The mountains and valleys give the continent many advantages along with disadvantages. The wind that erodes much of the surrounding rock beds is diverted in many directions because of the large mountains. This creates very flat areas that have been greatly eroded and very high areas that are shielded from the fierce wind. Another problem caused by the physical geography of the plateau continent is the major effect of agricultural runoff and urban discharge. The downsloping land creates an unsafe river system and intoxicates much of the drinking water for African people.
These environmental issues are miniscule however compared to the effect the climate has on the region. Due to the high altitude in some mountainous areas and the semiarid climate around the flatter lands, the climate is very inconsistent. It could be as cold as 40 degrees as you go higher up into the mountains or it could be as hot as 90 degrees in the flatter more in-land regions. The lack of rain in the dryer areas makes it hard to grow crops without irrigation, proving the fact that the water usage will soon outpace its supply. Africa's climate is really affected by the massive amounts of lakes and rivers throughout the continent. .
As important as the geography and physical aspects of a nation can be, it's the history behind its creation that truly allows one to appreciate its greatness. A land plagued centuries ago by the introduction to slavery has found freedom after years of fighting. About 15 million Africans were transported overseas on overcrowded ships to be auctioned off to the highest white bidder. Their homeland had been invaded and there was nothing they could do about it. Slavery was one of the worst problems for Africa in its history because families were separated, children were killed, and the original sense of culture had been destroyed. This alone set the development of the country back years and years.