Did You Know????• Africa is the world’s

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.

It is home to many amazing landforms.

• Enormous mountains

• Tropical rain forests

• Grassy savannas

• Three large deserts

• The world’s longest river

Africa’s Regions & Landforms

• Africa includes more than 50 countries.

• It can be divided into 4 (sometimes 5) regions:

– North– East– West– Central and Southern

NORTH AFRICA

Rocky mountains

World’s largest desert

The Atlas Mountains

The Sahara Desert

WEST AFRICA

• The most populated region

• Mainly grasslands

• Good soil for farming

EAST AFRICA

• Many mountains• A few plateaus• Also grasslands and

hills

CENTRAL & SOUTHERN AFRICA

• Flat or rolling grasslands

• Thick rain forests – Central Africa

• Mountains and swamps

• Two deserts in Southern Africa – the Namib & the Kalahari

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

MOUNTAINS

• Even though it’s called the plateau continent, not all of Africa is level.

• All four regions have mountains.

• The highest are in East Africa.

Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania is Africa’s tallest mountain.

Mount Kilimanjaro

Coastal Plains Edge the Continent

• There is a strip of coastal plain that runs along much of Africa’s coast.

• This land is dry and sandy in some places and marshy & moist in others.

Notice the narrow strip

of land at sea level around most of the continent.

THE GREAT RIFT VALLEY

• The Great Rift Valley is a huge crack in the earth’s 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.

The Great Rift Valley

• Many lakes have formed in the Great Rift Valley.

• Lake Victoria, on the border of Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya, is the world’s second largest freshwater lake. It is a source of the Nile River.

• Lake Tanganyika formed in a rift and is almost a mile deep.

Lake Victoria

Lake Victoria

Lake Tanganyika

Which region of Africa is the most populated?

WEST AFRICA

Why do you think West Africa is the most populated?

The region’s fertile grasslands provide soil

for growing food.

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.

In which region are the highest mountains in Africa

located?

East Africa

AFRICA’S RIVERS

Africa has several rivers that carry water to the sea.

The four major ones are

• The Nile• The Congo

• The Zambezi• The Niger

Niger River

Nile River

Blue Nile

White Nile

Congo River

Zambezi River

• 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 Africa’s interior and the sea.

These make travel difficult!

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

Like a giant snake, the Nile River slithers through some of the driest desert on earth to form a narrow, green valley

• People have farmed the land around the Nile for thousands of years.

• Ancient Egypt could not have existed without the great river.

• 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.

• 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.

Controlling the Flooding

• In the 1960s, Egypt’s 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.

Aswan High Dam

Lake Nasser(the dam is at the top of the

photo)

• 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.

The Congo River• Flows through the

Central African rain forests.

• Africa’s second -longest river, 2,900 miles.

• Fed by hundreds of tributaries.

• Agriculture and fishing are along this river.

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.

The Zambezi River

• Africa’s 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.

• 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

Victoria Falls

What are the names of Africa’sfour major rivers?

• The Nile

• The Congo

• The Niger

• The Zambezi

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.

CLIMATE & VEGETATION

What do you think Africa’s climate is like?

Hot??? Dry???

Although many people sometimes think of Africa as a hot place, not all parts of it are.

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.

Mirrored Climate Patterns

The equator in the middle of Africa provides similar

“mirrored” climate patterns

on both the north and south sides.

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

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.

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 place’s seasons.

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!

The Role of Elevation

• Elevation is the height of land above sea level.

• The higher the elevation, the cooler a place tends to be.

How can there be snow at the equator?

It’s all about the elevation!

• Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak, is located close to the equator.

• It is covered by ice and snow year-round.

Let’s compare the climates of Ethiopia and 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.

Ethiopia Somalia

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.

Think about it. . .

What climate is common in Africa along the equator?

Tropical wet

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.

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.

How does elevation affect climate?

The higher the elevation, or distance above sea level, the cooler a place

tends to be!

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

Tropical Rain Forests

• Located in parts of West and Central Africa

• Plentiful rainfall throughout the year

• Occupations include agriculture, fishing, hunting, and harvesting timber

Tropical Savannas

• The most common vegetation in Africa

• Has tall grasses, thorny bushes, and scattered trees

• Home to large herds of animals

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

Deserts in Africa

There are three major deserts:

• The Sahara

• The Namib

• The Kalahari

The Mighty Sahara

The Sahara

• The largest desert in Africa

• Covers part or all of eleven African countries

• Large enough to hold the United States

The fennec fox, the world’s smallest fox, lives in the Sahara.

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

The Kalahari Desert

• Located in southern Africa

• Tends to be cold and rocky

• Large parts are covered in scrub and small bushes

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

Living in the Desert

Desert Nomads

• Few people live in Africa’s deserts, except nomads

• Nomads – people who have no permanent homes

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

Types of Agricultural Use

• Much of Africa’s land is used for subsistence farming, or raising just enough crops to support one’s family.

• Some farmers grow cash crops, crops that are raised for sale. Examples include coffee, cacao beans, and tea.

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 family’s 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.

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.

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.

Africa’s Natural Resources

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.

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 Africa’s natural resources?

Petroleum, gold, diamonds, copper, silver, uranium, and titanium.