PLate Tectonics

Scientific study suggests that the continental movements are caused by the movement of the tectonic plates, parts of the lithospheric crust and above, floating on the asthenosphere; being partially molten has a slow current allowing the tectonic plates to move. There are eight major plates and many smaller ones. Where two plates meet is called a plate boundary, where most earthquakes occur. There are three types of boundaries; transform boundaries, where plates rub against one another, divergent boundaries, where the plates move apart and new crust can be created. Lastly, there are convergent boundaries. At these boundaries the plates move towards one another and can result in one being subducted under the other. The denser oceanic plates usually are the ones subducted. The melting of the subducted plate causes gasses to be released thereby forcing hot magma and gasses up through the cracks in the Earth causing volcanoes and fishers. This is the most likely cause of the Ring of Fire in the Pacific.
The continents have also been formed by the movement of the tectonic plates. There were also supercontinents, containing all of or most of the continents. Probably the most well known supercontinent is Pangaea, but there are others. Rodinia is the oldest known supercontinent, but it broke up in to eight pieces. Later on those eight pieces came back together and formed Pangaea. Pangaea lated broke in to two supercontinents known as Laurasia and Gondwana, which broke up in to the continents we know today

Cheetahs

The cheetah (acinonyx jubatus) is the only species of big cat that isn't in the genus panthera. It is the fastest land animal in existence and can reach speeds of 70 mph. Its large heart and respiratory system are the main reason the cheetah can reach those speeds. The cheetah has a thin aerodynamic body with a large chest and small waist. Unlike all other big cats, cheetahs claws cannot be retracted. This adaptation gives them more traction while running.
Cheetahs are very genetically close and this can cause them trouble when trying to find a mate. Close breeding is thought to be the cause of the spot mutation known as king cheetah. King Cheetahs were once thought to be a subspecies but science has proved that untrue.
There are six cheetah subspecies:

• The Asiatic Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus), is not confined to Asia. True they can be found in the Asian countries of Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, India, Pakistan, Oman, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Russia and Syria but in the African countries of Tunisia, Egypt, Mauritania, Western Sahara, Mali, Djibouti, Morocco and Niger. This is the most common cheetah subspecies.
• Northwest African Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus hecki), is found in Mali, Mauritania, Senegal, Niger, Benin, Burkina Faso, and Ghana. They may have ventured in to Nigeria but that is uncertain.
  

The other Cheetah subspecies have no common name. These are listed below

• Acinonyx jubatus raineyii is found in eastern Africa in the countries of Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania and Uganda.
• Acinonyx jubatus jubatus is found in southern Africa. They are found in the countries of South Africa, D. R. Congo, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Angola , Bostwana, Namibia, and Malawi
• Acinonyx jubatus soemmeringii, is found in found in the Central and Northern African countries of Central African Republic, Cameroon, Niger, Nigeria, Chad, Ethiopia and Sudan.
• Acinonyx jubatus velox, has been sighted and proven to be a subspecies, but not much else is known about this cheetah subspecis.

Please check out the map of Africa at the following link http://img372.imageshack.us/img372/4927/africants7.gif