12.1 The Continent of Africa Pg. 318-321

Read The Continent of Africa pg. 318

The Continent of Africa Africa is a very large continent filled with lakes, mountains, deserts and forests. Africa had many thriving civilizations. People from Egypt, Kush, and Carthage all had influences in Africa.

Africa’s Regions Dividing Africa into regions is one of the easiest way to study the continent of Africa.

Africa’s Geography Africa is both dry and wet. If you would walk along the equator you would be walking through the heart of Africa. Africa is the only continent to have deserts both south and north of the equator.

Africa’s Geography North: Sahara and Kalahari Desert South: Namib Desert

Sahara Desert The Sahara is the largest non-polar desert in the world. It is made up of seas of sand, rocky plains, and stormy plateaus. Sahara Desert

Wind blows the sands and creates ridges or hills called sand dunes. Some dunes rise to 400 feet high. Sahara Desert

Most of the Sahara receives less than 3 inches of rain a year. However, people can live there if they live in an oasis, a fertile area with water. An oasis can support crops and animals. Sahara Desert

Do you think a desert could exist in a peninsula surrounded by water? Africa’s Geography

Africa’s Geography Somalia in eastern Africa is part of the peninsula known as the Horn of Africa.

Africa’s Geography The land of Somalia is a rain shadow desert. Rain shadow desert – a desert that forms when the wind blows water vapor high into nearby mountains without allowing rain to fall on the lowlands. Africa’s Geography

Africa’s Geography Africa also has many lakes and rivers. Lake Victoria in eastern Africa is the source for the White Nile River. Lake Chad supplies water for 4 different African countries. Africa’s Geography

Lake Nassar and Volta are both man- made lakes that supply electricity. Africa’s Geography

Africa’s Geography Africa has the largest tropical area of any continent. The tropics are both south and north of the equator and made up of rainforests.

Africa’s Geography Some parts of it receive as much as 100 inches of rain a year. However, the soil is not very fertile.

The area between the Kalahari Desert and the Sahara (excluding rain forests) is called the savanna. With tall grasses and few trees, the savanna is where people raise crops and cattle. Africa’s Geography

Wild antelope, giraffes, zebras, elephants, leopards, and lions also live on the savanna. Africa’s Geography

Read The Region Today pg. 321

Discussion Questions What is one way that geographers study the continent of Africa? What land features make Africa a land of great variety?

WB pg. 177