Transcript Africa-chapter1

Africa
Chapter 1: Physical
Geography
Pg. 10 - 33
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Guiding Questions
1. Geography – What are the main physical
features of Africa?
5. Economics – What factors influence the ways
in which Africans make a living?
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Section 1
Land and Water
Pages 10 - 15
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Africa’s Regions and Landforms
North
West
Four Regions
East
Central/South
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The Four Regions
North Africa
West Africa
• Rocky mountains
• Sahara Desert – World’s largest desert
• Most populated
• Mostly grassland – Good for farming
• Many mountains
• Plateaus – large areas of mostly level land
Central/South
Africa
• Mostly grassland
• Rain forests and swamps
• Namib and Kalahari desert
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The Plateau Continent
• Much of Africa is made of
Plateaus
• Very high in elevation
–Height above sea level
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Mountains
• All four regions have mountains
• Highest Mts. In East Africa
–Mt. Kilimanjaro
• Tanzania
• Tallest Mt. – 19,341 feet
–Taller than 385 Holly Shelters
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The Great Rift Valley
• Located in East Africa
• On the edge of Mt. Kilimanjaro
• Formed millions of years ago – Continents
pulled apart
• Rift – deep trench
– 4000 miles long
– Most major lakes located here
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Africa’s Rivers
Nile
River
Niger
River
Four
large
rivers
Congo
River
Zambezi
River
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Nile River
• Longest River in the world
• 4000 miles long
– Twice as long as the Mississippi R.
– 2600 miles from Wilmington to LA
• Tributaries – rivers and streams that flow into a larger
river.
– Nile Tributaries
• White Nile
• Blue Nile
• Nile flows north to the Mediterranean Sea
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Farming Along the Nile
• Thousands of years
• Floods deposited silt
– Silt make soil fertile
– Rich in the substances that plants need to grow
• 1960s – Aswan High Dam
– Controlled flooding
– Created Lake Nasser
– Water from the dam helps
• Crops grow in the desert
• Produce electricity
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Congo River
• 2900 miles long
• Second longest in Africa
– Still more miles than
Wilmington to LA
• Fed by hundreds of
tributaries
• Economy
– Farmers grow yams and
cassava
– Many types of fish are
caught
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Niger River
• Starts in Guinea along western coast
• 3rd longest
– 2600 miles – still longer than Wilmington to LA
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Zambezi River
• Located in Southern Africa
• Forms boarder for 6 countries
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Angola
Zambia
Namibia
Botswana
Zimbabwe
Mozambique
• 2200 miles long
• Victoria Falls
–
–
Beautiful waterfalls
Major tourist destination
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Section 2
Climate and Vegetation
Pages 16-23
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What Influences Climate?
Key factors
•Distance from the Equator
•Elevation
•Proximity (how close or far) to
water
•Major Landforms
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Distance From the Equator
Equator runs right through Africa
Most of Africa has a tropical climate
Season in Africa are mismatched
North Africa
winter
South Africa
summer
North Africa
summer
South Africa
winter
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Role of Elevation
• Elevation = height above sea level
• Higher elevation – cooler temperature
• Elevations affect on climate
– Ethiopia – High plateau
• Mild temps and good rainfall
• Farmers grow lots of crops
– Somalia – Low elevation
• Dry and hot
• Farmers only grow near river or oasis
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Unpredictable Rainfall
• West Coast
– Wind brings moisture from ocean
– Average 100+ inches of rain per year
• Sahara and Namib deserts
– No rain for YEARS
• Farmers in dry regions plant multiple crops
– Hope one will grow
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Vegetation Regions of Africa
• Near the Equator = Rain forests
• On either side of rain forest = Savanna
– Region of tall grasses and scattered trees
• On either side of Savanna = Desert
– Sahara in the N
– Namib and Kalahari in the S
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Tropical Rain Forests
• West and Central Africa
– Covers almost 20% or 1/5 of continent
• Rain supports lots of life in RF
• Cacao grows here
– Plant to make chocolate
• Logging threatens the rain forest
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Tropical Savannas
• Most common in Africa
• Large herd animals – Think Lion King
• Two seasons
Dry
Wet
No Farming
Good Farming
Rivers dry up
Everything Green
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Deserts in Africa
• Sahara Desert
– Most of North Africa
– Almost as big as US
– Southern edge = Sahel
• Hot and dry
• 4-8 inches of rain per year
• Namib and Kalahari in S. Africa
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Desert Living
• Nomads – people with no permanent home
– Mostly herders
– Travel to find food and water
• Camels
– Store fat in their hump
– Can survive for days w/ no food or water
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Climate and Health
Sleeping Sickness
• 1/5 of Africa home to
Tsetse Fly
• Kills Cattle
• Puts Humans to sleep
• Ways to kill Tsetse
• Traps
• Sew into tents nets w/
poison
Malaria
• Spread by Mosquitoes
• Breed and thrive in
warm moist climates
• Problem in Africa S of
Sahara
• Ways to fight
• Protective clothing
• Insecticide
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Section 3
Resources and Land Use
Pages 26-30
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Agricultural Resources
• Most Africans farm
– Some have fertile land
– Some have poor soil or little rain
– Some lack land and tools
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Agricultural Resources Cont’d
Farming to Live
• Subsistence farming – Just enough crops to support family
• Varies by region
Crops for sale
• Cash Crops – crops raised for sale
• Coffee, Cacao, and Tea
• Cash crops fail = Food shortages
Harvesting trees
• Thousands of acres have been cut
• Some countries are planting more to replace
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Natural Resources
• Economy – System for
producing, distributing,
consuming, and owning goods
and services.
• Farming is important to Africa
• Mining is just as important
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Mining
Petroleum
• Used to make gas and oil
• West and north coast of Africa
Gold
• Ghana is leading exporter
• “Gold Coast”
Other important resources
• Copper, silver, uranium, titanium, and diamonds
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Improving Economic
Health
•Specialized Economy
–Dependant on one
thing
–Africa = Farming
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Strengthening Economies
• Africa wants to diversify – add variety
• Diverse economy is best
– One piece can fail
– Everything else can succeed
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Where does the Money Go?
• Foreign companies
– Mine Africa
– Take the profits
• Few factories
– Africa does not produce much
– No production = no money
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