The Physical Features of Africa

Chapter 19, Section 1

Setting the Scene

Africa is gigantic. It is 3 times the size of the U.S. and it contains about 1/5th of the world’s land.

Africa is also one of the most diverse places on the earth; containing harsh deserts, huge jungles, grasslands, giant mountains and deep rifts.

Africa’s Contrasting Geography• Africa can be divided

into 4 regions:– The North

– The West

– The East

– Central and Southern

• Each of these regions contains many different physical features and climates.

Africa’s Contrasting Geography• North Africa contains

rocky mountains and the Sahara Desert, which is the largest in the world. It is about the size of the U.S.

• West Africa is the continent’s most populated region. It consists mostly of grasslands and the soil there is good for farming.

Farmers in the Fouta Djallon region.

Africa’s Contrasting Geography• East Africa contains many

mountains and plateaus.– Plateaus are large raised

areas of mostly flat land.

• Central and Southern Africa are very diverse regions. Though they are mostly grasslands, they also contain jungles, mountains and huge deserts like the Namib and the Kalahari.

Africa’s Major Landforms• Africa is called the

“plateau continent” because the elevation of much of the land is so high.

• Each of Africa’s four regions has mountains, but the highest are in East Africa.

• Mount Kilimanjaro is Africa’s tallest at 19,341 feet.

Africa’s Major Landforms• Much of Africa’s coast is a flat plain. In some places it

is sandy and in others it is rocky and marshy, but nearly everywhere it gives rise to an escarpment (steep cliff.)

• Think of Africa as an upside down pie pan. The edges are flat, but they quickly rise into a plateau.

Africa’s Contrasting Geography• The Great Rift Valley, in

East Africa, was formed millions of years ago when Pangaea pulled apart.– A rift is a deep trench.

• The rift cuts through 4,000 mile of east Africa and contains most of Africa’s major lakes.

The Rivers of Africa• Four major African rivers

carry water from the mountains to the sea: The Nile, Congo, Zambezi and Niger.

• Though they are useful for many purposes, it is impossible for ships to sail along Africa’s rivers from the interior to the sea because cataracts interrupt the flow.

• Cataracts are rock-filled rapids.

The Rivers of Africa

• Other transportation barriers include waterfalls.

• Transportation barriers are physical features that make it difficult to travel or transport goods from one region to another.

The Rivers of Africa• The Nile, at over 4,000

miles long, is the longest river in the world.

• The Nile River is located in northeastern Africa.

• The Nile greatly affects the lives of Africans, who have farmed the land around the river for thousands of years.

The Rivers of Africa• The Nile floods its banks

regularly and leaves behind a layer of fertile dirt called silt.

• Many crops can be planted in soil that is fertile.

• Farmers still plant their crops to match the flooding of the river.

• The Nile also provides hydroelectricity since the Aswan High Dam was built.

The Rivers of Africa• The Congo River runs

through the rain forest of the Congo, and is Africa’s second longest river. It is fed by hundreds of tributaries.– A tributary is a small river

or stream that flows into a larger river.

• People in this region depend on the Congo for fish and to plant Cassava – a potato-like crop.

Who’s eating who?

The Rivers of Africa• The Niger is the next

longest river. It runs its way across West Africa.

• The Zambezi River in Southern Africa plunges over Victoria falls and eventually empties into the Indian Ocean.

Humans and the Physical Environment

Chapter 19, Section 2

Africa’s Climate• Most of Africa lies

between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, which means that most of Africa is in a tropical climate region.

• Africa’s climate is mostly effected by its location near the equator, its elevation, its landforms and its relationship to large bodies of water.

Tropic of Capricorn

Tropic of Cancer

Africa’s Climate• The closer a place is to the

equator, the _________ it is.

• The higher a place is in elevation, the _________ it is.

• Ethiopia and Somalia are the same distance from the equator, but have very different climates because Ethiopia is on a high plateau.

Africa’s Climate• Ethiopia has much more

mild weather where crops like bananas, coffee and dates can grow.

• Because Ethiopia usually gets plenty of rain, most farmers do not have to irrigate (to artificially water crops.)

• Because Somalia is low, it is hot and dry, and crops can only be grown near an oasis (desert spring.)

Adapting to the Land

• The tropical rain forests of Africa used to be much larger, but have shrunk due to a warming climate.

• People have also cleared much of the forest to farm. Without the tree roots to keep the soil in place, many of the nutrients wash away and the area becomes desert.

Africa’s Climate• Most of the land at the

edges of the rain forest is savanna.

• The savanna is a region of tall grasses, thorny bushes and scattered trees.

• The climate there is tropical and has both a wet and a dry season. During the dry season, farming is impossible.

Adapting to the Land• Many of the people that live in the deserts of Africa are

nomads.• Nomads make their living by traveling through the desert

looking for water and food for their herds.• Some nomads are traders and others hunt game or

gather food. Most herd goats, camels or sheep.