longest river largest desert abundant natural resources general facts
TRANSCRIPT
• Longest river • largest desert • abundant natural
resources
General Facts
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAsqAQlywZA&feature=em-share_video_user
Plate Tectonics creates Great Rift Valley in East Africa
Coasts = narrow plains/ escarpments.
Much of Africa a series of plateaus/highlands.
NW Africa=“Maghreb” (Arabic for “West”). Fertile soil found here.
Northern plateau contains Sahara Desert- worlds largest-covers 30% of Africa
Dry semi-arid scrubland.
Southern edge of Sahara.
Home to nomadic tribesman.
Desertification! Causes?
Woodlands/
Grasslands
West to East south of Equator
South Africa’s
Atlantic Coast
Annual Rainfall of 20-60 in/year
Serengeti Plain- home to Africa’s Wildlife Parks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PMdd2NNm3M&feature=em-share_video_user
World’s largest?.
West Africa thru the DR Congo
70-80 in. rain/year. Avg temp over 80 deg.
Prolific biodiversity (vegetation and animals)
Gorillas, snakes, flying squirrels, monkeys
People in Congo forced to hide here during wartime- many die from lack of food/disease
Highlands of Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, Djibouti (serves as port for US Navy)
Ample rainfall, cool climate, rich soil
Ancient Greeks:
“Favorite Earthly Residence of the Gods”
Horn being pulled from rest of Africa by Plate Tectonics.
Land/water fills in the crack, called the Great Rift Valley.
Today known more ethnic warfare/drought/famine “USA for Africa”/ “Black Hawk Down”
Vast plateau surrounded by coastal strip.
2 Deserts- Kalahari and Namib-get less than 5 inches of rain/year.
Cold area during winter (M-J-July) Which type of desert?
Vegetation: forests, grasslands, and scrublands.
Wildlife: hyenas, antelopes, cheetahs, crocodiles
Historically important for communication and trade.
3 major river basins
1. Nile River- World’s longest! (4,100 miles). Over 90% of Egypt’s people live w/in 10 miles.
2. Niger River-2,600 miles. Flows thru rain forests of West Africa, center of ancient kingdoms.
3. Congo River-3,000 miles. Tropical forest area of central Africa.
Africa’s rivers make 40% of world’s hydroelectric power!!
Algeria, Angola, Gabon, Libya, Nigeria.
South Africa mines 40% of world’s gold and platinum
Angola, Botswana, C.A.R., D.R.C., Ghana, Namibia, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tazania
Botswana,DRC, South Africa, Zambia
Botswana, South Africa, Zimbabwe
DRC, CAR Gabon, Namibia, Niger, South Africa
D.R.C- make cell phones/Play Station
Steven Decatur- Barbary Pirates –1803
Liberia- Abolitionist/Back to Africa Movement
“USA for Africa” –Ethiopia famine 1984
Somalia-1993 “Black Hawk Down” Current day Pirates
Assist Libyans to overthrow Dictator Khadafi 2011
US troops hunt for Joseph Kony(LRA)
$4.3B US aid to Africa (24% of all US aid money)-most to emergency food and HIV drugs…not to economic
development
(Egypt- 1.55B Kenya-437M Ethiopia-474M Liberia-102M)
Only 30% of people live in cities of more than 20,000. Africa is a Rural Continent.
71% of Africa’s people are under age 25
Africa’s growth rate in cities 3.5%
Most populous city is Lagos, Nigeria at 16.9 million
Most populous nation Nigeria with 131 million
15 million refugees-3.3million who flee b/c of war, 12 million who are internally displaced
Only 19 of 53 nations are considered Democratic
66% of the people are dependant on farming
50% of Africans live on less than $1 a day
Richest nation: Equatorial Guinea, PCI $36,000
32 nations classified by World Bank as “heavily indebted”
In Sub-Saharan Africa, only 45% of rural peoples have access to clean drinking water
102 of 1,000 infants die before age 1 in Sub-Saharan Africa (33 in North Africa)
Average life expectancy 46 Sub-Sahara, 67 North Africa (Zimbabwe 37 men, 34 women)
AIDS/HIV kills over 2 million per year
Literacy rates: Average is 60% - Seychelles (island nation) 92%Burkina Faso 12%