Did You Know????

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Did You Know????

• Africa is the worlds second-largest continent.
• It is more than three times the size of the
  United States.
• It is the only continent that is in all four
  hemispheres.

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It is home to many amazing landforms.

• Enormous mountains
• Tropical rain forests
• Grassy savannas
• Three large deserts
• The worlds longest river

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Africas Regions Landforms

• Africa includes more than 50 countries.
• It can be divided into 4 (sometimes 5) regions
• North
• East
• West
• Central and Southern

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NORTH AFRICA
The Atlas Mountains

• Rocky mountains
• Worlds largest desert

The Sahara Desert
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WEST AFRICA

• The most populated region
• Mainly grasslands
• Good soil for farming

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EAST AFRICA

• Many mountains
• A few plateaus
• Also grasslands and hills

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CENTRAL SOUTHERN AFRICA

• Flat or rolling grasslands
• Thick rain forests Central Africa
• Mountains and swamps
• Two deserts in Southern Africa the Namib the
  Kalahari

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THE PLATEAU CONTINENT

• It is often called the plateau continent
• Much of the continent is made up of raised,
  mostly level areas of land that drop off sharply
  near the sea.
• Much of the land has a high elevation

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MOUNTAINS

• Even though its called the plateau continent,
  not all of Africa is level.
• All four regions have mountains.
• The highest are in East Africa.

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Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania is Africas tallest
mountain.
Mount Kilimanjaro
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Coastal Plains Edge the Continent

• There is a strip of coastal plain that runs along
  much of Africas coast.
• This land is dry and sandy in some places and
  marshy moist in others.

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• Notice the narrow strip of land at sea level
  around most of the continent.

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THE GREAT RIFT VALLEY
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• The Great Rift Valley is a huge crack in the
  earths surface.
• The valley was formed millions of years ago when
  the continents pulled apart and left a rift, or
  deep trench.
• The rift that cuts through East Africa is 4,000
  miles long.
• There are places along the rift where the walls
  of the valley are more than a mile high.

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The Great Rift Valley
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• Many lakes have formed in the Great Rift Valley.
• Lake Victoria, on the border of Uganda, Tanzania,
  and Kenya, is the worlds second largest
  freshwater lake. It is a source of the Nile
  River.
• Lake Tanganyika formed in a rift and is almost a
  mile deep.

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Lake Victoria
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Lake Victoria
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Lake Tanganyika
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Which region of Africa is the most populated?

• WEST AFRICA

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Why do you think West Africa is the most
populated?

• The regions fertile grasslands provide soil for
  growing food.

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In which parts of Africa do you suppose the
fewest people live?Why?

• Few people live in the deserts of Africa because
  deserts lack sources of water and food.

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In which region are the highest mountains in
Africa located?

• East Africa

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AFRICAS RIVERS
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Africa has several rivers that carry water to the
sea.

• The four major ones are
• The Nile
• The Congo
• The Zambezi
• The Niger

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Nile River
Niger River
Blue Nile
White Nile
Congo River
Zambezi River
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• Sections of the four main rivers can be used for
  travel.
• They are all broken in places by large waterfalls
  or steep rapids.
• These obstacles make it impossible for ships to
  sail the entire way between Africas interior and
  the sea.

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These make travel difficult!
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The Nile River

• The Nile is the longest river in the world.
• At 4,000 miles long, it is almost twice the
  length of the Mississippi River.
• It has two major tributaries
• The White Nile that forms in Sudan
• The Blue Nile from the highlands in Ethiopia

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Like a giant snake, the Nile River slithers
through some of the driest desert on earth to
form a narrow, green valley
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• People have farmed the land around the Nile for
  thousands of years.
• Ancient Egypt could not have existed without the
  great river.

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• Every year, the snow in the mountains of East
  Africa melts, sending a torrent of water that
  overflows the banks of the Nile.
• The river picks up bits of soil and plant life
  called silt.

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• At one time, the Nile flooded its banks
  regularly, leaving silt behind as the waters
  receded.
• This created very fertile soil.
• Farmers planted their crops to match the flood
  cycle of the river.

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Controlling the Flooding

• In the 1960s, Egypts government built the Aswan
  High Dam to control the flooding of the Nile.
• As the water backed up behind the dam, Lake
  Nasser was created.

