Note on the picture: We know there are no tigers in Africa, not naturally anyhow. But a boot camp for Chinese tigers has been established there.
Although the Congo basin has the second largest rain forest in the world (the largest is Amazonia) much of the African continent is not forested. The north is largely desert, the east has a great savannah where zebras, lions and elephants roam. Other regions feature lakes, swamps, mountains, beaches, tropical islands, mediterranean olive groves, plateau - cold, hot, wet, dry, or changeable. The languages of Africa are just as complex as the landscapes and there may be as many as 1,500 to 2,000 different ones. The people? Look through volume one of the Worldmark encyclopedia of cultures and daily life (R 305.8003 WORLDMA)
Some book suggestions for those on the Africa quest:
Umm El Madayan : an Islamic city through the ages (J 961 UMM)
Ancient African town, written by Fiona Macdonald (J 966.9 MACDONA)
Ashanti to Zulu : African traditions by Margaret Musgrove (J 960 MUSGROV)
Wonders of the African world by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (960 GATES)
African beginnings by James Haskins and Kathleen Benson ; paintings by Floyd Cooper (J 960 HASKINS)
Encyclopedia of African history, 3 volumes (R 960.03 ENCYCLO)
Encyclopedia of African history and culture, 3 volumes (R 960.03 PAGE)
Cultural atlas of Africa (960 MURRAY)
We also have two library staff members from Africa, one from the west (Cameroon)and one from the east (Kenya). Come talk to them.
Online:
Explore the regions of Africa (PBS)
The story of Africa (BBC)
African music and dance (Columbia University)
African images and sound files (University of Wisconsin, please read the copyright notice)
Web Cams:
Africam
Mashatu Game Reserve cam (you have to wait through a commercial first)