First and greatest of our planet's continents, Africa is the birthplace of our world: the earliest living organism, the earliest dinosaur egg, and the earliest mammal are all of African origin, and its Great Rift Valley was the cradle of the human race. From the vast sand sea of the Sahara to the lush jungles and mighty rivers of Central Africa to the sweeping southern veldt, it's a realm of unparalleled diversity that boasts spectacular landscapes, an extraordinary wealth of wildlife, a remarkable range of peoples and cultures, and a rich but surprisingly little known history.