Transcript Africa * 1914 and 1990*s Desertification Political: Organization of

Africa
Countries as ranked by GDP
South Africa
Countries as ranked by Land Size
Democratic Republic of Congo
Sudan
Chad
Mozambique
Madagascar
Countries as ranked by population
Nigeria
Ethiopia
Democratic Republic of Congo
Tanzania
Kenya
Physical Characteristics
Continent composed of a huge
plateau and escarpments
Called _______ in S. Africa
 High Veldt
River transportation impeded by
waterfalls and rapids
Where? Near what major land
feature? (Think 6000 miles)
Location of equator through
the middle of the region;
similar climate patterns north
and south of the equator.
Called….
“bands of symmetry”
Smooth coastline; few harbors
Large number of landlocked states:
Chad-Zimbabwe-Botswana
Storehouse of mineral wealth
Limited fertility of rainforest soils
Deserts: Kalahari, Namib, and
Sahara
Mount Kilimanjaro
A volcanic mountain
Africa’s highest
Cataracts: waterfalls
Aquifers:
Huge stores of
underground water
Oasis:
Springs and aquifers
feed these spots of
vegetation and
wildlife amidst the
desert.
What region of Africa receives the
most rain?
Central Africa
Why?
What vegetation covers most of Africa?
Grasslands
aka Savannahs
Bodies of Water
Nile river:
longest river
in the world.
The Blue and
White Nile
Rivers flow
from central
Africa,
converging at
Khartoum
and flowing
to the
Mediterranean
Sea.
Zambezi river: flows to the Indian Ocean
and contains the world’s biggest waterfall
•Zambezi River – waterpower-fast flowing rivers
are excellent to harness for hydroelectricity
Victoria Falls: Constant rainbow from the
spray
Niger river: principal river in Western Africaflows away from the sea through the Sahara
Desert then boomerangs towards the Gulf of
Guinea.
Congo river: largest river in central Africa starts in the highlands of the East African rift
and flows to the Atlantic Ocean
Red Sea: an inlet of the Indian Ocean between Africa and Asia
- helps create the Arabian and Sinai
Peninsulas- at the northern end is the Suez
canal that connects to the Mediterranean Sea.
Lake Victoria: feeds the White Nile and lies on
an elevated plateau in the western part of
Africa's Great Rift Valley - subject to
territorial administration by Tanzania,
Uganda and Kenya.
Lake Tanganyika: divided between four
countries – Burundi, Democratic Republic of the
Congo (DRC), Tanzania, and Zambia water flows
into the Congo River system - Atlantic Ocean.
Oceans: Atlantic and Indian
Confluence sites: two rivers come together to
form a third river
o Khartoum, Sudan: the Blue Nile and the White Nile come
together to form the Nile
Boundaries: Africa – 1914
Desertification: expanding deserts
 This man attempts to repair barriers that will hold back
advancing sand dunes in Niger.
Political: Organization of African Unity
to promote the unity and solidarity
of the African States/act as a
collective voice for the continent.
Also dedicated to ending colonialism
and to aid independence movements.
headquarters were established at
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Economic Characteristics
 Agriculture is the primary economic activity
 Subsistence farming: just enough for family
or tribe
 Nomadic Herding: grazing animals in
grasslands
 Slash and burn agriculture: see Latin America
 Plantation agriculture: see Latin America
 Cash crops and food crops: see Latin America
Economic Characteristics
 Poorly developed infrastructure: few good roads, etc.
 Large number of landlocked states
 Substantial mineral wealth: diamonds, gold (S. Africa),
alloys
 Major exporters of raw materials
 Wide range of per capita income: very poor or fairly rich
 Productivity that lags behind population growth
 Desertification: expanding deserts
Demographics that are typical of
developing countries
1. Low per capita GDP
2. Low life expectancy
3. High population growth rate
4. High infant mortality
5. Large percentage of the population
under the age of 15
6. Low literacy rates
Why does oil rich Angola have such
a poor public infrastructure?
Oil money has been spent
on a protracted civil war.
What are two profitable
commodities besides oil?
Coffee and lumber
Cities as centers of culture and trade
Lagos: port city on the Atlantic
coast of Nigeria
Dakar: capital city of Senegallocated on the Cape Verde Peninsula
along the West African coast.
Johannesburg; largest and
most populous city in South
Africa - center of world
diamond and gold trade.
Cultural Characteristics
Uneven population distribution
Many ethnic groups, languages and customs
Large numbers of refugees (esp. in E. Africa)
Few cities with population over 1 mil
Knowledge of history through oral tradition
Ethnic differences:
oRwanda and Burundi: Hutus
and Tutsis Tribes have
been in conflict for a long
time.
Reasons for conflict:
oSudan: For years conflicts
have erupted between rival
tribes and sometimes between
religious factions. Currently,
the Muslims in Darfur are
being persecuted.
Country names related to historical
empires:
oMali, Timbuktu was a key city in
these empires as an outpost for
trans-Saharan trade and a center for
scholarship. The Songhai Empire
declined after a Moroccan invasion in
1591.
oGhana, Upon achieving independence
from the United Kingdom in 1957,
the name Ghana was chosen for the
new nation to reflect the ancient
Empire of Ghana that once extended
throughout much of west of Africa.
The name Zimbabwe derives from
"Zimba Remabwe" meaning "big
house of stone" in the Shona
language. The name Zimbabwe is
a tribute to Great Zimbabwe, site
of the capital of the
Munhumutapa Empire.
Diversity of Africans reflected
in cultural heritage
Masks:
represent spirits.
Sculpture
Dance
 African style dancing encompasses heavy drum
beats, frisky, energetic movement.
 Much of these elements have influenced Hiphop and is still evident in modern times
Music
 Sub-Saharan music has as its special feature a
rhythmic music that has spread to other regions,
especially to the Americas. Contributed to salsa,
jazz, and rock-n-roll.
Colorful dress
Can often identify tribal or ancestral roots.
Jewelry
Cultural Landscape
 Markets
 Churches
 Mosques, minarets: reflect the growth of Islam in Africa
 Villages
 Modern city cores
Cote d’ Ivoire: the Ivory Coast
limited natural resources,
cash crops in exchange for
manufactured goods.
Trans-Sahara trade: early caravan
trade routes through Western Africa.
Cape town, South Africa: Supply Station
for ships sailing around Africa.
The End.