Satellite map showing Africa's vegetation density
The vegetation in Africa very much depends on the climate and rainfall patterns, more specifically - heat and moisture.
The vegetation in the region bordering the Mediterranean Sea, the vegetation is termed Mediterranean forest, which is characterised by orange groves, olive trees, evergreen oaks, pines, myrtles, and the like.
South of the coast and the Atlas mountains lies the Sahara region, which is the large light coloured area in the map above. The desert has plants which have adapted to very dry climate such as the date palm. Entering the semi-desert area, we find plenty of the acacia variety.
Further south lies the more humid regions with tropical woodlands and savannah grasslands, to dense evergreen tropical forest such as those found in West Africa and the Equatorial region.
Below the Equator, the vegetation goes from thick tropical forests to more savannah bush and grasslands, to semi-desert and desert. Along the eastern part of the African continent, we find a few highlands (especially below the "horn of Africa"), which are characterised by similar vegetation to that of the eastern Mediterranean mountains, the Himalaya and Indo-China.
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