Africa Physical Geography

Landforms and Resources The geographic features of Africa include: plateaus basins rivers rift valleys mountains

Plateau an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain that is raised significantly above the surrounding area, often with one or more sides with steep slopes The Semien Mountains with the tallest peak Ras Dashen (4,550 m) in the Ethiopian Highlands Highveld in winter in Gauteng Province north of Johannesburg.

Basins a depression, or dip, in the Earth’s surface Major basins include the Congo, Chad, Sudan, and Djouf basins Each basin is more than 625 miles acr across and as much as 5000 feet deep

Chad Basin Wetland in Chad Basin National Park

Sudan Basin

Congo Basin

Djouf Basin

Rivers The Nile is the world’s longest river at more than 4000 miles flows through Uganda and Sudan into Egypt 95% of Egyptians rely on the Nile for water populations density along Nile = 3,320 people per sq mile average in Egypt is 177 Helena = 1724

Nile River http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/other-shows/videos/discovery-atlas-egypt-the-nile-then-and-now/

Rift Valleys Rift Valleys are long, thin valleys formed when the continental plates pulled apart over millions of years and huge cracks appeared in the earth eastern Africa is pulling away from the rest of Africa

Lakes Lake Tanganyika is the longest freshwater lake in the world 420 miles long and depth of up to 4700 feet

Lakes Lake Victoria is Africa’s largest lake the world’s 2nd largest freshwater lake

Mountains Africa contains mainly volcanic mountains Mt. Kilamanjaro in Tanzania is Africa’s highest mountain

Africa’s Resources Africa has a huge amount of the world’s minerals but many of the countries lack the industrial base and money to develop them Africa’s minerals make it one of the richest continents S. Africa is world’s largest producer of chromium and produces 80% of world’s platinum and 30% of gold

Africa’s Resources In the 19th and 20th centuries, European colonial rulers developed natural resources for export many African nations have been slow to turn these resources into valuable products

Africa’s Resources Africa is home to 1/10th of the world’s oil reserves Libya, Nigeria, Algeria, and Angola are among the world’s leading oil producers Angolan government used money from oil production to pay for long running civil war that started shortly after the country gained independence from Portugal

Major commodities Africa produces 12% of the world’s coffee lumber sugar Cote d’Ivoire is world’s largest cocoa bean exporter Agriculture is Africa’s most important activity

Climate and Vegetation Africa lies almost entirely between the tropic of Cancer and the tropic of Capricorn

The Deserts The Sahara is the largest desert in the world 3000 miles from Atlantic to Red Sea and 1200 miles north to south 136 degrees in summer and below freezing in winter not all sand- only 20% mountains, rock formations, gravelly plains aquifers, huge stores of underground water, lie 6000 feet underground come to surface as an oasis map 421

Rainfall Rainforest in Central Africa receives most rain closer to equator = longer rainy season closer to desert = longer dry season Liberia = 120” rain/year average in Africa = 20” Helena = ?? 11.6

Rainfall Mediterranean climate on northern and southern tips clear, blue skies rain only in winter December and January in North June and July in South Summer temps in Johannesburg, South Africa average 68

Vegetation mirrored north and south vegetation contains grasslands, rain forests, other plant life

Tropical Grassland covers most of the continent Serengeti Plain in northern Tanzania

Rain Forest stretches across Central Africa on the equator in Congo Basin huge variety of trees and birds slash-and-burn agriculture endangers the rain forest destroyed up to 90% of the rain forests in the West

Human-Environment Interaction Desertification: expansion of dry conditions into moist areas next to deserts Normally naturally occurring but can be sped up by human activity Human causes of desertification overgrazing of vegetation by livestock farming increasing population (indirect) ??? http://www.wkyc.com/video/4385337659001/1/Niger-promotes-natural-gas-to-fight-desertification

Human-Environment Interaction Oil in Nigeria discovery in 1956 made Nigeria one of Africa’s richest countries 80-90% of Nigerian income

Human-Environment Interaction Oil in Nigeria 1970’s = high oil prices = wealthy Nigeria Government borrowed against high oil prices Oil prices dropped, sent Nigeria into huge debt Nigeria ended up poorer than before oil boom

Human-Environment Interaction Oil in Nigeria Severe environmental damage over 4000 oil spills slow cleanup fires acid rain respiratory disease over 2000 deaths from explosion some intentionally set

Human-Environment Interaction Controlling the Nile Aswan High Dam completed in 1970 to control cycles of flooding and drought along the Nile Benefits regular supply of water holds floodwater farmers can have 2-3 harvests/year farmland increased by 50%

Human-Environment Interaction Controlling the Nile Aswan High Dam completed in 1970 to control cycles of flooding and drought along the Nile Problems people and treasures had to be relocated permanent change to way of life decreased soil fertility around Nile increase in malaria and other diseases water loss due to evaporation