Sub-Saharan Africa

Rainforests, savannas, rifts, and fast-growing cities.

Sub-Saharan Africa lies south of the Sahara and includes tropical rainforests, savannas, rift valleys, and temperate southern farmlands — the world's youngest and fastest-urbanizing major region.

The Congo Basin stores carbon and biodiversity; the East African Rift opens new volcanic and lake landscapes; Southern Africa mixes mining economies with varied climates.

• Demographics — rapid urban growth in Lagos, Kinshasa, Nairobi, Johannesburg.
• Resource geography — minerals, oil, and agricultural potential.
• Climate risk — drought, floods, and vector-borne disease zones.

See also: Sahel, Sahara Desert, Nile Basin.

• Urban migration in Sub-Saharan Africa — Cities, demographics, and physical geography.
• The impact of deserts on human population distribution — Sahel and savanna margins south of the Sahara.

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