebrate species and 200 different varieties of hard and soft coral. Approximately 10% of the Red Sea’s 1,200 fish species are unique to the area. The porites and acropora corals that make up the sea’s bordering coral reefs are very young, ranging in age from 5,000 to 7,000 years. The reef environment includes platforms, lagoons, cylinders, and other features. Nearly 44 distinct shark species frequent the Red Sea’s reefs.
3. The Nile River
This River, the world’s longest river, must be included in any ranking of Africa’s Seven Wonders. The Nile travels northward through northeastern Africa. Eleven nations share the 4,145-mile-long Nile, which serves as the primary supply of water for Sudan and Egypt’s entire populations. The Nile River ends in an immense delta before flowing into the Mediterranean Sea in Egypt. This river, which also gave birth to them, fostered both the Egyptian civilization and the Sudanese kingdoms. As a result, the bulk of Egypt’s key historical and cultural landmarks are concentrated around the Nile River’s banks.
4. The Great Migration
The Serengeti environment in Africa runs from south-western Kenya to northern Tanzania. This environment hosts the biggest migration of terrestrial animals. The ecoregion is made up of the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania and numerous smaller game reserves. This region is home to 500 different bird species and 70 different big animal species, in addition to lions. The Serengeti National Park offers a diversified terrain that includes grasslands, forested regions, riverine forests, wetlands, and kopjes.
The migration begins in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area in Tanzania’s southern Serengeti. Between January and March, about 260,000 zebras, 1.7 million wildebeest, 470,000 gazelles, and other plains animals begin their migratory trip. Around February, these animals begin grazing on the short-grass plains of the southeast Serengeti, and by March, they have given birth to over 500,000 calves.
When the rains stop in May, the animals begin to migrate northwest, although they remain in the area surrounding the Grumeti River until late June. The herds come to Kenya in late July or early August and stay for a few days before returning to the Serengeti in Tanzania. The great migration is a dramatic trip that encompasses the births and deaths of migrants. Nearly 250,000 wildebeest die on the trek due to thirst, starvation, and predation.
5. Ngorongoro Crater
The Ngorongoro Crater is the focal point of Tanzania’s Ngorongoro Conservation region, a World Heritage Site and protected region west of Arusha. The Ngorongoro Crater is the world’s biggest complete, dormant, and unfilled volcanic crater. The crater was formed when a massive volcano erupted and fell on itself roughly 2 to 3 million years ago. The western wall of the crater highlands, which receives minimal rainfall, features grassland and bushland terrain, whereas the eastern side is covered with montane forest. The few forested sections and open grassland that make up the crater’s floor are dominated by two fever trees. Because of its unique characteristics, the Ngorongoro Crater is regarded as one of Africa’s Seven Wonders.
6. Sahara Desert
The Sahara Desert is the world’s biggest desert, behind the frigid deserts of the Antarctic and Arctic. The Sahara Desert, on the other hand, leads the list of the world’s hot deserts. The desert covers almost the same area as the United States (3,500,000 square miles). With the exception of the Mediterranean Sea coast, the Nile Valley in Egypt and Sudan, and the Atlas Mountains of the Maghreb, the Sahara Desert covers the majority of North Africa. In the parched desert, there is some life. Several species of fox, addax, dama gazelle, Saharan cheetah, monitor lizard, sand viper, red-necked ostrich, desert crocodiles, Saharan silver ant, dromedary camels, and goats live in the Sahara Desert.
While there are some communities in the desert’s oasis, the desert is also home to a number of nomadic tribes. A range of tourism activities, such as camping, animal viewing, cultural tours, and camel rides, are organized in certain sections of the Sahara Desert with the assistance of informed locals.
7. Mount Kilimanjaro
Mount Kilimanjaro, a dormant volcano in Tanzania, is Africa’s highest peak. The mountain climbs approximately 16,000 feet from its base to a height of 19,341 feet above sea level. The mountain is the focal point of Kilimanjaro National Park and a popular climbing destination. The stratovolcano’s Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira cones are three distinct structures. The mountain’s top is accessible via designated hiking trails. The Machame is believed to be the most scenic of the three.
Although climbing Mount Kilimanjaro is not as difficult as climbing Himalayan or Andean summits, fatalities do occur on a regular basis. The government has developed a number of guidelines that climbers must follow in order to enhance the chance of a safe trip to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.
