Transcript The Geography of Africa

Africa Unit One
THE GEOGRAPHY OF AFRICA
SECTION 1 - AFRICAN
GEOGRAPHY
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Geography is the study of the earth’s
surface, land, bodies of water, climate,
peoples, and natural resources.
Africa is the world’s second largest
continent.
It is home to 54 countries, 1,000
different languages, and 800 million people.
The one thing that all African nations have in common is their
reliance on the land’s physical characteristics, which affect
where people live and the type of work they do.
The continent can be broken into many different regions: the
Sahara, the Sahel, the savannahs, the rainforests, the Great
Lakes, the Ethiopian Highlands, and Southern Africa.
THE SAHARA
The Sahara is the world’s
largest desert.
 Deserts are areas that
typically get only fewer than 10 inches of rain a
year.
 It is bordered on the north by the Atlas Mountains,
a mountain range that stretches from southwest
Morocco to northern Tunisia.
 The mountain range acts as a barrier between the
desert, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Atlantic
Ocean.
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The Sahara covers almost
one-third of the continent.
Because of its location
between the
Mediterranean Sea and
the more populous areas
of Africa, the Sahara
Desert has historically
been a trade route.
Nomadic traders crossed
the Sahara on camelback
to transport goods
between European and
African nations.
The Sahara divides the
continent into two regions:
North Africa and subSaharan Africa
EGYPT
One of the most populous areas
of the Sahara region is Cairo,
Egypt.
 Egypt is connected to Asia by the
Sinai Peninsula, which makes
it an important trade center.
 The Suez Canal allows transport
through the peninsula.
 The Nile River, which is the world’s
longest river, provides another
important waterway for transporting
people and goods,
 It also provides a source of irrigation
for agriculture.
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The Sahara region is defined by its climate, not by
its national borders.
 Several countries straddle both the Sahara Desert
and a region called
the Sahel.
 Among them are
Mauritania, Chad,
Sudan, and Mali.
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THE SAHEL
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The Sahel is a strip of dry grassland
south of the Sahara.
It runs through twelve countries.
The Sahel’s climate is semiarid,
meaning that it gets more rainfall than
the desert but still receives very little.
At one time, enough rain fell in the Sahel to raise crops.
Because it depends on farming, the Sahel region can be
devastated by bad weather.
In the 1970s, the area suffered a drought.
Almost 200,000 people died from starvation.
The famine prompted many people to give up farming and
move to the cities.
However, the
region’s cities are
too poor to
accommodate the
population increase.
 Many people
continue to live
without electricity,
running water, or
proper sewers.
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The desert gradually took over the farmland the people
left behind.
Desertification is the process of once fertile farmland
turning into desert.
Desertification reduces the amount of crops that can be
grown, increases starvation, and maintains poverty.
SUDAN
Like Egypt, Sudan relies on
the Nile River for irrigation
of its crops.
 Sudan lies within both the
Sahara and Sahel regions,
so it has many different
kinds of environments including forests,
plateaus, grasslands, and desert.
 It is able to support a range of crops.
 The Sudanese raise livestock and grow cotton,
peanuts, wheat, dates, and sugar cane.
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ETHIOPIAN HIGHLANDS
The Ethiopian Highlands are a rugged,
mountainous region that covers parts of Ethiopia,
Eritrea, and Somalia.
 The mountains are divided
by the Great Rift Valley,
a geological fault system
that stretches 3,000
miles, from Asia to Africa.
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Ethiopia is one of the poorest nations in the world.
 Ethiopians largely depend on subsistence
farming.
 However, deforestation, bad farming practices,
and drought have often led to food shortages.
 The nation’s main export is coffee.
 The country is landlocked and has a very poor
network of roads, which
also hampers trade.
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THE SAVANNAH
Closer to the equator, the
climate becomes hot and
features both rainy and
dry seasons.
 Savannas cover the regions
just north and south of
the rainforests that lie
along the equator.
 Savannas are hot, dry
grasslands.
 In a savanna, the grass it tall and thick.
 Trees are short and scattered.
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The most famous savannah is the Serengeti, a
migration areas for 1.5 million animals like buffalo,
gazelles, and zebras.
