AFRICAN GEOGRAPHY

REMEMBER:. AFRICA is a CONTINENT, NOT a country REMEMBER: *** AFRICA is a CONTINENT, NOT a country! *** It is more than 3x the size of the USA!

The tallest mountain in Africa Mount Kilimanjaro The tallest mountain in Africa— sits near the border between Kenya and Tanzania— an extinct volcano that is located near the equator. B/c of its height though, it is snow covered all year round (ex. Of elevation counteracting location).

Africa’s high, steep cliffs Escarpments High, steep cliffs located around the southern third of the continent— they separate the plains of the plateau from the coastal plains— helped to delay exploration of the interior and slowed the development of the region.

South central Africa’s storm drain Katanga Plateau Located in southern central Africa— tilts from the south to the north draining water into the Congo Basin and to the eastern coast.

Zulu name of the range is Ukhahlamba [Barrier of Spears] Drakensberg Range Located along the eastern coast of South Africa— causes water from the oceans to drop on the coastal plains and a dry rain shadow in the interior to the west.

At the heart of the “cradle of humanity” lie the… Ethiopian Highlands Located in Ethiopia & Eritrea— source of Nile River— N. Africa. Home to 80 percent of Africa's tallest mountains, the highlands have helped shelter Ethiopia from foreign conquest and preserve one of the world's most distinct cultures. Ethiopia is the only African country never to have been colonized.

Mountains extending through Morocco, Algeria & Tunisia Atlas Mountains Located in Morocco— Northwest Africa— causes a rain shadow that helped to create the Sahara Desert.

Cutting a 3,500 mi long swathe through eastern Africa… The Great Rift Valley A giant fault in the Earth’s crust that runs southwest from Ethiopia through Kenya, Tanzania, etc. to the Zambezi River— has high cliffs and steep sides— area of fertile soil and many lakes.

Whitewater rafting, anyone? Cataracts A series of rapids and waterfalls on many of Africa’s rivers caused by rapid changes in elevation — good for hydroelectric power, but an obstacle to river transportation and trade.

Sailing down the Nile on a handmade felucca The Nile River The world’s longest river — runs to the north from its source in the Ethiopian Highlands. In the past, its floods provided fertile silt for the farmers of Egypt. Today flooding is controlled by the Aswan High Dam.

This river’s boomerang shape is most unusual! The Niger River Located in western Africa, one of the world’s longest— and one of the most navigable rivers in Africa— it is used for irrigation by farmers of the Sahel.

The Congo (Zaire) River System This “river that swallows all rivers” drains an area the size of Europe fed by ten thousand streams. The Congo (Zaire) River System A complex system of rivers that feed it from the surrounding highlands— (aka Congo Basin) resulting in a vast Rainforest environment in central Africa— difficult to navigate b/c of cataracts— potential source of power.

“We have only just begun to understand the strange and ancient realm of …” The Sahara Desert Located across northern Africa— it is the world’s largest desert— and is still growing— thousands of years ago it was a vast fertile plain. A barrier to trade and communication throughout Africa’s history.

Home to the highest sand dunes in the world… The Namib Desert Located on the west coast of southern Africa, it is one of the driest places on earth— caused by a series of rain shadows across southern Africa.

The term sahel is Arabic for "shore“— it is the southern boundary of the Sahara desert which was likened to a sea The Sahel An area of grassy plains and scrub south of the Sahara— semi-arid region of small farms, nomads and herders— overgrazing & deforestation are helping to turn this region into a true desert and expand the Sahara.

*** Africa’s resources are rich, BUT unevenly distributed and difficult to develop! *** Ex. Nigeria, Angola, Gabon, Libya have oil resources Ex. Uganda has fertile soil and fresh water Ex. Congo/Zaire has gold, diamonds, rubies and emeralds Ex. South Africa, Sierra Leone, Ghana have diamonds & gold Ex. Zaire & Zambia have diamonds & copper

Sources Ahmad, Iftikhar, Herbert Brodsky, Marylee Susan Crofts and Elisabeth Gaynor Ellis. World Cultures: A Global Mosaic. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall, 1993. “Zambia page.” The World Factbook 2004. Central Intelligence Agency. 12 October 2004. <http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html.> “Sahara page.” Africa: 54 countries. Over 1,000 languages. 797 million people. Educational Broadcasting Corporation. 12 October 2004. <http://www.pbs.org/wnet/africa/>