geography of africa

GEOGRAPHY OF AFRICA

BASIC FACTS

Second largest continent

Could fit 3 of the U.S.

Most independent countries (54)

11,668,545 square miles that’s over 11 billion football fields. If you were to give each person on earth -

that's almost 6 billion people - land in Africa, you could give everyone almost two football fields

Pennsylvania = 46,058 square miles

Approximately 253 PA’s would fit inside Africa!

What is significant about Africa’s

location?

Location

Distance north and south of equator

80% of Africa is in the TROPICS

CANCER-CAPRICORNClimate: Warm all year

REGIONS

North Africa (Morocco-Egypt)West Africa (Sahel: Coastline)East AfricaCentral AfricaSouthern

Natural Resources

West: Gold CoastCopper: ZairePlatinum: S.A.Oil: Libya

Looking at your large map…what do you notice about the elevation of Africa?

Elevation

Height above sea levelTemperature drops as elevation increases

Accra, Ghana: 80’sNairobi, Kenya: 60’s

LANDFORMS

Mostly plateaus (Tilts to NW)

Escarpments: Steep cliffs

Cataracts: Waterfalls

Landforms

Great Rift Valley Volcanic activity Why historically, might this area be significant?

The Great Rift Valley

•Huge “cut” in the Earth’s crust•Extends from Syria to Mozambique

•Formed when tectonic plates pulled away from one another – land slid between the plates creating a valley

Land formsEscarpments

Steep cliffs that divide the Plateau from the costal plain

What do you think is the most important

geographic feature of Africa?

RIVERS

Key to African society

Why?

Food

Irrigation

Transportation

What major rivers exist in Africa?

NILE

EgyptLongest river

(4160 miles)Early

civilizationsAswan Dam

Central Africa

Can’t travel on

ZAIRE

Nile River

Longest river in the world. 4160 miles.

Played a key role in human development

ASWAN HIGH DAM

ASWAN HIGH DAM

Why Built? Irrigation Feed growing population Power Protects vs flooding Symbol of Nasser’s Power

NIGER

Provides water for farmers

Major source of fish

Victoria FallsKariba Dam

provides hydroelectric power

ZAMBEZI

ZAMBEZI

Kariba Dam provides hydroelectric power

Negative Impact:

The dam causes flooding in other regions

Diseases have increased since its construction

SCHISTOSMIASIS FROM PARASITIC WORMS

4 CLIMATE ZONES

Tropical WetSavannaDesertMediterranean

Tropical Wet

Central and West AfricaAvg Temp: 80 degreesRainfall: 60-120 inLeaching: Minerals dissolvedDisease: Malaria, Tsetse Fly

West Africa Tropical wet- Hot humid, lots of rainfall

Savanna

Largest climate zoneGrasslandsSummer: Hot+WetWinter: Warm+DryDrought: Periods w/o rainDesertification: land into

desert

Savanna-½ of Africa is Tropical Wet and Dry-largest climate in Africalittle rain in Winter

DESERTS

Covers 40% of AfricaSahara

LARGER THAN U.S. 10 YEARS W/O RAIN

Kalahari: South AfricaNamib: One of driest places

Desert-Sahara-130 degrees

Deforestation

The process of land turning to desert

Desertification could displace up to 50m people over the next decade

Tree-planting schemes may put pressure on scarce water resources

While you’re watching the video, pay attention to why deserts are GOOD. Plant life Energy

Desertification Video

MEDITERRANEAN

Similar to CaliforniaMild climate and fertile soilMakes for good farming

conditions

South Africa Mediterranean-summers hot and dry, winters cooler and moist

HEALTH CONCERNS

Disease carrying insectsMalaria kills 1,000,000 childrenTsetse Fly:

KILLS CATTLE TRANSMITS BLINDNESS

Bliharzia: Snails that carry parasitic worms

Malaria

Malaria

Malaria

A TSETSE FLY-causes sleeping sickness

The early phase entails bouts of fever, headaches, pains in the joints and itching. The second, known as the neurological phase, begins when the parasite crosses the blood-brain barrier and infests the central nervous system. This is when the characteristic signs and symptoms of the disease appear: confusion, sensory disturbances and poor coordination. Disturbance of the sleep cycle, which gives the disease its name, is the most important feature. Without treatment, the disease is fatal. If the patient does not receive treatment before the onset of the second phase, neurological damage is irreversible even after treatment.

Dysentery

Way of life

Most live in the savanna

Most are farmers

Few hunters remain

Cities growing

Languages

1000’s are spoken

Creates problems

Swahili: Bantu and Arabic

NIGHT ARRIVES BETWEEN EUROPE & AFRICA

Pre Class

What does an Archaeologist do?

ARCHAEOLOGIST

Recreate the past

Study the remains of ancient humans (both fossils & artifacts)

Paintings on cave walls

Tools, weapons, food, religion

MARY AND LOUIS LEAKEY

Worked in Tanzania in 1950Found bone in rock2,000,000 years oldAfrica was home to 1st

people

Paleontologist

Studies fossils of man & animals

Anthropologists

Scientists studying physical and

cultural characteristics of

humans