The old cliche “a picture is worth a thousand words” is especially true in these photos of Africa. They reveal the social, cultural and geographical transformations that have taken place through the decades — or, in a few cases, how little has changed. The following 15 side-by-side comparisons juxtapose the Africa of yesteryear with the Africa of the present, and hint at what the future holds for the continent.

Click here to see the slideshow on AFKTravel.com.