ABSTRACT
The continent of Africa covers 30.3 million km2 of land, approximately one fifth of the world’s land area. It is the second largest continent in area and the third largest in human population. Only Asia covers more land and only Asia and Europe have more people. Africa’s huge size and broad latitudinal range help to explain not only the variety of natural resource endowments but also the variety of climates, altitudes, and resultant agro-ecological zones. In addition, its historically inaccessible interior, ethnocultural diversity, and human or domesticated animal endemic diseases have all earned Africa acronyms such as the “dark continent” and “green sea of darkness.” All these factors have contributed to limiting the scientific exploration of its rich native forage germplasm or the importation of exotic species.
