Transcript 8/24/2015 African Geography

Geography of
Africa
An Introduction
Standards
• SSWH6 The student will describe the diverse
characteristics of early African societies before 1800 CE.
• e. Analyze the role of geography and the distribution of
resources played in the development of trans-Saharan trading
networks.
Physical Geography
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PHYSICAL FEATURES
Sahara Desert
smooth coastline
lack of navigable rivers
Great Rift Valley
high plateau
Fertile soil along the
Nile River encouraged
the rise of great
civilizations (ex. Egypt)
Physical Geography
• RESULT
• Groups are kept separate
• 800 different languages are
spoken in modern Africa
• Many geographic features
in Africa have prevented
contact, trade & unity
among peoples
• Many of these same
features limit European
knowledge of Africa “the
Dark Continent”
True desert spreads into
semi-arid regions
Problem: Desertification
Sahel Desert
(south Sahara)
malnutrition
starvation
poverty
Topography
• Deserts
– 40% of the land surface
of Africa
– slows cultural diffusion
- does not totally
prevent it
• Sahara -- North Africa
– Size of the U.S.
– majority is rock and
gravel
• Kalahari--Southwest Africa
Sahara Desert
Desertification - Causes
• Farmers use semi-arid
land next to desert yields poor crop
• Overgrazing by cattle
and goats
• Overcutting of trees for
firewood
• With no grass or tree
roots, the topsoil blows
away, the desert
advances
Somalia
Solutions
• Crop rotation
• Terracing to
prevent soil from
washing away
• Tree belts to stop
erosion and hold
soil in place
Rivers
• Congo - 3000 miles
long
• Niger - ancient
civilizations flourished
here
• Zambezi - Victoria
Falls, used for hydroelectric power
• Therefore, the interior
of Africa remained
largely unexplored
Zambezi Gorge
The Nile
• 4,180 miles long
(world’s longest!!)
• flows NORTH
• Source - - Lake
Victoria
• Delta - - Egypt
• Floods annually
– One of the most
densely populated
region in Africa
Coastline
• Smooth
• Few
natural
harbors hard to
land
ships
Skeleton Coast, Namibia
Climate - determined by
rainfall, latitude and elevation
• Savanna - 40%,
safari!!
• Tropical Rainforest 8%,
• Desert - 40%
• Mediterranean - 12%,
good farm land
• About 85% of the land
is not suited to
farming
Natural Resources
• Farming
– peanuts, cotton,
cocoa, coffee
• Minerals
– diamonds, gold,
copper, cobalt
• Water
– hydroelectric power
A Satellite View of
Africa A Satellite
View
Rift Valley, Kenya
Savannah
Savannah
Sahara Desert
Sahel
Deserts
The Sahel
Mediterranean Sea
Bodies
Nile River
Of
L. Chad-->
Water
L. Albert-->
L. Victoria
L. Tanganyika->
Indian Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
Zambezi River
Limpopo River
Orange River
Pacific Ocean
Mountains
&
Peaks
Δ Mt.
Kenya
Δ Mt. Kilimanjaro
Vegetation
Zones
Mediterranean Sea
Libyan Desert
The
Tropic of Cancer
20° N
Sahara Desert
Complete
Topography
Sahel
Nile River
L. Chad-->
L. Albert-->
Δ Mt. Kenya
Equator 0°
L. Victoria
Of
AFRICA
Δ Mt. Kilimanjaro
L. Tanganyika->
Indian
Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
Zambezi River
Tropic of Capricorn
20° S
Limpopo River
Orange River
Pacific Ocean
Standards
• SSWH6 The student will describe the diverse
characteristics of early African societies before 1800 CE.
• e. Analyze the role of geography and the distribution of
resources played in the development of trans-Saharan trading
networks.
• List 5 facts which will help you remember this lesson:
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