The bedrock consists mainly of Precambrian bedrock with gneisses and granites. Towards southwest Cambrian sedimentary rocks. Within the approx. The 340 km long coastline is a swampy terrain with many lagoons and wide estuaries. The only higher landscape is on the Sierra Leone Peninsula. Here are wooded mountains that reach into approx. 890 masl The… Read More »
Almost all (98 per cent) passenger transport and 80 per cent of all freight on land take place on the road network. Road construction was extensive especially in the 1990’s, when increasing foreign trade demanded better transport routes, and Mexico now has a relatively well-developed road network. Just over a third of all roads have… Read More »
Albania The backbone of the transport network is the road network that was added during the 20th century. It has grown from 2,200 to 18,000 km after World War II, of which 1/3 is asphalted. During the socialist period, private motoring was prohibited by law, but as this legislation was amended private motoring grew rapidly.… Read More »
East Timor During the Indonesian era (1975-99) roads, ports and airports were built in eastern Timor and the area then received relatively good transport conditions. All villages could then be reached at least via a gravel road and the largest cities were connected by hard roads. Most of this infrastructure was destroyed in 1999. In… Read More »
Both main islands, São Tomé and Príncipe, are of volcanic origin and have low coastal and higher inland. The highest point is on the island of São Tomé; Pico de São Tomé, 2024 masl. Both islands have strong currents that flow down from the mountainous areas. The islands are separated by a ca. 140 km… Read More »
Literature The novel is a recent phenomenon in the Ivory Coast, later than in other French-speaking countries; the genre was preceded by theater and poetry, literary forms that are closer to the oral tradition. The first four novels came out during the period when the colonial empire was criticized in Africa in general (1944-60): “Climbié”… Read More »
Film Niger, like most African countries, lacks its own film industry. However, the country has produced two talented filmmakers with international reputation, Mustafa Alassanne (born 1942) and Oumarou Ganda (1935–81), both discovered and assisted by the French documentary filmmaker and ethnologist Jean Rouch. In their work, they observe a critical distance from the traditions of… Read More »
Arts and crafts The Kalahari Desert in Namibia contains well-preserved rock paintings and rock carvings from prehistoric times, depicting both animals and people. The Bushmen created rock art as far back as the 19th century, and today similar motifs are found on their everyday objects. The arts and crafts in Namibia consist mainly of small… Read More »
Music In Somalia, music has always played a role in subordinate poetry, which is also reflected in the lack of musical instruments. The only instrument used is the drum, mainly by women who accompany the singing of poetry. In male singing tradition there is absolutely no instrumental accompaniment. Countryaah: Population and demographics of Somalia, including… Read More »
Music The music in central Sudan consists mainly of songs for dance and procession, often accompanied by drums. The same applies to the nomad groups in the east and west, where single-stranded fiddle is the most important instrument of accompaniment. The influence of Islam is generally felt in the song and dance traditions of Sufism… Read More »