sahara adn sahel study guide key

8/8/2019 Sahara adn Sahel Study Guide Key

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STUDY GUIDE

Sahara and Sahel regions Test

Objective Notes

I can locate thefollowing physical

features by:

Relative location= Subregion

it is located in and its location

relative to nearby major

physical features (i.e. AtlasMountains are in the Northern

region of Africa, East of theAtlantic Ocean.)

Absolute location= I can use

latitude and longitude to

locate a physical feature on a

map.

Physical Features I can Locate:

Kalahari and Sahara Deserts

Kalahari- Southern Africa region, south of the Congo Basin

Sahara Desert-Northern Africa region, North of the Sahel region

Atlas Mountains and Mt. Kilimanjaro

Atlas Mountains-Northern Africa region, East of Atlantic Ocean

Mt. Kilimanjaro-Eastern Africa region, South of the Ethiopian Highlands

Niger and Nile rivers

Niger River- South of Sahara Desert, feeds into Atlantic Ocean

Nile River-West of Ethiopian Highlands, flows into Mediterranean Sea

Meditteranean Sea, Atlantic Ocean, Red Sea

-Congo Basin-Central Africa

I can describe four

geographiccharacteristics of eachsubregion of Africa.

North: West

-Sahara Desert -mostly Dry, grassland plains-Dry climate -Arid/Semi Arid (north)-mostly Desert vegetation w/ broadleaf &Tropical Wet/Dry (Equator

green forest around Nile -tropical grassland vegetation

-oil is a key resource -oil is key resource

Central and South: East:

-Tropical wet near Equator -Arid/Semiaridchanges to semiarid southward -Ethiopian Highlands/Mt. Kili.

-Broadleaf evergreen forest near Congo -Nomadic Herding &

-Congo Basin and Kalahari Desert Subsistence farming

-Diamonds, Gold, Manufacturing


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I can identify where the

Sahara Desert, Sahel,and Oases environments

are located in Northern

Africa

Sahara Desert Oases

Sahel grasslandsI can identify two major

environmentalchallenges of the Sahara,

Sahel and Oases

environments

Environmental challenges of Sahara Desert:

1.Sandstorms- strong winds stir up enormous dark clouds of dust and sandfrom the desert floor.

2.Unpredictable rainfall and temperatures-may rain three inches in onespot, while nearby nothing falls. Soaring above 100 degress F during day

and below freezing at night.

3.Flash floods-carry away rocks, people and even vehicles.

Environmental challenges of Sahel Desert:

1.Drought-long periods with little to no rainfall

2.Marginal Land for usage- land that is not well suited for growing crops

and therefore, life.

3.Desertification- process by which land becomes more and more dry until

it turns into desert. May be a result of climate chance, human activity, orboth.

Environmental challenges of Oases:

1.Farmers struggle against the harsh desert environment

2.Limited available water


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I can explain two ways

for how technology hasimproved trade in

Northern Africa

1.Satellite phones to keep in touch with customers

2.Drilling machines cut through rock to locate underground water

3.Trucks and planes improve transportation and for bringing people and

goods between oases.

I can identify and

explain the importanceof dates in an Oases

environment.

Date Palms are extremely useful; Its fruit, the date, is eaten fresh or dried.

Its trunk and leaves are used as building materials, and the fiber from itsbark is twisted together to make rope. Date pits, or seeds are burned as fuel

or fed to animals.

I can explain the

significance of an Oases

in a desert Environment

An Oases provides relief for those who live in the arid Sahara region, as it

has fresh water and therefore vegetation (plants.) among a vast, dry area of

desert. It is a place for nomadic clans to stop, trade, and get water.

I can describe two wayshuman modifications

made to the Sahel

Environment havecaused environmental

stress and can propose

two solutions.

Human modification #1 and way it has caused environmental stress:

-One modification is the use of cash crops: these are goods produced to

make profit (opposite of subsistence farming.) It depletes the environment

because of its wear on the soil, since so much is grown at one time and doesnot suit the land better than raising traditional crops.

Solution #1: Begin to be more knowledgeable of the land; grow traditional

crops that are still valuable, and won't deplete the land as fast or as much.Return to more subsistence farming, where you raise enough crops to

support yourself and family.


-Another modification could be cutting down trees for things such asfirewood. This depletes the land because it causes deforestation which

eventually leads to desertification of the land.

Solution for #2:- A solution could be to switch to alternative resources to burn, such as coal,

which cuts down on deforestation. Also engaging in organizations that

plant trees for every one cut down.


-Another modification is how some nomads have increased the size of theirherds so that they have a surplus of animals to sell for cash. This leads to

environmental stress as it results in too many animals on limited grazing

land. Loss of vegetation from overgrazing (because its destroying theland's cover) may also contribute to soild erosion and thus desertification.


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Solution for #3: A solution would be to decrease herd sizes; this would

mean less wear and tear on the land; raising livestock is definitely a way oflife for people, but too many is very destructive to the land.

I can give a definition for

pastoral nomads andidentify two ways they

are successful in

Northern Africa.

Definition: groups of herders who move with their animals from place to

place in search of pasture and water.

Reason #1: They travel in smaller clans (100 or less); this helps for

traveling purposes as well as sharing resources and food when they reachOases.

Reason #2: They are better able to practice Agriculture Shifting, which is

using the land and abandoning it after a couple years in order to let it

revive; nomads are extremely adept to packing and moving.

sahara adn sahel study guide key

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