The New Childrens Encyclopedia

u COLLECTIONS look at a particular

group of things such as beetles and bugs

( p. 116–117), flags, and mammals.

u DETAILED MAPS accompany features about

countries and continents ( p. 128–153). These

are packed with facts and figures about the

geography, people, and cultures of the region.

u GENERAL ARTICLES focus on particular

topics of interest ( p. 196–197). Many have

timelines that chronicle key stages in development,

fact boxes, and picture features.

u FACT FILES take an in-depth look at one

topic, such as electric cars ( p. 258–259). They

detail all you need to know about the subject.

AfricaAfrica is often called the “birthplace of humankind.”

That’s because human beings originated from Africa several million years ago, although humans as we

would recognize them only emerged about 200,000 years ago. Today, about 1 in 8 of the world’s population live in Africa.

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land areaCovers approximately 20 percent of Earth’s AFRICAN FACTS

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Biggest countryNumber of countriesSmallest countryLanguages 1,000s Republic of Sudan The Seychelles 53 +dependencies

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778 millionO

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Population of continentLargest African city Highest point Kilimanjaro in Tanzania at Egypt’s capital, Cairo Estimated at

19,341 ft (5,895 m)O

Uganda, Sudan, and Egypt into the Mediterranean Sea, at 4,145 miles (6,671 km)Longest river Nile, running through

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Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya. The lake contains more than 3,000 islands, many inhabited.Biggest lake Lake Victoria, bordering

THE SAHARA“Sahara” comes from the Arabic word for “desert.” The Sahara

stretches across North Africa and covers parts of 11 countries. Much of it consists of vast seas

of sand, with dunes up to 600 ft (180 m) high.

 OASISare about 90 big oases scattered across the Sahara. There

These are places where underground water comes to the surface, allowing

plants to grow.

How many people?The population of Africa is thought to be around 14 percent of the total world population. Nigeria is the most populated

African country.

A VARIED LANDSCAPEAfrica’s varied landscapes include three deserts—the Sahara (Earth’s

largest desert) in North Africa, and the Kalahari and Namib in the south. There are also large areas

of forest and grassland.

This fennec fox keeps cool by losing heat through its huge ears. DESERT MAMMAL

THE WOLRDCONTINENTS OF

CONTINENTS OF THE WORLD

below 5050-90100-149150-

200-299above 300

Population densityPeople per km² (0.39 mi²)

139

KalahariNamibDesert*Dry grasslandTropical grasslandTropical forestMediterraneanMountain

SAHARA

Gulfof

Gulf ofSirte

Mozamb

iqueChan

nel

RedSea

MediterraneanSea

Aden

INDIANOCEAN

ATLA

OCEANNTIC

Suez Canal

WhiteNile

BlueNile

Shebeli

ackVolBlta

Niger

Niger

Senegal

Ubangi

CnoCogauCngoKsaia

uanza Z Ruvuma

Cub ambezi

uCneennagoCauond Zambezi

OrangeRiver

Lualaba

Limpopo

Nile

Nossob

EtoshaPan

Lake Mweru Lake Rukwa Lake Nyasa

LakeTanganyika

Victoria Lake

Lake Chad

Lake Nasser

Lake Turkana(Lake Rudolf )

Mayotte(to France)

Ceuta(to Spain)Melilla(to Spain)

(to Angola)Cabinda

(to Portugal)Madeira

Canary Islands(to Spain)

ASIA

EUROPE

SOUTHAFRICALESOTHOSWAZILAND

NAMIBIABOTSWANAZIMBABWE

ANGOLAZAMBIA COMOROS

MALAWI

BURUNDIRWANDA

UGANDAKENYA

GUINEA-BISSAUSIERRALEONE(IVORY COAST)D'IVOIRECÔTE ETHIOPIADJIBOUTI

GAMBIA NIGER SUDAN ERITREA

MAURITANIA MALI

WESTERNSAHARA(disputed)

SOMALILAND(not internationallyrecognized)

