Transcript Climate and Diversity

Climate and Diversity Notes
Climate of Africa
• General Facts:
– Africa is the most tropical of all the
continents
– Temperatures are mostly warm/hot
– Rainfall varies from place to place
• It is the rain that determines the climate in Africa
Point to Ponder:
Why does rain or lack of rain matter to a group
of people or a region and/or
place?
Latitude and Longitude
• The Equator runs through the
middle of Africa
– 80% of Africa is the tropics
– Tropics- the area between the
Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of
Capricorn
• Climates are generally warm
throughout the year
• Using the Room:
– Looking at the posters on the
opposite wall can you see a
connection between climate and
culture?
What does the map show?
What can we assume about the areas of the world in-between the red lines?
Latitude and Longitude
• The coolest regions are found in the
highlands of Africa
– The higher you go (elevation) the cooler it
gets
• Ex:
– Accra, Ghana is on the West African Coast
• Hot, humid weather with temps in the 80’s
– Nairobi, Kenya is at the same latitude but
5,300 feet above sea level
• Temps are in the 60’s and 70’s
• Elevation causes this to occur
Ghana
Kenya
Rainfall
• Major feature is the alternating wet and
dry seasons in Africa
• It varies (changes) North and South of
the Equator
– When it rains in the South the North is Dry
– When it rains in the North the South is Dry
• Rain fall is uneven and sporadic
– May be less than an inch in the desert areas
– May be more than 80 inches near the
Equator
• 80 inches equals 6 ½ feet
Climate Zones
• Climate- average weather of a place over
a period of 20-30 years
• Africa has four major climate zones:
– Tropical Wet
– Tropical Wet and Dry
– Desert
– Moderate Mediterranean
What would you guess the features of these
zones might be?
Tropical Wet Climate Region
• Rain forest are located in the
wet tropical climate regions
– Cover about 8% of Africa
• From Guinea on the West Coast
to the Great Rift Valley (See
page 61)
• High temps and lots of rain
promote lots of plants and trees
– Thousands of birds and animals
live here
• Leaching- washing away of
nutrients in the soil
– Destroys the soil and makes it
unsuitable for farming
Tropical Wet Climate Region
• Problems with this area:
– Disease carrying insects breed in pools of
water
– Termites attack wooden buildings
– Dampness causes clothes to become moldy
and rot
– Overcrowding cause people to want to clear
and permanently destroy rainforests
• Slash and Burn Farming
?? What is this and how is it done ??
Tropical Wet & Dry Climate
• This is the largest climate zone in Africa
• Savanna- a grassland
– Covers almost ½ of the continent
• Varies rainfall depending on where you are
– Closer to the Equator hot and wet conditions
– Outer edges of the Savanna are hot and semiarid
• People living are dependent on the rainfall
• Drought- periods of little or no rainfall
• Desertification- turning semiarid land into
desert by removing trees and grazing animals
• Major problem in Sahel- separates the
Savanna from the Sahara Desert in the North
What do you see in this picture?
Deserts
• Deserts cover about 40% of Africa
• They are:
– The Sahara- located in the North
• Sahara means “Desert” in Arabic
– The Kalahari- located in the South
– Namib- located in the South as well
• What are the normal features of a
Desert climate?
– List them in your notes
Sahara Desert
Kalahari
Namib
Sahara Desert
• The Sahara is larger than the continental
United States
• Temperatures can reach 130 Degrees (F)
• Less than 10 inches of rain per year
• A major part of the African trade network
– Connected North Africa and the Savanna
• Kalahari Desert
– Slightly wetter desert than Sahara
• Namib
– One of the driest places on Earth
– Main source of water is ocean mist
Mediterranean Climate Zone
• Along the Southern Tip
and Northern Coast
• Mild Mediterranean
Climate (like Los
Angeles)
– Mild Climate and Fertile
Soil
– Attracted French, Italian
and Spanish colonists to
the North Coast
– Dutch and British settled in
Southern Africa
South African Coast
Climate and Health
• Climate can lead to the cause of disease
• Mosquitoes – malaria
– Kills 1 million children each year
• Tsetse Fly- sleeping sickness
– Infects both people and livestock
• Other diseases:
– River Blindness- cause loss of sight
– Bilharzia- transmitted by snails (parasite)
• People get it from the water they wash or swim in
?? How can people stop/combat these diseases and their causes ??