A F R I C AThe World’s Second Largest

Continent

Physical Map of Africa

Africa’s elevation

AFRICA’S PHYSICAL FEATURES

• DESERTS: Sahara (north), Kalahari & Namib (north)

• DRY GRASSLANDS: savanna, Sahel (“the shore of the desert”)

• RAIN FOREST REGION: Congo• HIGHLANDS: Ethiopian Highlands,

Drakensberg Mountains, Atlas Mountains, Tibesti Mountains

• MOUNTAIN PEAKS: Mt. Kilimanjaro, Mt. Kenya

AFRICA’S PHYSICAL FEATURES

• PLATEAU: Katanga Plateau• Much of Africa is a plateau.• PLAINS: Serengeti

The Serengeti Plain

SAHARA: The World’s Largest Hot, Dry Desert

The Sahara spans all of North Africa

Dry, arid region! Deserts receive < 10 inches of rain a year.

SAHEL: The Sahel is the dry region located between the desert & grasslands region. Sahel

in Arabic means “the shore of the desert”.

Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Chad are countries of the Sahel.

Life is difficult for the people who live on the Sahel.

Oasis: A place in the desert where water and vegetation are found.

This oasis is located in the Sahara in Morocco.

The picture shows a plantation of palm trees.

The plural of oasis is oases.

Oasis in the Ahaggar Region of North Africa

Ergs

Ergs are major dunes seas. They are broad areas of desert covered with wind-swept sand. They have little to no vegetative cover. The next slide shows a map of ergs across the Sahara.

SAVANNA: Grasslands region in Tropics with few trees. Safari’s

are popular because of its for its fauna.

GREAT RIFT VALLEY, East Africa

GREAT RIFT VALLEY

MOUNT KILIMANJAROTanzania, East Africa

The highest point in Africa

BODIES OF WATER

• Many bodies of water border Africa:– The Mediterranean Sea to the north– The Red Sea to the northeast– The Indian Ocean to the east and southeast– The Mozambique Channel to the southeast– The Gulf of Guinea to the west– The Atlantic Ocean to the west– The Strait of Gibraltar to the northwest

BODIES OF WATER

Sailing dhow on the Swahili Coast, East Africa, Indian Ocean

BODIES OF WATER: RIVERS

AFRICA’S RIVERS

Northeast Africa: Nile River, Blue Nile River, White Nile RiverWestern Africa: Niger River, Senegal RiverCentral Africa: Congo River SystemSouthern Africa: Zambezi River, Orange River, Limpopo River, Vaal River

Khartoum and the Nile

The White Nile River and the Blue Nile River merge at the city of Khartoum, Sudan. They form the Nile River.

The Congo River, Basin, and Rain Forest are located in Central Africa. The rain forest is in the basin, which the river

snakes its way through it way to the Atlantic Ocean.

The Niger River: West Africa’s Most Important River

The Niger River flows through the countries of Guinea, Mali, Niger, and Nigeria. It empties into the Gulf of Guinea, part of the Atlantic Ocean.

Victoria Falls on the Zambezi River

Victoria Falls is located on the Zambezi River in southern Africa. The bridge spans the Zambezi River, joining two countries: Zambia and Zimbabwe.

AFRICA’S LAKES

Africa’s largest lakes:•Lake Victoria•Lake Tanganyika•Lake Malawi•Lake Turkana•Lake Albert•Lake Kivu•Lake Edward

A satellite photo of Africa’s “Lakes Region” in

East Africa

IMPORTANT INFORMATION• South Africa is the largest producer of gold in

all of Africa. 600,000ILBS +• Nigeria most populous country in Africa• Lake Victoria, also called Victoria Nyanza ,

largest lake in Africa and chief reservoir of the Nile, lying mainly in Tanzania and Uganda but bordering on Kenya.

• While Islam and Christianity are prevalent in Africa local, traditional folk religions are still practiced

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

• In 2011 after years of civil war between Christians and Muslims, Southern Sudan separated from Sudan becoming an independent nation.

Lake Victoria