 The Serengeti includes parts of Kenya, where people
rely on the land for their livelihood.
 About one-third of the country is grazing land for
cattle, goats, and sheep.
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Many Kenyans make a
living growing coffee and tea,
which are the country’s major
exports.
Many of the wild animals
associated with Africa live in
the savannas.
Although the soil is rich,
farming is the savannas is
limited because of disease
carrying insects.
RAINFOREST AND
THE GREAT LAKES
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Along the equator
lies the Congo Basin,
home to the world’s
second largest
tropical rainforest
(the Amazon is the
largest).
A rainforest, is a dense evergreen forest with an annual
rainfall of at least 60 inches.
In the Congo, trees are so thick and tall that sunlight
never reaches the forest floor.
Unfortunately, the rainforest has shrunk substantially
because of deforestation and destructive farming practices.
Part of the rainforest is in Ghana, an agricultural
and mining nation.
 Ghana’s most profitable crop is cocoa.
 It also has a long history as a gold and diamond
exporter.
 Poorly maintained roads make
transportation difficult in
Ghana, which has slowed the
growth of the timber industry.
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Rwanda and the Congo
are also considered to
be part of the Great
Lakes region, along
with Burundi, Uganda,
Tanzania, and Kenya.
There are 15 lakes in
this region.
Lake Victoria (bordered
by Uganda, Kenya, and
Tanzania) is the largest.
Lake Tanganyika
(located between the
DR Congo and
Tanzania) is the
deepest.
The Congo River is the
second longest river in
Africa.
MAJOR RIVERS & BODIES OF WATER
For centuries, bodies of water have played a
crucial role in Africa.
 The ocean, seas, and rivers that surround and run
through Africa have long served to unit Africans
and provide access to the outside world.
 Long before the invention of trains, cars, or
airplanes, rivers and oceans allowed Africans to
engage in trade and gain exposure to new ideas.
 Such interactions enabled certain cities to
become thriving centers of commerce.
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Major bodies of water that surround the continent are the
Mediterranean Sea to the north, the Red Sea to the
northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the Indian
Ocean to the east.
Meanwhile, a number of major rivers run through the
interior of Africa.
The Nile River is more than 4,000 miles long and is the
longest river in the world.
For thousands of years, the Nile has provided a means of
travel and a key source of water for parts of northern and
east-central Africa.
Much of Africa's most fertile farmland lies along the Nile
River.
Farmers have long relied on the river as a source of water
to irrigate crops.
Without the Nile, many nations would not be able to feed
their populations.
NIGER RIVER
Millions of Africans rely on the Niger River for
food, water, and drainage.
 The Niger River begins in Guinea and flows
northward through Mali, Niger, and Nigeria.
 During the rainy season, the river floods, creating
freshwater marshlands.
 These marshlands provide
fertile land for rice and
scores of fish.
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ZAMBEZI RIVER
It is southern Africa’s longest river.
 It begins in northwest Zambia and flows between Zambia and
Zimbabwe.
 The Zambezi River has many waterfalls, including world-famous
Victoria Falls.
 More than a mile across, the falls can be heard by people from
nearly twenty miles away.
After flowing over
Victoria Falls, the Zambezi
River continues for 45 miles
through a 400 foot gorge.
It flows into Mozambique,
before emptying into the
Indian Ocean
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LAKE VICTORIA
It is the largest lake in
Africa and the
second largest
freshwater lake in the world (only Lake
Superior is bigger).
 It extends into three countries: Tanzania, Uganda,
and Kenya.
 Lake Victoria is very important to Tanzania.
 It provides a living for many fishermen and
attracts millions of tourists each year.
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SOUTHERN AFRICA
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At the southern tip of the
continent is South Africa,
a major producer of gold,
coal, diamonds, and platinum.
Despite having these natural
resources, many South Africans live in poverty.
Wealth from the mining industry has historically been
controlled by a white minority.
People of color are often paid very little.
South Africa is the only nation in the world with three
capitals: Cape Town, Pretoria, & Bloemfontein.
The Drakensberg Mountains
stretch across Southern
Africa.
 They are home to many
game reserves and
national parks.
 Another notable feature of
the region is the Kalahari Desert.
