The Most Extreme Points of Africa
Africa is the second largest continent by land area with 11,725,385 square miles. It consists of sixty-three political territories, fifty-four of which are sovereign. The Mediterranean Sea separates Africa from Europe while the Red Sea separates Africa from much of the Asian continent. The Isthmus of Suez in Egypt joins Asia and Africa. The Sinai Peninsula is continentally in Asia as the Suez Canal demarcate the boundary between the two continents, but it is politically administered as part of Africa. The distance between Ras ben Sakka in Tunisia and Cape Agulhas in South Africa is about 5,000 miles while the distance from Ras Hafun, Somalia in the east and Pointe des Almadies, Senegal in the west is about 4,600 miles.
6. Northernmost Point in Africa - Îles des Chiens, Tunisia
The northernmost point of the Continent is Îles des Chiens, Tunisia. The island is located in the Mediterranean Ocean. Ras Ben Sakka, also in Tunisia, is the northernmost point in mainland Africa. Ras al-Abyad is always cited as the northernmost tip of Africa but Ras Ben Sakka, which is just half a mile, to the east is 100 feet further north.
5. Southernmost Point in Africa - Cape Agulhas
The southernmost point of the continent is Cape Agulhas in South Africa. The cape makes up the southern tip of the continent, and it denotes the beginning of the dividing line between the Indian and Atlantic Oceans. The region around the cape is among the few places on earth where the magnetic north and the true north coincide.
4. Westernmost Point in Africa - Santo Antao
Santo Antao in Cape Verde is the westernmost point of the continent. It is the second largest of the Cape Verdean Islands. However, Pointe des Almadies in Cap Vert Peninsula, Senegal, is the westernmost point of the African mainland.
3. Easternmost Point in Africa - Rodrigues
The Mauritian island of Rodrigues is the easternmost point of Africa. The island lies 350 miles east of Mauritius. The island is among the Mascarene Islands which include Reunion and Mauritius. It was governed as a district of Mauritius until December 2002 when it gained autonomy. It is presently governed by the Rodrigues Regional Assembly. Ras Hafun in eastern Somalia is, however, the easternmost point of the African Mainland. It is located in Bari region close to Cape Guardafui headland.
2. Highest Point in Africa - Mt. Kilimanjaro
Mt. Kilimanjaro is the highest point in Africa. The Mountain is located in Tanzania and stands 19,341 feet above the sea level and 16,100 feet above the ground level. It is the tallest mountain in Africa and ranks fourth by prominence globally.
1. Lowest Point in Africa - Djibouti
Lake Assal in Djibouti is the lowest point in Africa with an elevation of -509 feet below sea level. The lake lies at the western end of the Gulf of Tadjoura. The lake is the most saline lake in the world after Don Juan Pond since evaporation is its only outlet. It is the third lowest point on earth after the Dead Sea and the Sea of Galilee.
