Chapter 3, Sections 1 & 2

Africa is the second-largest continent.

It is home to 54 nations.

Location◦ Africa straddles the

Equator and stands between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. These oceans connected

Africa with other cultures.

Regions◦ The main regions of

Africa are: North Africa West Africa East Africa Central Africa Southern Africa

◦ Regional differences contribute to the diversity of African people.

Plateaus◦ Most of Africa is a vast plateau◦ Escarpments divide the plateau from the coastal

plain◦ Rivers flowing from the plateau to the coast

tumble over cataracts, or large waterfalls. Great Rift Valley

◦ Stretches along the eastern side of the continent◦ Nutrient-rich soil washes down into the valley,

creating some of the most fertile farmland on Earth.

Rivers provide fresh water, fish, transportation, irrigation, and hydroelectric power in Africa.

The Nile River flows for 4,160 miles before emptying out into the Mediterranean Sea.

For thousands of years the flooding of the Nile produced fertile soil on its banks.

Other key rivers include:◦ Congo River◦ Niger River◦ Zambezi River

Africa has the following mineral resources:◦ Diamonds◦ Gold◦ Copper◦ Cobalt◦ Oil

The uneven distribution of these resources means that wealth wildly fluctuates between areas.

80% of Africa lies between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn.◦ Because of this tropical location, African

climates are generally warm throughout the year.

The coolest regions in Africa are found in the highlands.◦ As elevation rises, temperatures drop.◦ Two areas that exist at the same line of

longitude can have very different climates.

A major feature of African climates is a pattern of alternating wet and dry seasons.

When areas north of the equator are experiencing their wet season, areas south of the equator are in their dry season (and vice versa).

Rainfall can vary from less than 1” in desert areas to more than 80” near the equator.

Because of its size, almost every type of climate and vegetation can be found in Africa.

The four major climate zones of Africa are:◦ Tropical Wet◦ Tropical Wet and Dry◦ Desert◦ Mediterranean

Many disease-carrying insects breed in tropical climates.◦ Mosquitos spread malaria◦ The tsetse fly spreads

sleeping sickness This disease also affects

cattle so many Africans do not have beef in their diet.

◦ Other flies can cause blindness.

◦ River snails with parasitic worms can transmit bilharzia to people who wash or swim in streams where the snails live.

Africans speak more than 1,000 different languages.

Scholars divide these languages into language families◦ By studying these

families and their locations, anthropologists can examine early movement patterns of African people.