ALGERIA

AFRICAN REPUBLIC CENTRAL

CHAD

EGYPT

EQUATORIALGUINEAGABON

LIBYA

SAO TOME& PRINCIPE

TUNISIA

DEM. REP.CONGO

MOZA

MBIQUE

MADAG

ASCAR

TANZANIA

CONGO

CAMEROO

N

SOMALI

A

MOROCCO

ILEB BURKINAFASONGAHAOGOTBNINE

RIA

SENEGAL

GUINEA NIGERIA

CAPE VERDE

SEYCHELLES

Good HopeCape of

OkavangoDeltaVictoria Falls

ZanzibarPemba AldabraGroup

Sinai

MasaiSteppe

NileDelta

AagidHamhlawansd Sudd

EasternDes

ert

RaasXaafuun

NamibDe

sert

Drakensberg

GreatR

iftValley

Tibesti NubianDesert

QattaraDepression

Plateau Bié

EthiopianHighlands

Ahaggar

Tënërë

AtlasMountains

Malta

des BongoMassif of AfricaHorn

Western Desert

5895mKilimanjaro

KalahariDesert

CongoBasin

S a h a LibyanDesert

ra

Sahel

GreatKaroo

Toliara

Nouâdhibou

Constantine

East London

BulawayoBeira

HuamboLubango Kitwe Nacala

MombasaKismaayo

Moundou Hargeysa

Zinder El Obeid

Aswân

Port Said

Tanger

Benghazi

IleboKanangaKalemie

Kisangani

Matadi

BLOEMFONTEIN

Port Elizabeth

Johannesburg Durban

Dar es Salaam

Lagos

Casablanca Alexandria

Lubumbashi

Abidjan

CAPE TOWN

RABAT ALGIERS TUNIS

DAKAR BAMAKO

FREETOWN

BISSAU OUAGADOUGOU

MONROVIA ACCRA

CONAKRY

LOMÉPORTO-NOVO

NOUAKCHOTT

BANJUL NIAMEY

YAOUNDÉ

YAMOUSSOUKRO ABUJA

BANGUI

NDJAMENA

MASERUMBABANE

WINDHOEK

LILONGWE

GABORONETSHWANE/PRETORIA

LUSAKAHARARE

LUANDA

ANTANANARIVO

MORONI

MAPUTO

KIGALIKAMPALABUJUMBURANAIROBI

MOGADISHU

DODOMA

ADDIS ABABAASMERADJIBOUTI

KINSHASA

TRIPOLI CAIRO

KHARTOUM

LAÂYOUNE

MALABO

LIBREVILLE

BRAZZAVILLE

SÃO TOMÉ

PRAIA

0 km^2

0miles^10001000

*Red areas indicate the extent of the named deserts.

FAMOUS PLACES

The Great Rift Valley This huge valley cuts right through eastern Africa, from

Ethiopia to Mozambique. It contains a chain of vast lakes, including Lakes Tanganyika,

Victoria and Nyasa—some of the deepest lakes in the world.

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temperature ever recorded was 136 °F (57.8 °C) at Al ‘Aziziyah in Libya in 1922.Hottest place: the highest

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is a circular valley, enclosed by mountain walls. It is the remains of The Ngorongoro Crater in Kenya

an ancient volcano. The crater is home to a huge variety of animals.O

The Okavango River does not flow

into the sea. Instead, it ends in a large inland swamp, known as the Okavango Delta, in Botswana. Madagascar is the world’s fourth-largest island. It is home to many unique animals, such as lemurs and fossas, which are not found anywhere else in the world.

The Red Sea divides Africa from Asia. At the northernmost end, the Suez Canal allows ships

to travel between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean.

The easternmost part of the continent is known as the “Horn of Africa,” because it is shaped like

an animal’s horn.

Bugs and

BeetlesThe word “bug” is often used to

mean any creepy-crawly, but it is actually an order of a particular kind of

insect. This order is called 82,000 species. Beetles are not the same as bugs: Hemiptera, and it has

they have their own order, 370,000 beetle species—that’s one-third of all Coleoptera. There are

known insect species.

HOW CAN YOU TELL IF IT’S A BUG?

Tortoise beetleEugenysa regalis

Leaf hopperCicadella viridis

Cotton stainer bug Dysdercus decussatus

Giant water bugLethocerus grandis

Lantern bugPhrictus quinquepartitus

Bugs have two pairs of wings and a beaklike mouth for piercing

and sucking up food.

