africa physical features

Africa Physical Features

Sahara Desert

Largest desert in the world. Covers almost all of North

Africa

Almost as large as China or the United States.

Countries located in the Sahara include… Algeria, Chad, Egypt,

Libya, Morocco, Niger, Sudan, and Western Sahara.

Sahara Desert

The Sub-Saharan desert has poor soil and suffers from deforestation The destruction of trees and other vegetation

Desertification has been a huge contribution towards the Sahara as well. The process of the desert expanding into areas that had formerly been

farmland

There are long periods of little to no rainfall which causes this problem. (called droughts)

People may cause it too by letting livestock overgraze the savanna and by cutting down trees.

The Sahara

The Kalahari Desert

A desert on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean Located in Botswana,

Namibia, and South Africa

It is a large semi-arid, sandy savanna However, it supports

more animals and plants than a regular desert

Small amounts of rainfall with hot summers

Sahel

A region in West/Central Africa

Between the Sahara in the North and savannas in the South

Desertification has contributed to the Sahel areas.

Sahel Images

Savanna

A tropical grassland region.

During the rainy season the savanna gets 15-25 in. of rain.

During the dry season they get 4 inches.

The savanna is the area of Africa that you think of for having the wild animals (lions, giraffes, zebras, etc.)

People use the land for cattle grazing which kills the grass and turns the savanna into a desert. People also poach (illegally kill animals)

Africa’s savanna

Nile River

The longest river in the world 4000 miles long!

Flows through northeastern Africa into the Mediterranean Sea

Flows through Ethiopia, Sudan, South Sudan, Egypt, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda

Nile River

The Nile banks are heavily populated Why?

People farm the land surrounding the Nile River

Floods leave a layer of silt Fertile soil

The Nile ends in a large delta that ends in the Mediterranean Sea What is the symbol used to

represent a delta?

The Nile River

The Nile River

Congo River

A river that flows through the rainforest of Central Africa. 2900 miles long Deepest river in the world

Flows through: Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic,

Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Zambia

Provides hydroelectric power, transportation and water for irrigation.

Congo River

Niger River

Africa’s third longest river It is 2600 miles long

It begins in Western Africa in Guinea VIP river to Western Africa

Provides water for farms in the river valley.

It provides some relief for people in Sahel

Vital transportation route

Lake Tanganyika

Second LARGEST and LONGEST Freshwater lake

Located in four countries Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo,

Tanzania, and Zambia

The water flows into the Congo River and eventually into the Atlantic Ocean

Commercial fishing and industrial fisheries are all important on this lake.

How the heck do I say that?!?!

Lake Victoria

Named after Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom

Largest tropical lake in the world

Receives most of its water from precipitation

Large amount of fishery’s

Atlas Mountains

Stretches across Northern Africa and extends about 2500 km through Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia.

The Atlas separate the Mediterranean and Atlantic coastlines from the Sahara Desert

The mountains are home to many plants and animals(endangered)

Tropical Rainforest

An ecosystem around the equator. Between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of

Capricorn

Located in Southern/Central Africa(Democratic Republic of Congo)

Experiences HIGH amounts of rainfall and HIGH temperatures

Mount Kilimanjaro

Dormant volcano located in Kilimanjaro National Park, Tanzania

Highest mountain in Africa (19,341 ft)

Serengeti National Park

Located in north Tanzania and southwest Kenya. Serengeti means “Endless Plains” Regarded as the best wildlife reserve in Africa

Animals found here include Lion, African leopard, African elephant, black rhinoceros, African

buffalo, cheetah, gazelle, hyena, baboon, giraffe, ostrich, stork, vultures, zebra

The Real Lion King