Transcript African Geography

A Satellite View
Africa’s Size
4600
MILES
5
0
0
0
M
I
L
E
S
# Second largest continent  11,700,000 sq. mi.
# 10% of the world’s population.
# 2 ½ times the size of the U. S.
Mediterranean Sea
Bodies
Nile River
Of
L. Chad-->
Water
L. Albert-->
L. Victoria
L. Tanganyika->
Indian Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
Zambezi River
Limpopo River
Orange River
Pacific Ocean
The Mighty Nile River:
“Longest River in the World”
The Congo River Basin
# Covers 12% of the
continent.
# Extends over 9
countries.
# 2,720 miles long.
# 99% of the country
of Zaire is in the
Congo River basin.
The Niger River Basin
# Covers 7.5% of the continent.
# Extends over 10 countries.
# 2,600 miles long.
River Basin
• A river basin is an extent or area of land where surface
water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a
single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the
waters join another water body, such as a river, lake, sea,
or ocean.
• The drainage basin acts as a funnel by collecting all the
water within the area covered by the basin and
channeling it to a single point
Hydroelectric Power
Mountains
&
Peaks
Δ Mt. Kenya
Δ Mt. Kilimanjaro
Libyan Desert
Deserts
Sahara Desert
Sahel
The Sahara Desert
The Sahel
Desertification
-The process by which fertile land becomes
desert, typically as a result of drought,
deforestation, or inappropriate agriculture
Lake Chad
Seismic Activity in Africa
Africa:
The
“Tropical”
Continent
Tropic of Cancer
20° N
Equator 0°
Tropic of Capricorn
20° S
West Africa:
Home of our Hurricanes
Climate Zones
The African Savannah:
13 million sq. mi.
African Rain Forest
# Annual rainfall of up to 17 ft.
# Rapid decomposition (very humid).
# Covers 37 countries.
# 15% of the land surface of Africa.
Mt. Kilimanjaro:
Snow on the Equator?
Mediterranean Sea
The
Libyan Desert
Tropic of Cancer
20° N
Sahara Desert
Complete
Topography
Sahel
Nile River
L. Chad-->
Equator 0°
L. Albert-->
Δ Mt. Kenya
L. Victoria
Of
AFRICA
Δ Mt. Kilimanjaro
L. Tanganyika->
Indian
Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
Zambezi River
Tropic of Capricorn
20° S
Limpopo River
Orange River
Pacific Ocean
Natural Resources
Minerals of Africa
Natural Resources
Population Density
Religions of Africa
Traditional
African Religion
Islam
Christianity
Religions of Africa
Languages of Africa
Nigeria:
• Problems:
• Population boom (7th largest in world), poor healthcare,
living conditions, and sanitation, lack of clean drinking
water, poor education system
• Federal Constitutional Republic
• 36 states
• Two branches (President and Two House Legislature
• East & Central Africa’s biggest economy
• Mixed economy (liberal market)
• Emerging market
• 37th largest economy in world
• Oil rich nation
• Minerals, Agriculture, Telecommunications,
Financial services, and manufacturing
Kenya:
• Problems:
• Poor infrastructure, boom & bust economy, starvation,
illiteracy, border attacks, poor leadership, and lack of
healthcare
• Presidential representative democratic republic
• Three branches and multi-party system
• East & Central Africa’s biggest economy
• Mixed economy (liberal market)
• Eco-tourism (govt. preserves
lands to promote tourism to
boost economy)
• Agriculture 75% and
Industry 16%
Ethiopia:
• Federal Parliamentary Republic
• Prime Minister & two chamber parliament
• Recent argument they are authoritarian
• Fastest growing non-oil dependent African nation
• 2nd largest population in Africa (biggest in east Africa)
• 1980’s and 2010 severe drought and crop loss = famine
Somalia:
• Since the 1991 civil war there has been no central govt.
or govt. control over territory
• Transitional Federal Gov’t, controls tiny portion
• Considered a failed state
• One of the poorest and violent nations in world
• U.S. and U.N. intervene with aide
• Informal economy based on
livestock and agriculture
Democratic Republic of the Congo (Zaire):
• Semi-presidential Republic
• 1st Congo Civil War (1996-1997)
• 2nd Congo Civil War (1998-2003)
• Richest nation in world in natural
resources
• Among the poorest nations in world
(2nd lowest world GDP)
• Facts:
• 2nd largest nation in area in Africa (11th in world)
• 4th most populated nation ion Africa (18th in world)
• formerly, in chronological order, the Congo Free State, Belgian
Congo, Congo-Léopoldville, Congo-Kinshasa, and Zaire