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Aswan High Dam
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Lake Nasser(the dam is at the top of the photo)
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• Waters from the lake are used to water crops that
  grow in the desert.
• Water rushing through the dam produces
  electricity.
• As a result of building the Aswan High Dam, the
  Nile River no longer floods.

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The Congo River

• Flows through the Central African rain forests.
• Africas second -longest river, 2,900 miles.
• Fed by hundreds of tributaries.
• Agriculture and fishing are along this river.

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The Niger River

• Third-largest river in Africa
• Located in West Africa
• Provides water for farming in the river valley.
• Many people fish for a living.

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The Zambezi River

• Africas fourth-largest river
• Located in Southern Africa
• 2,200 miles long, but boats can travel only
  about 460 miles due to its waterfalls and rapids.

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• Its strong current is used to produce electricity
• About halfway to the Indian Ocean, the Zambezi
  plunges into a canyon, creating the world-famous
  Victoria Falls

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Victoria Falls
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What are the names of Africasfour major rivers?

• The Nile
• The Congo
• The Niger
• The Zambezi

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Why is it difficult to travel by water from the
interior of Africa out to the coast?

• The major rivers of Africa have many rapids and
  waterfalls, making travel dangerous and sometimes
  impossible.

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CLIMATE VEGETATION

• What do you think Africas climate is like?
• Hot??? Dry???
• Although many people sometimes think of Africa as
  a hot place, not all parts of it are.

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• If you were to travel throughout Africa, you
  would experience many different climates.
• Deserts would feel hot and dry.
• The highlands would feel cool and moist.
• In some places close to the equator, hot weather
  and rainfall would occur throughout the year.

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Mirrored Climate Patterns

• The equator in the middle of Africa provides
  similar mirrored climate patterns on both the
  north and south sides.

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What Influences Climate?

• There are several geographic factors that
  influence climate
• Distance from the equator
• Elevation
• Nearness to large bodies of water and major
  landforms

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Distance from the Equator

• The equator runs through the middle of Africa.
• Regions near the equator are usually hot.
• Much of the area between the Tropics has a
  tropical climate.

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Do all countries in Africa have winter at the
same time?

• NO!!!
• How is that possible?
• The location of a place in relation to the
  equator not only influences its climate - it also
  influences the places seasons.

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So, what does that mean?

• North of the equator, winter summer occur at
  the same time they do in North America.
• South of the equator, the seasons are reversed!

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The Role of Elevation

• Elevation is the height of land above sea level.
• The higher the elevation, the cooler a place
  tends to be.

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How can there be snow at the equator?
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Its all about the elevation!

• Mount Kilimanjaro, Africas highest peak, is
  located close to the equator.
• It is covered by ice and snow year-round.

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Lets compare the climates of Ethiopia and
Somalia.
Ethiopia
Somalia

• Both are about the same distance from the
  equator.
• Ethiopia is on a very high plateau. It has mild
  temperatures and abundant rainfall.
• Somalia is at a much lower elevation, with a hot
  and dry climate. Farming is only possible near a
  river or oasis.

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Unpredictable Rainfall

• Rainfall varies from one region to another.
• Along parts of the west coast, winds carry
  moisture from the warm ocean over the land.
• Rainfall there averages more than 100 inches per
  year.
• In parts of the Sahara Desert in the north and
  the Namib Desert in the south, rain may not fall
  for several years in a row.

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Think about it. . .

• What climate is common in Africa along the
  equator?
• Tropical wet

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What similarities are there between the relative
locations of the tropical wet and dry, semiarid,
and arid regions of Africa? These 3 climate
regions are usually in the same relative
positions as you go north and south from the
equator.
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Why is most of Africa warm?

• A large portion of Africa falls between the
  Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn,
  near the equator.

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How does elevation affect climate?

• The higher the elevation, or distance above sea
  level, the cooler a place tends to be!

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VEGETATION REGIONS

• Rain forests near the equator
• Savannas (regions of tall grasses and scattered
  trees) north and south of the rain forests.
• Deserts in many parts of northern and southern
  Africa

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Tropical Rain Forests

• Located in parts of West and Central Africa
• Plentiful rainfall throughout the year
• Occupations include agriculture, fishing,
  hunting, and harvesting timber

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Tropical Savannas

• The most common vegetation in Africa
• Has tall grasses, thorny bushes, and scattered
  trees
• Home to large herds of animals

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The savanna has two seasons

• DRY
• Farming is impossible
• Trees lose their leaves
• Rivers run dry
• Farmers use this time to trade, build houses, and
  visit friends.