 Thanks to underground water supplies, grass,
shrubs, and a number of wild animals manage to
live in the Kalahari Desert
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DEFORESTATION
As Africans population increases and nations try to
develop economically, deforestation becomes a
growing concern.
 Deforestation is the process of rainforests being
destroyed to make way for human development.
 As more of the Congo is cleared, trees and vegetation
are destroyed.
 Animals retreat further into the shrinking forest.
 Some species even become
extinct (no longer exists)
 In addition, native peoples who
have lived in and depended
on the rainforest for
centuries find their way of
life disrupted forever.
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Deforestation has
environmental
effects, as well.
As the number of trees
shrinks, so does the
amount of oxygen they produce.
Meanwhile, the amount of carbon dioxide in the air
increases.
Less rainforest could also mean fewer medicines.
About one-fourth of all medicines people use come from
rainforest plants.
SECTION 2 – ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES
Like other parts of the world, Africa must deal with
environmental problems.
 One major problem facing Africa is pollution.
 Pollution occurs when human-made products or
waste negatively alters the natural environment.
 Trash left in an open field, harmful
chemicals released into the air
by a factory, and industrial waste
flowing into a natural water supply
are all forms of pollution.
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EGYPT
Egypt is home to the Nile River, the
longest river in the world.
 Egypt’s population growth has led to heavy
pollution of the Nile.
 Pollution is a threat to agriculture, public health,
and native plants and animals.
 The government of Egypt has passed laws
designed to limit pollution.
 Other African nations have also passed laws that
protect the environment.
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Egypt gets most of its water
from the Nile River.
The Aswan High Dam
reduces the flow of the Nile
River.
Unfortunately, silt has been
trapped behind the dam.
Silt was once used as
fertilizer.
It was carried with the flood
waters and it fertilized the
land.
Now farmers depend on
chemical fertilizers, which
end up in the Nile River and
continue the cycle of
pollution.
SOUTH AFRICA
South Africa suffers from deforestation, the
result of cutting down trees.
 They clear trees to use as fuel and to free up
land for farming.
 The government of South Africa has passed
laws designed to protect
the nation’s remaining
forests.
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The nation of South Africa
has taken steps to
improve the
environment.
 Many trees have been
planted in an effort to
restore forests.
 Reforestation helps
prevent soil erosion.
 South Africa has created many national parks.
 These parks help protect the natural environment,
including animal and plant species.
 Many endangered species, such as the black
rhinoceros and the humpback dolphin, are being
protected.
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CHAD
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Many nations, such as Chad, are rich in oil.
Getting the oil out of the ground can be dangerous to the
environment.
Oil spills can kill native animal species.
Accidents can also pollute water supplies.
The people of Chad are concerned about oil spills.
Chad’s economy could be improved by oil production refinement.
The government will need
to balance the threats
and the benefits of
oil production to
benefit their economy
and to help the
environment.
So far this has not been
achieved.
KENYA
An oil spill could destroy miles of coastline,
threatening plant and animal species.
 Kenya is concerned about its delicate coastland.
 Oil tankers move along Kenya’s coastland every
day.
 The government of Kenya could
soon pass laws that
regulate the traffic
of oil tankers.
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Many people living in Kenya don’t have electricity.
They burn wood to heat their homes and cook.
They cut down trees to clear land for farming.
The removal of trees can have negative effects.
Trees help keep the soil from washing away when it rains.
Forests are home to many native species.
The loss of these trees
can lead to
dangerous flash
floods and the
extinction of
species.
Kenya has several
programs that
encourage people
to
SUDAN
The nation of Sudan is dry in the north,
and wet in the south.
 Water in the southern part of Sudan is
supplied by the Nile River system.
 Sudan uses irrigation to supply water to farmlands.
 Sudan’s most important natural resources are water
and rich farmlands.
 Drought and over farming threaten Sudan’s water
resources.
 Desertification turns much of Sudan’s farmland into
unusable desert,
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MALI
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Mali suffers from severe
drought, which is the
absence of rainfall.
The drought in Mali has
lead to desertification.
Desertification can be caused by a number of factors.
Mali’s lack of fresh, clean water is very dangerous.