Diving beetleDytiscus marginalis

Ten-spotted ground beetleThermophilum decemguttatum

Shining fungus beetleScaphidiumquadrimaculatum

WeevilEupholus bennetti Stag beetleLucanus cervus

Seven-spotted ladybug Cocinella septempuntacta

Hercules beetleDynastes hercules

Water scorpionNepa sp. Squash bugCoreus marginatus Giant harlequin beetleAcrocinus longimanus

CicadaAngamiana aetherea Assassin bugEulyes illustris

Click beetleChalcolepidius limbatus

Leaf beetleCalligrapha dislocata

Bugs have incomplete metamorphosis: they start life as nymphs that look similar to the adult form, but without

wings or reproductive organs.

Beetles have elytra that meet in the middle of HOW CAN YOU TELL IF IT’S A BEETLE?

the body. Elytra are hard forewings that fold over the soft hindwings,

forming a protective case.

Beetles have complete metamorphosis: they start life as a larva, then change to a pupa, and finally become an adult. Larva and pupa look different from the adult.

(^) a caterpillar.A stink bug preys on
Lacewing nymph lacewing Adult
Elytra Black jewel beetle Stag beetle larva... ... pupa... ... and adult
LIVING WORLD
LIVING WORLD
All the insects you see giant water bug is the here are life-size. The^7 /^7 
but it’s dwarfed by the world’s longest bug, Hercules beetle.
Bed bug (magnified x 2)Cimex lectularius
BEETLES
BUGS
116
BUGS AND BEETLES
117
258
ELECTRIC CARS
259
Electric carsMost cars use gasoline, made from oil, which
causes pollution and adds to global warming. Oil supplies are running out, too. That’s why
car designers are turning to electric engines, which can use energy from cleaner sources.
HONDA FCX CLARITYThis might look like an ordinary car but it’s powered in what could be a much cleaner way. In a normal
car, the engine burns gasoline, releases energy, and makes pollution. But in this car the fuel tank is replaced by a kind of battery called a hydrogen fuel
cell. This takes hydrogen from a tank and oxygen from the air, reacts them together, and produces electricity. The only waste product is steam, so if the
hydrogen comes from a clean source there is no pollution at all.
MicrocabUseful for short journeys
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Made in RangeTop speed 250 miles (400 km)US130 mph (210 km/h)
The Tesla is designed for people who love ordinary cars but want them to be environmentally
friendly as well. Its powerful electric motor can accelerate almost
as fast as a gas-driven Ferrari!
Tesla roadsterFast, quiet, and less polluting
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The life car Stylish and speedy fuel-cell sports carTop speed 85 mph (140 km/h)
O

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Built from lightweight aluminum, this RangeMade in 200 miles (320 km)United Kingdom
Morgan uses five times less energy than an ordinary steel-bodied car. It speeds from 0 to 60 mph (0 to100 km/h) in 7
seconds!
O

O

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Top speedRange Made in 50–100 miles (80–160 km) United Kingdom 40 mph (64 km/h)
Fuel cell cars are being used as taxis in Birmingham, England. They are incredibly light and can travel for 100 miles (160 km) before they need
and you won’t find a gas engine. Instead, there’s an electric motor (shown below in a cutaway). Open the hood of an electric car to stop and refuel.
45
2 3
The the car for 280 miles (450 km).hydrogen tankTAKE A LOOK: HOW IT WORKS stores enough fuel to power
The tank with oxygen from the air to make electricity.The the car brakes and helps the fuel cell power the car.fuel cell rechargeablechemically reacts hydrogen from the battery stores energy released when
The more electricity flow from the battery to the motor.power drive unit works like a gearbox. It makes
(^12)
(^34)
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O

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Suzuki has created a single-seater Top speedRangeMade in 20 miles (30 km) Less than 20 mph (30 km/h)Japan
electric pod that is great for short journeys. Two of the Pixy pods can sit in a fuel-cell coach that recharges them as it moves. The larger coach
can go on longer journeys.
Suzuki pixy Three-wheeled, low-speed city car
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O

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Top speedRangeMade in 60 miles (110 km) France 75 mph (120 km/h)
This solar car has no engine or fuel cell. Instead, it’s covered in solar panels with lenses on top.
These capture sunlight, turn it into electricity, and store it in batteries.
Venturi AstrolabHigh-performance car powered by sunlight

