Chapter 3 Geography and Early History of Africa

Section 1- The shape of the land LEQ’s What is Africa’s relative location in the world? How have landforms influenced movement across Africa? What natural resources are important to African nations? Vocabulary: Escarpment, cataract, hydroelectric power

Describe the relative location of Africa using the map on the following slide.

Relative location of Africa Centrally located on Earth’s surface Straddles the equator To the West is the Atlantic Ocean and to the East is the Indian Ocean. To the North is the Mediterranean Sea and to the Northeast is the Red Sea.

Regions of Africa

Landforms http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/afnewlnd.gif Most of Africa is vast plateaus with escarpments and cataracts http://image.shutterstock.com/display_pic_with_logo/154792/107629448/stock-photo-nieuwoudtville-waterfall-on-the-bokkeveld-plateau-in-south-africa-107629448.jpg http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/Bandiagara_Escarpment_Mali.jpg Great Rift Valley: http://www.thecuttingedgenews.com/uploads/cmimg_72656.jpg Contains some of Africans most fertile farmland Rich in minerals and metals Mining and transportation are difficult due to steep cliffs , high mountains and deep valleys- makes building roads and railroads dangerous and costly.

Rivers Provide: Fish Water for irrigation Means of transportation Source of hydroelectricity Nile River http://www.globalresearch.ca/articlePictures/nile%20river%20basin.jpg http://knowledgegeekss.files.wordpress.com/2013/07/nile.jpg http://ssrsbstaff.ednet.ns.ca/egypt/The%20Nile%20River%20Gift%20from%20the%20Gods_files/image002.jpg Aswan Dam http://media-1.web.britannica.com/eb-media/34/76234-004-2A9B844D.jpg Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam http://www.ethiogermany.de/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Nile_Basin_Countries.jpg Major rivers map http://exploringafrica.matrix.msu.edu/images/africahydrology.jpg

Natural Resources Rivers are a major source of precious metals Diamonds and gold Major reason for Europe's interest in Africa Mineral exports Copper, platinum, cobalt, oil. Most profit from natural resources flow out of Africa due to foreign companies investing in mining. Uneven distribution Few African nations have oil to export so most countries rely on expensive imported oil. Much of Africa is not fertile and uncertain rainfall makes farming difficult. https://www.schoology.com/page/74753779

Section 2- Climate and Diversity LEQ’s How do climates differ across Africa? What way of life did Africans develop? How do Africa’s language reflect its cultural diversity? Vocabulary: tropics, drought, leaching, desertification

Climate Regions

Role of Latitude and Elevation 80% of continent is tropics because the equator runs through the middle so the area between the Tropic of Capricorn and Cancer is generally warm all year. Coolest parts of the region are found in the highlands because of increased elevation.

Rainfall http://education.randmcnally.com/pdf/edpub/Africa_Precipitation.pdf

Four major climate zones Tropical wet(rainforest) Tropical wet and dry(Savanna) Deserts Mediterranean

Tropical Wet (Rainforest) Narrow belt along the equator (8% of Africa) Hot and humid all year around Average temp 80 60-120 inches of rain per year Plentiful plant and animal life Poor soil due to leaching Poor place to live due to : Disease carrying insects breed in standing pools of water Termites attack wood buildings and furniture Dampness causes mold and rotting in everyday items.

Tropical Wet and Dry(Savanna) Largest climate zone that covers almost half the continent. Warm all year Summer(rainy season)- hot and wet Winter(dry season)- warm with little or no rainfall 20-80 inches of rainfall per year (depends on distance from the equator) Close to the equator – wetter part and supports many trees and grasses Outer edge- semi-arid(very dry) with short rainy season; scattered grass and small trees.

Tropical Wet and Dry(Savanna) Continued Unpredictable rainfall Rain may be heavy or light Come weeks early or weeks late Drought Heavy downpours wash away the soil and cause flooding http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/photos/savannah/#/acacia-tree-africa_41_600x450.jpg Desertification- explain:

Deserts Cover 40% of Africa Sahara http://www.slideshare.net/Socialesdigital/sahara-7422704?utm_source=slideshow02&utm_medium=ssemail&utm_campaign=share_slideshow http://www.slideshare.net/pacific2000/sahara-desert-north-africa?utm_source=slideshow02&utm_medium=ssemail&utm_campaign=share_slideshow Larger than the US Temps reach as high as 130 Can go for 10 years without rainfall 10 inches average rainfall per year Few grassy areas that can support grazing animals

Deserts Continued Kalahari Not as dry as Sahara and supports grasses and wild melons and antelopes graze here. Namib Driest places on earth; small trees get mist from nearby Atlantic Ocean

Mediterranean Summers are hot and dry; winters are cooler and moist Mild climates and fertile soil support many crops and herding

Population Population: 1.033 Billion (2013) http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lOifKKWLVgM/UF6_nw11znI/AAAAAAAACYg/OojmZVuP3kY/s1600/africa_population_density.jpg Most populous countries in Africa: Nigeria: 173,611,131 Ethiopia: 95,045,679 Egypt: 82,196,587 Democratic Republic of the Congo: 67,363,365 South Africa: 52,914,243 What influences where the people live?

Adapting to the land Very diverse cultures that have different histories, religious beliefs, values and traditions. Basic societies in Africa Herding Fishing Hunting- very few societies remain Food gathering- very few societies remain Urban Majority of Africans live in the Savanna Cities flourish along the Mediterranean coast, the Savanna of West Africa and the coast of East Africa.

Languages Estimated that 2,000-3,000 different languages are spoken in Africa. With as many as 8,000 different dialects Official Languages of Africa.docx How does having so many languages and dialects affect the people?

Religion maps\religions.docx Christianity- European Christian missionaries spread their religion to replace traditional African religion. Islam- Muslim traders spread the teachings of Islam. Traditional African Beliefs- read traditional beliefs section on page 91 in text and write a summary of there beliefs.

Research a traditional African religion and present the beliefs to the class.

Social Organization Family