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There are many diverse cultures in Africa. About 875 million people live on the continent of Africa. Over 800 languages are spoken in Africa's 53 countries. Many ethnic groups live today just as they did hundreds of years ago, doing without modern technology and conveniences. The Masai pictured here are performing a welcoming dance.  |
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 Although minerals account for more than half of Africa's exports, only a handful of countries have mines. Libya, Nigeria, Algeria, Zambia, and South Africa produce more than four-fifths of all Africa's minerals, including gold, platinum, copper, and diamonds. In this photo, South African workers mine crystal extracts. South Africa is Africa's most industrialized country and the world's largest producer of gold. |
| The Suez Canal, completed in 1869, was built in Egypt to connect the Mediterranean and Red seas. For nearly 100 years after it first opened, the canal was the busiest inter-ocean waterway in the world because it significantly shortened sea voyages between Europe and Asia by thousands of miles. The canal was closed from 1967 to 1975 because of a conflict between Egypt and Israel. Since the 1980s traffic through the canal has dropped because of high fees and because many ships carrying oil could not use the canal because the water was not deep enough to accommodate them. |
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