Savanna regions are the favoured habitat of many of Africa┐s animal life. They cover a large area of Africa. The word savanna was the name originally given to the treeless South American plains, as given by the Spaniards. It now applies to a vast expanse of the African plains. The term savanna is widely used to describe landscapes from grasslands to dense woodland. The vegetation types of the savanna are wide-ranging, but there is characteristically a ground layer of grass either between or below the trees. Such trees and vegetation are the food source for many animals.
The world┐s savanna regions lie between the equatorial rainforests and the deserts of the subtropics. With regard to Africa, this applies to the tropical and semi-arid regions that experience a dry season of up to 10 months in length. Africa┐s savanna region covers roughly 12 million square kilometres, incorporating 60% of tropical Africa. Many African countries include areas of savanna.