• WET
• Land turns green
• Farmers plant crops

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Deserts in Africa

• There are three major deserts
• The Sahara
• The Namib
• The Kalahari

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The Mighty Sahara
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The Sahara

• The largest desert in Africa
• Covers part or all of eleven African countries
• Large enough to hold the United States

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The fennec fox, the worlds smallest fox, lives
in the Sahara.
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The Namib Desert

• Located in southwest Africa
• One of the hottest, driest places on earth
• Has less precipitation than the Sahara
• Known for its enormous sand dunes

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The Kalahari Desert

• Located in southern Africa
• Tends to be cold and rocky
• Large parts are covered in scrub and small bushes

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The Sahel

• Located between the Sahara and the savanna
• Comes from the Arabic word for edge or border
• Receives about 4-8 inches of rain per year
• Has shrubs, grass, and some trees

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Living in the Desert
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Desert Nomads

• Few people live in Africas deserts, except
  nomads
• Nomads people who have no permanent homes

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How do nomads survive in the deserts?

• Nomads move around to various places, often
  following the same route each year, to make a
  living.
• Most are herders who also take part in trade.
• They travel to places where they know they can
  find water and food for their herds of goats,
  camels, or sheep.

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Climate and Health

• Sleeping Sickness
• Nearly 1/5 of Africa is home to the tsetse fly.
• A tsetse bite can kill cattle and cause sleeping
  sickness in humans.
• Traps and nets with poison are now being used to
  protect humans animals from this pest.

• Malaria
• It is spread to humans by the bite of an infected
  mosquito.
• Usually found in warm, moist climates, such as in
  areas south of the Sahara.
• Protective clothing and insecticides can help
  prevent infection.

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Think about it. . .

• What are the three major vegetation regions in
  Africa?
• Tropical rain forests located near the equator
• Savannas, which cover much of Africa north
  south of the rain forests
• Deserts located in northern and southern Africa

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What is the Sahel?

• It is the strip of land where the Sahara meets
  the savanna.
• It is hot and dry.
• It receives 4 to 8 inches of rain per year.
• Small trees, shrubs, and grass grow there.

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How does the environment of the rain forests pose
a threat to people?

• The moist environment is home to many
  disease-carrying insects, such as the tsetse fly
  and the mosquito.

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RESOURCES AND LAND USE

• Agricultural Resources
• Most Africans are farmers
• Some have fertile soil and sufficient rain
• Most, however, live on land that is difficult to
  farm due to poor soil or too little rain
• Others lack enough land or tools to make a living.

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Types of Agricultural Use

• Much of Africas land is used for subsistence
  farming, or raising just enough crops to support
  ones family.
• Some farmers grow cash crops, crops that are
  raised for sale. Examples include coffee, cacao
  beans, and tea.

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In recent years, more more farmers have planted
cash crops.

• Why is that a problem?
• Less land is planted with crops that can
  completely meet a familys needs.
• Food shortages have developed in some regions
  when cash crops failed.
• Food shortages can also occur when the market
  prices of coffee or other cash crops fall.
• Families then have less money to buy the things
  they need.

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Harvesting Trees

• Hardwood trees grow in all four regions.
• People earn money by cutting them down and
  selling them.
• Thousands of acres of trees have been cut down.
• This is called deforestation.

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Natural Resources

• Mining is an important part of many African
  economies.
• Some African countries have large amounts of
  petroleum.
• Mineral resources include gold, copper, silver,
  uranium, titanium, and diamonds.

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Africas Natural Resources
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Think about it. . .

• What difficulties do many African farmers face?
• Much of the land has poor soil and little
  rainfall.
• What is subsistence farming?
• Farming to raise just enough crops to feed your
  own family.

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What are cash crops?

• Crops that are raised for sale.
• How do Africans make money from hardwood trees?
• They cut them down and sell them.
• What are some of Africas natural resources?
• Petroleum, gold, diamonds, copper, silver,
  uranium, and titanium.

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