Transcript Physical Geography of Africa – The Land

Physical Geography of
Africa – The Land
20-1
Landforms
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Continent of plateaus
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series of plateaus rise from W to E
escarpments – steep cliffs separating
plateaus
highest and broadest in SE
continent with highest overall elevation
Landforms
Mts. and Highlands
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Atlas Mts. – NW
Ethopian Highlands – S. of Sahara & E.
down to S. Africa
Drakensberg Mts. – SE
Ruwenzori Mts. – Central & E. Africa
Mt. Kenya & Kilimanjaro highest – 19,340
ft.
Ruwenzori
Mts.
Mt.
Kenya
Mt.
Kilimanjaro
Drakensberg Mts.
Drakensberg Mts.
Mt. Kilimanjaro
Landforms
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Great Rift Valley
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natural wonder
Jordan River to Zambezi R. in Zimbabwe
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trench 3,500 mi. long
believed to have been caused by Pangea
split
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Africa had volcanic activity as result
Great Rift Valley
Water Systems
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Chain of Lakes
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Lake Victoria – 2nd largest freshwater
lake, Central & E.
Lake Tanganyika – 420 mi. long – longest
freshwater lake
Lake Malawi – many fish species, S & E
Lake Chad – created by dam near Chad
Lake
Malawi
Lake Malawi
Water Systems
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Rivers and Basins
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Nile – N. Africa with tributary from Lake
Victoria
Congo – longest S. of Sahara, 2,700 mi.
long, crosses equator south
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10 million gal. per sec.
Niger – empties into Atlantic Ocean
Zambezi – empties into Indian Ocean
Niger River
Zambezi River
Physical Geography of
Africa – The Climates
and Vegetation
20-2
Deserts and semi-desert
Covers 2/5 of Africa
 Namib Desert – coast of Namibia, SW
 Kalahari Desert – Southern plateau,
covers most of Botswana
 vegetation – cactus, shrubs
 temps vary from 120°-50°F
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PBS Website on Africa’s Climates and Vegetation
Kalahari and Namib Desert
Kalahari Desert - family
Namib Desert
Desert Oases
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Okavango – river
that empties into
Kalahari Desert
Called “the Delta”
Angola
Namibia
Botswana
Desert Oases
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Okavango – river
that empties into
Kalahari Desert
Called “the Delta”
The Sahel
Steppe grasslands – wide grassy
plains
 Seasons – long dry one, short wet one
 Less water in recent years – caused
by drought
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Problems – famine, death, migration
The Sahel
Tropical Savanna
vegetation – grassland and scattered
trees
 rainfall – 30-60 in. per year
 elephant grass – grows 15 ft. or taller
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Tropical Rainforests
cover 8% of Africa
 located near equator
 Rains daily
 poor farmland
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Soil gets leached – nutrients washed
away
products from rainforest
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Cocoa – chocolate
Rubber
Palm oil
lumber
Cocoa
Moderate climates
highlands of Kenya
 southern tip – S. Africa
 three characteristics of location of
population
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Fertile soil
Adequate rain
Favorable climate