Transcript File

Sub-Sahara
Africa: The Land
Highland Features
• Plateaus make a series of steps
make up most of Africa
• Edges of plateaus are
escarpments (cliffs)
–Most are <20 miles from coast (Map
on p. 501)
–Hard to travel inland from coast (bad
for exploration)
Highland Features
• Rivers plunge
down
escarpments
making
cataracts
(waterfalls)
Victoria Falls; b/w Zambia & Zimbabwe
Highland Features
• Africa has highest overall elevation
than any other continent…
• But still few mountains
• Mts. included in Eastern highlands
–Ethiopian Highlands, and volcanoes
Mt. Kilimanjaro and Mt. Kenya
Mt. Kilimanjaro
19,330 ft; in
Tanzania
Highest FreeStanding
Mountain in the
world
Mt. Kenya
17,057 ft; in Kenya
Mt. Kenya
Highland features
• Ruwenzori Mts.
–Divide Uganda & Dem. Rep. of
the Congo
–Covered in snow and clouds
• Drakensberg Range
–South Africa
–Lots of national parks, wetlands
Ruwenzori Mts.; 16,761 ft.
Ice Cap on Mount
Margherita….Africa’s 3rd
tallest mountain
Drakensberg Range; 11,420 ft.
- “Barrier of Spears” in Zulu
Tugela Falls
World’s 2nd
tallest
waterfall
• 1. Notes:
•
•
•
•
1
– Africa is one giant plateau w/ coastal
lowlands, elevation raises as you go inland.
– Africa has high elevation, but few mountains
2. Define Escarpment.
3. Define Cataracts
4. What is the significance of
Mt. Kilimanjaro?
5. Describe the relative location of
Mt. Kilimanjaro and the
Drakensberg Range
Great Rift Valley
• Stretches from Syria to
Mozambique
• Formed by shifting tectonic
plates (what kind??) millions of
yrs. ago
–Volcanoes & earthquakes
continue to shape region
TODAY
Red Sea
Great Rift Valley
• Forms two branches
–Eastern branch = volcanic cones
–Western branch= lakes
• Lake Tanganyika (2nd lgst.
freshwater & 2nd deepest in world)
• Lake Malawi (mt. rimmed, >2,300
feet deep)
• Lake Victoria (2nd widest in world,
but shallow; source of White Nile)
Lake Malawi
Lake Tanganyika
Lake Victoria
The
African
Great
Lakes
2
• 6. Describe the relative location
of the Great Rift Valley.
• 7. What type of plate movements
(plate boundaries) caused this?
– Name and Describe the boundary
• 8. NOTES: Great Rift Valley caused
Lake Tanganyika (2nd deepest in
World), Lake Malawi, & Lake Victoria
(2nd Widest in World).
• 9. What makes Lake Volta different
from the lakes above? What kind of
power does it provide? For what
country?
Water Systems
• Lakes & rivers come from
basins formed millions of yrs.
ago as land uplifted
• Travel from plateaus in center
of cont. to the sea
– Hit escarpments  waterfalls
 near impossible to navigate
inland/ up river
3
• 10. The 3 pictures show different
characteristics of African Rivers
• Describe each picture in 10
words.
• 11. Describe what it would be
like to try to navigate these
rivers. What are the problems of
each river?
Water Systems
• Lake Chad:
–West-central Africa
• 20 mil. ppl in 4 countries depend on it
–Faces desertification (droughts +
natural climate)
• So shallow, affected greatly by climate
Δs
• 1960s = 26,000 km²; 2000= 1,500 km²
4
12. What Lake is picture above? 13. Describe the problem that is occurring
above. 14. What do you think could be causing this? 15. What are some ways
that you could help fix the problem?
Water Systems
• Lake Volta:
–Man-made (1 of lgst. in world)
–Flooded 700 villages & displaced
70,000 to create
–Used for irrigation, fishing,
hydroelectric power (Akosombo
Dam) for major aluminum plant and
ppl of Ghana
Akosombo Dam (creates Lake Volta)
Water Systems
• Niger River:
–“great river” main artery in W. Africa
– 2,600 miles long (3rd in Africa)
• Forms arc across 5 countries
–Vital for irrigation & transportation
–Splits into Niger Delta in Nigeria (150
X 200 miles)
5
• 16. Identify the primary
country that the following
rivers flow through: the
Niger River, Zambezi
River, and Congo River
• 17. NOTES: The Congo
River is one of the only
navigable rivers in Africa.
• 18. Define Navigable
• 19. Considering there are
very few navigable rivers
in Africa, describe the
shipping industry in Africa.
6
• 20. Describe the top
picture. What do you
think this is a picture
of?
21. SHORT ANSWER: Africa has
plenty of resources
(oil, diamonds, gold, and water).
However, the continent is
less developed and the countries’
economies are poor. Why do you
think this could happen?
Water Systems
• Zambezi River:
–Many waterfalls (Victoria Falls- 355
foot drop– 2X size of Niagra)
• Congo River:
–Meets sea at deep, navigable
estuary (only one in Africa)
–Largest network of navigable water
in Africa
–But still has major waterfalls &
rapids
Zambezi River
Victoria Falls
Congo River- 2nd longest
7 22. Explain the
difference between the
Sahara and Sahel.
• 23. Is the desert
becoming smaller? is
it increasing in size?
24. What are some
reasons for this
occurrence?
25. What can people do to
help the issue?
Physical Barriers
• Sahara prevents travel from North
Africa to South/Central Africa
• Western deltas were treacherous
to sail inland
• Eastern highlands made travel
inland difficult (cliffs)
–Europeans controlled coastal trade
and Africans controlled inland trade
Natural Resources
• Mineral resources are abundant
–Plentiful oil reserves
–Various metals across region
–S. Africa has ½ world’s gold, also
found elsewhere
–Major diamond deposits
Natural Resources
• Water is ABUNDANT
• The problem lies with harnessing
power (physical & financial problems)
– Congo River- More potential
hydroelectric power than U.S.
– Africa hold’s 25% of the world’s potential
for hydroelectricity, but uses less than
10% of it.
• More development is occurring
– Kenya installed 20,000 rural solar power
systems from 86-96
Climate Review
Ch 20.2
Climate & Vegetation
• Match the location
with its correct climate
region:
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Sahel
South Africa
Kalahari
Congo
Sahara
Serengeti Plain
Namib
– Desert
– Steppe
– Savanna
– Moderate
– Rainforest
Climate & Vegetation
• How can heavy rains be
detrimental to farming in the
tropics?
• Name 3 factors leading to the
desertification of the Sahel.
Farming for the Future
Simulation
In your Spiral
• How did the Impact Cards change your
situation as a subsistence farmer?
• What do you think would have happened if
this cycle of low food production and
malnutrition were to continue for several
years?
• What are structural solutions to the issues
of hunger and food security?