1 Africa’s Geography

2 General Information 2nd largest continent 3.3 times larger than US20.2% of Earth’s land 1.1 billion people

3 Remember: Africa is a CONTINENT,not a country

4 The Land

5 Much of Africa covered by plateaus

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7 Because there are Plateaus…Escarpments - steep cliffs at edge of plateaus

8 Cataracts - large waterfalls & rapids at edge of plateaus

9 Great Rift Valley Series of mountains & valleysRun north to south along eastern Africa for 3,000 miles (from northern Sudan to central Mozambique)

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12 Mt. Kilimanjaro Highest Peak in Africa (19,340 ft.)Located along Great Rift Valley

13 Rivers and Lakes Used for: Irrigation TransportationPower (hydroelectric dams)

14 Nile River World’s longest river (4,150 miles)Nile begins in the northern Great Rift Valley Aswan Dam

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17 Aswan Dam

18 Lake Chad

19 Located where Niger, Nigeria, and Chad meet 1972 1987 Located where Niger, Nigeria, and Chad meet Desertification is causing Lake Chad to decrease in size

20 Desertification - the turning of semi-desert into desert; This is often caused by people, not nature.

21 Lake Victoria Largest Lake in Africa & 2nd largest freshwater lake in the world (26,830 sq. miles) Located in the Great Rift Valley

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23 Victoria Falls 1 mile wide with a maximum drop of 420 feetSouthern Africa (not near Lake Victoria)

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25 Lake Victoria Lake Victoria & Victoria Falls are NOT NEAR EACH OTHER Victoria Falls

26 Niger River

27 Congo River & Congo River Basin

28 Natural Resources Many countries lack $ to develop resourcesUneven distribution of resources Examples: Precious metals Industrial Metals Oil

29 Rainfall 2 seasons: wet & dryseasons opposite on either side of equator Rain amounts vary greatly

30 Climate Zones

31 Desert Over 40% of Africa is desrt

32 Sahara About 1/3 of the continentLargest desert in the world (Antarctica does not count!) Size of US(3.5 million sq. mi) Rock-strewn plains, rolling sand dunes, mountains, and sand seas

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35 Kalahari Desert Covers much of Botswana, southwest South Africa & western Namibia Some rain; grasses, shrubs & some animals Namib Desert along the coast

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38 Tropical Wet & Dry Climate RegionLargest climate zone in Africa Savanna Unpredictable rain Population growth causes deforestation & desertification

39 Sahel Area separating the savanna from the Sahara Receives little rainHuman populations are causing its destruction (desertification)

40 Tropical Wet Climate RegionRainforest Small part of Africa Poor soil Diseases make it difficult to live in

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42 Mediterranean Climate ZoneMild climate (like Los Angeles) Fertile soil - crops & herding Attracted European settlers

43 Geography Leads to DiversityAfrica is considered to be made up of two cultural regions: North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa

44 Hundreds of languages are spoken throughout AfricaEx. Swahili - As Arabs traded with East Africa words of the Arabic language blended with the local African language

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