Africa is a continent of extremes. It has the world's largest desert (the Sahara), the longest river (the Nile) and one of the biggest geographical features (the Great Rift Valley).

It is a continent of many different cultures, of extraordinary wildlife, breathtaking scenery, and great cities like Cairo, Nairobi and Lagos.

But Africa is also the world's poorest region - a continent troubled by disease, hunger and conflict, and one that struggles to keep pace with the rest of the world.

This authoritative new series describes the history, landscape, culture, economy and people of this continent.

This title is also packed full of fascinating facts, maps and statistics.

A statistical compendium at the back provides a handy reference guide for key statistical data.