A Satellite View

Africa’s Size # Second largest continent  11,700,000 sq. mi. # 10% of the world’s population. # 2 ½ times the size of the U. S. 5000MILES5000MILES M I L E S

The Mighty Nile River: “Longest River in the World” 95%Nile Over 95% of Egyptian’s rely on Nile for water.

The Congo River Basin # Covers 12% of the continent. # Extends over 9 countries. # 2,720 miles long. # 99% of the country of Dem. Rep. of Congo is in the Congo River basin. # Africa’s largest network of waterways.

Drajensburg Mts. Ruwenzori Mts. Δ Mt. Kenya Δ Mt. Kilimanjaro Mountains & Peaks Atlas Mts. Mt. Kilimanjaro – Africa’s highest mountain

Deserts Sahara Desert Sahel Kalahari Desert Namib Desert Libyan Desert desert SouthKalahari desert – located in South Africa Namib Kalahari * Namib desert – next to Kalahari in South Africa

The Sahara Desert desert * largest desert in the World Arabic * means “desert” in Arabic 3,000 1,200 * stretches nearly 3,000 miles from East to West and 1,200 miles from North to South 20%sand * Only 20% consists of sand mountainousplains *rest is dry mountainous, rocky, or gravelly plains

Sahara Bigger than the Continental United States

Sub-Saharan Africa North Africa –Sahara Desert Sub-Saharan Africa –All of Africa south of the Saharan Desert

Desertification expansion moist expansion of dry conditions into moist areas next to deserts Human Human causes of desertification overgrazing a. overgrazing of livestock exposing b. Farming (clearing the land and exposing the soil) drilling c. drilling population d. increased population

The Sahel shore grasslands Sahara “shore of the desert” in Arabic; band of grasslands south of the Sahara

Valleys & Plains Great Rift Valley Serengeti

Great Rift Valley Over 4,000 miles long

Great Rift Valley Africa has few mountain chains Tallest mountains found along the rift valley –All volcanoes Only diverging plate boundary on land

Africa: The “Tropical” Continent Tropic of Cancer 20° N Tropic of Capricorn 20° S Equator 0° Climates: tropical desert, tropical wet & wet/dry, Mediterranean

African Trade Winds

West Africa: Home of our Hurricanes

Vegetation Zones economic agriculture Africa’s most important economic activity is agriculture (1)66% farming (1)66% of Africans earn a living from farming exports farm (2) 1/3 of exports are farm products Serengeti

The African Savannah: 13 million sq. mi.

African Rain Forest # Annual rainfall of up to 17 ft. # Rapid decomposition (very humid). # Covers 37 countries. # 15% of the land surface of Africa.

Mt. Kilimanjaro: Snow on the Equator?