Much of Mali’s population is at risk for disease.
The combination of drought and desertification is also
dangerous to native animal species.
Many species are near extinction.
Mali has also created national parks.
 These natural areas are now protected by the
government.
 Mali has also passed laws that protect the
environment.
 These laws help stop desertification, protect
endangered species, and increase biodiversity.
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PART THREE – RELIGIONS, CUSTOMS, AND
TRADITIONS
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Africa is made up of 54 different
countries and many ethnic
groups.
A group’s customs and
traditions often come from
religion, from where the group
lives, or from the demands of
daily life.
For example, nomadic Bedouin
tribe must have customs that
can be practiced while traveling.
Most Africans today are either
Muslim or Christian, but
traditional religions and
customs still play a role in
African culture.
ARAB
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The term Arab refers
to a mixed ethnic
group made up of
people who speak
the Arabic language.
Arabs mostly live in North Africa and the Middle East.
Some Jews, Kurds, Berbers, Copts, and Druze speak
Arabic, but are not usually considered Arab.
The term “Arab” includes Arabic-speaking Christians in
Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan.
Overall, Arabs are divided into two groups – nomadic
Bedouins and settled Arabs.
BEDOUIN
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The Bedouin are several
nomadic tribes who live in
the deserts of Arabia, the
Negev, and the Sinai.
Nomadic people move from
one place to another in search of food and water for
themselves and their herds.
As oasis can only support a group for a short time, and so
the Bedouin people move frequently.
Leaving an oasis gives it a chance to replenish.
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The Ashanti people live in central Ghana.
The family, especially the mother’s
family, is most important to
the Ashanti.
They believe that children inherit
their
spirits from their father and their
flesh and blood from their mother.
The mystical Golden Stool has been the center of Ashanti
spiritual practice since the late 17th century.
The Ashanti people believe the strength of their nation
depends on this safety of this stool.
It represents the unity of the Ashanti and the power of their
chiefs.
The Ashanti honor kings after death, in a ceremony in which a
stool is blackened.
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The Khoikhoi and San groups were the first people in
present-day South Africa.
For thousands of years they were hunter-gatherers.
Around 400 CE, the Bantu began to push the Khoikhoi
and San out of their lands.
The Bantu were farmers and wanted the land.
Both groups were pushed into the desert.
The San believe that farming goes against the world
order created by god.
The San continued to hunt and gather in the Kalahari
Desert.
The Khoikhoi began to herd sheep.
Some Khoikhoi settled in rich pastures
and other nomadically moved with
the herds.
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There are several different
San peoples that speak
a variety of click languages.
These languages include
several different “click”
sounds.
San peoples have complex
traditions of storytelling.
Dance is also central in all San groups
as a ritual that heals the community.
Ritual dances are a community activity that transforms
spritual power and energy into medicine.
Everyone who dances is healed by this energy, the San
believe.
Many San go into a trance as they gather the power of the
dance.
Dancing is used to heal both physical and mental
illnesses.
SWAHILI
The Swahili people live on the East
African coast from southern
Somalia to northern
Mozambique.
 Swahili is a mixture of Bantu and Arab culture
 Men wear amulets around their necks that contain
verses from the Koran, which they believe will
protect them.
 Only teachers of Islam and prophets are permitted
to become spritual healers.
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BANTU
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The Bantu originally came from southeastern
Nigeria that spread east and south near
Zambia.
Around 1000 CE, the Bantu reached presentday Zimbabwe and South Africa.
Here, the Bantu established the Munhumutapa
Empire.
This new empire controlled trading routs
from South Africa to the area north of the Zambezi River.
The Bantu traded many natural resources: gold, copper, precious
stones, animal hides, ivory, and metal goods.
They traded with Arab traders from the Swahili coast, as well as
others.
The empire collapsed in the early 16th century, after it used up all
its resources.
AFRICAN LITERACY
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The literacy rate in Africa is 50%.
This means that half the population
of African cannot read or write.
Literacy is good for individuals as well as their
communities.
More developed countries tend to have a higher literacy
rate.
Sudan and Egypt both have a literacy rate of only 51%.
South Africa, the most developed country in Africa, has a
literacy rate of 83%.