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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.
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.
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.
78 photos
The Canary Islands display a broad variety of volcanic, fluvial, and coastal landforms. Pico del Teide on Tenerife is the highest peak of Macaronesia. The seven islands also support contrasting ecosystems over short distances, ranging from humid laurel forests to arid deserts.
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.