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88 photos
The two W islands of the Azores are located on the North American side of the Mid Atlantic Ridge. Whereas Flores is known for its highland lakes and coastal cliffs, the small island of Corvo, home of just few hundred people, is considered one of the most remote places of Europe.
103 photos
The stratovolcano of the same name, highest peak of Portugal, dominates this island in the central part of the archipelago. There is also a humid highland with a long chain of volcanic cones, used for cattle grazing. It stands in sharp contrast to the inhabited coastal areas.
82 photos
A large caldera forms the core of this island in the central group of the Azores. The town of Horta is one of the most vibrant urban places of the archipelago, located opposite to the island and volcano of Pico. The W tip of Faial has just formed during a volcanic eruption in the late 1950s.
36 photos
Together with the smaller island of Santa Maria, São Miguel forms the E part of the Azores. The town of Ponta Delgada is maybe the most important urban centre of the archipelago, but the island is also known for the large caldera of Sete Cidades.
170 photos
This Portuguese island in the Atlantic Ocean is well-known for its laurel forests, occupying the humid N slopes of the extinct volcanoes. Few kilometres away, on the leeward side of the rugged central mountains, sheer cliffs stand in sharp contrast to a rich cultural landscape.
7 photos
Located midway between Tenerife and Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria represents the third largest island of the Canaries, and its capital Las Palmas the largest city of the entire archipelago. The roundish island mainly consists of an extinct and deeply eroded shield volcano.
31 photos
This rather humid W island of the Canaries is built up by two shield volcanoes. One of them, Cumbre Vieja, has produced a notable eruption in 2021, resulting in the new Tajogaite cinder cone and a lot of destruction of buildings, farmland, and roads.
204 photos
The largest of the Canary Islands displays a broad variety of landforms, including the complex stratovolcano Pico del Teide, highest summit of Macaronesia. The island also supports contrasting ecosystems over short distances, ranging from humid laurel forests to arid deserts.
145 photos
The archipelago off the coast of West Africa became independent from Portugal in 1975. The islands are dry for nine months of the year, but some burst into an intensive green during the short wet season. A spectacular volcanic landscape can be found on the island of Fogo.
150 photos
In the very Northwest of Africa, Morocco extends from the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts to the Sahara desert. The Atlas mountains form the backbone of the country. Fes, Meknès and Marrakech are old centres of Islamic culture.
81 photos
Located in the very heart of Africa between Ruwenzori and Lake Victoria, Uganda is home to remnant populations of two of the closest relatives of the humans. However, most of the country's forests and savannas have long been converted to cultural landscapes.
126 photos
Kenya is well-known for its rich wildlife in the extended savanna landscapes in and around the East African Rift Valley, with steep elevation gradients over short distances. But the country is also a melting pot of African, Islamic, South Asian and European cultures.
194 photos
On the one hand, South Africa is particularly rich in natural resources such as ore deposits, but also unique ecosystems. On the other hand, the country still faces the challenge of a huge socio-economic gap evolved in the past centuries.
149 photos
The French island in the Indian Ocean represents one of the most remote outposts of the European Union. An ancient, deeply eroded volcanic landscape supporting an extraordinary degree of biodiversity stands close to one of the most active volcanoes worldwide.