ROADSTERThe Tesla’s rear wheels are powered by an TESLA
electric motor and batteries at the back.
TECHNOLOGY
TECHNOLOGY
their batteries have to be charged percent eco-friendly, because Few electric cars are 100
using electricity. Most electricity still comes from power plants burning dirty fuels. These make pollution and add to
global warming.
7 /^7 
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O
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100 percent electric. Powered by 6831 laptop batteries. The lithium-ion battery pack takes
three and a half hours to charge.O
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Burns no oil. Accelerates from 0–60 mph
(0-100 km/h) in only 4 seconds.
TESLA ROADSTER
1
5 The turns the front wheels to drive the car along.electric motor is light and compact and
Stationary part of motor Axle drives right wheel
Drive shaft turns axles
Copper coils of motorElectric motor
Axle drives left wheel
Gears make car wheels turn at right speed
Turning part of motor
Electric motorBatteries
Air cooling pipe
622–632 TIMELINE OF ISLAMIC EMPIREMuhammad took control of Mecca MUHAMMAD661–750 UMAY YAD 1258 RISE OF THE SULTANS
and established the Islamic civilization. Islamic Empire expanded the Umayyad family (shown in green).The caliphs of the learning, and culture.the city became the Islamic capital and Baghdad was made the world’s center of trade,
750–1258 ABBASID 1369–1506 TIMURID The Ottoman Turks ruled over the Islamic
state and expanded their empire into eastern Europe (shown in green).
1516–1924 OTTOMAN
Islamic golden ageIn the 7th century, Muhammad established the Islamic
state in the Arabian Peninsula. In the centuries after his death, the Islamic empire expanded rapidly, spreading
the faith and laws of Islam based on his teachings.
MECCAMuhammad was born in Mecca (now in Saudi Arabia). After being forced out of the city due to
his teachings, he returned eight years later with his army to take control and establish the city as the center of the faith of Islam.
TAKE A LOOK: ISLAMIC ARTIFACTS
uof glazed tiles were used to decorate buildings.Calligraphy and mosaics ISLAMIC ART uby using the Sun and stars.calculating a person’s position perfected this instrument for ASTROLABE They u OTTOMAN VASE Flowers and large leaves were widely used as decorative patterns.
The Islamic civilization had a distinctive style in art, crafts, and architecture, and made great advances in mathematics, astronomy, and medicines.
The Dome of the Rock shrine in Jerusalem was completed in 691 and is the oldest TAKE A PICTURE
existing Islamic building in the world.
■ founder of the Islamic religion and the first Muhammad WHO’S WHO? (570-632) He was the
Muslim political leader.■ in-law of Muhammad and became the first Imam in 656.Ali ibn Abi (599-661) He was the son-
■ Abbasid caliph, who was the subject of the stories Harun al-Rashid The Thousand and One Nights (766-809) The fifth ,
also called ■ (governor) of Egypt, Syria, Yemen, and Saladin The Arabian Nights (1137-1193) A Muslim sultan.
Palestine, who captured Jerusalem and defeated the crusaders in 1187.
Mongol invaders captured Baghdad and converted to Islam, while local rulers, called sultans, governed
Egypt, Syria, and Palestine.
Timur, a Turkic-Mongol warrior, conquered the Islamic lands and one of his descendants founded
the Mughal Empire in northern India.
uinstructed Muslims to pray five times a day, facing the direction, or qiblah, of the Kaaba in Mecca. QIBLAH Muhammad
This instrument was used to figure out the direction (qiblah).
HISTORY AND POLITICS
HISTORY AND POLITICS
,of 40, Muhammad had the first of many revelations about the word of God. His teachings were to become PROPHET OF ISLAM At the age
intertwined with the politics and social aspects of an Islamic state. His name is shown here in stylized form.
In 661, the Muslims divided TELL ME MORE...
over who to choose as the next religious leader. The Shiites accepted the descendants of Ali (Muhammad’s son-in-law),
known as Imams, while the Sunnites chose the descendants of the Umayyads, titled Caliphs.
dtradition, this cube-shaped building in Mecca is said to be the house of God. Muslims (followers of Islam) KAABA According to Islamic
are expected to visit it at least once in their lifetimes.
196
ISLAMIC GOLDEN AGE
AFRICA■ Mecca
EUROPE■ Baghdad
Minarets are the highest points in the mosque. Traditionally, a
muezzin calls everyone to prayer from the minaret.
The Grand Mosque in Mecca
Silver and copper basin
(c) 2012 Dorling Kindersley. All Rights Reserved.(c) 2012 Dorling Kindersley. All Rights Reserved.