AFIM, Africa Interactive MapsŪ is an innovative educational software for
studying Africa through its maps. The CD-ROM is most user friendly for
individual or group learning.
The software was designed and developed in response to the need for a
stimulating and effective means of learning and mastering important
geographic information on Africa. It covers many useful topics in more than
700 computer pages of maps, photographs, information and statistical tables,
and study questions. It is designed to be attractive to students, teachers,
travelers, Africa aficionados or anybody who wants to gain an understanding
of the big picture of a continent that is as vast as it is diverse.
The visual representation of facts and figures makes it easy to gain an
immediate understanding and insight into many topics that would otherwise
take much effort to teach or learn from textbooks. Users do not need to follow
a preset program path but can pick and choose which topic to explore by
simply clicking the hyperlink of their choice.
In the Introduction to the Continent you can get your hands around the
continent as a whole with amazing size comparisons, climate and weather
maker facts, you can find all the capitals and current country names, when
they became independent and see a map of the origins of mankind with the
astonishing number of sites of hominid discoveries in Africa.
Find out about the unique Physical Geography of Africa, find out what the
climate types are in which part of Africa, what the many forms of vegetation
are and where to find them and you will see some stunning photographs,
illustrating the unexpected and often little known diversity of the physical
features that exist in Africa.
Or look at a detailed map of each country and find out some general facts
about its political and economic makeup. To understand how Africa's
countries came to be what they are today, explore the History section, which
illustrates the kingdoms and states and trade routes since ancient times
through to the ups and downs of European colonization and independence.
Find out which official language is spoken where, get a grasp of the
numerous African languages, understand how they all hang together. Get to
know which ethnic groups are to be found in what part of Africa, and what
religions are practiced where.
Get a better understanding of what plays a role in the economic development
by examining the distribution of mineral and natural resources throughout the
five regions of the continent, the amount and types of export commercial
crops grown and how the population is distributed.
Just browse the colorful maps, graphics, and photos or go deeper into the
tables of facts and statistics. Test your knowledge by working through the
sets of questions and answers that accompany each topic. Read something
in the newspaper on Africa, then check out the factual background on the
CD-ROM.
For Teachers, from Middle School through University, this software provides
a ready means for preparing lessons on Africa. It has a very useful list of
bibliographical sources.
For students, AFIM* provides a better alternative to passive learning and
rote-memorization. The program is self-contained and can be used
independently in a self-paced study or in conjunction with formal instruction.
For research on Africa, the software is very useful as a general resource.
For users from other walks of life, AFIM can be used for personal enrichment
or in support of training programs.
* While AFIM is an acronym for Africa Interactive Maps, in the Akan language
of Ghana it means "You have longed for me.