Evaluation · Level 3

Seventy percent of the Earth’s surface is sea. Even though not always separated by sea, the larger landmasses are regarded as being made up of seven continents. One of the largest of these, with a total area of 3.5 million sq km (one fifth of the earth’s landmass), is Africa. It is surpassed only by Asia. The African continent stretches nearly 8 100 km from around latitude 35° north of the equator to nearly 35° south.

More than 680 million people live in Africa. This is more than double the total population of the United States of America and Canada combined. Apart from some regions with a low population density, the overall population of this continent is rapidly expanding. Regardless of some of the less developed African countries having a high infant mortality rate and limited life expectancy through disease, famine or war, it has a growth rate of 3%. Although the Sahara Desert occupies one fourth of Africa’s landmass, in those areas that can support agriculture, the population density is closer to the world average.

Botswana used to be a poor African country, governed by Britain. In 1966 it became an independent nation, and almost immediately, by a strange twist of fate, three of the world’s richest diamond mines were discovered there. The new government was able to establish good health and education schemes and to highlight the country’s natural assets.

The present government ensures that tourism is high-cost and low-impact. Safaris are big business in Botswana. Much of the country is covered by a roadless wilderness of grasslands, wetlands and desert which supports an abundance of wildlife.

The main attraction for tourists is the Gobe National Park, home to the world’s largest elephant population. Numbering around 73 000, they gather in large herds of up to 500 in the wet season. Tourists might also see lion, cheetah, hippo, buffalo, giraffe, antelope, jackal, warthog, hyena, crocodile, otter and some of the 450 bird varieties.

The handcrafts of Botswana are of a very high standard and are expensive. At shops and in markets you can buy weaving and textiles, beaded jewellery, leatherwork and ostrich eggshell beads.

In 1979, the Rubik’s cube hit the international market. Invented by Hungarian lecturer in architectural design Erno Rubik, it is a large cube composed of twenty-seven small cubes so that each outward facing edges are of different colours. The aim is to arrange the small cubes so that each side is uniform.

Many people found this an extremely difficult and frustrating exercise. Some very clever individuals were able to solve the puzzle in seconds. Eventually, the fad of owning a Rubik’s Cube faded and people moved on to other mind games and puzzles. In the meantime, its creator had amassed a considerable fortune.