Africa ~ The Plateau Continent
1. The land area of the United States fits into the land area of Africa a little over three times. True -Look on p The US at 3,618,765 square miles fits into Africa (11, 688,000) almost 3.2 times
2. Africa is composed mostly of desert, jungle, and some grassland. FALSE Look on pp. 420, 422, and 423.
Africa ~ Vegetation 55% Savanna Grassland 25% Desert (increasing) 10% Rain Forest (decreasing)
Savanna Grassland Over 55 % of Africa is savanna – an area of tall grasses with scattered trees. Unlike the rain forest, the savanna has a wet and dry season. The savanna is home to elephants, lions, giraffes, etc.
Savanna Scenes
Desert The Sahara Desert, the largest desert in the world, is in the north of Africa. The Kalahari and Namib Deserts are in the south. The Sahel is narrow band of grassland on the southern edge of the Sahara used for farming & herding.
Rainforest The rainforest is always hot and rainy: average of 100 inches of rain each year. There is a dense canopy of trees that blocks out sunlight. The rainforest is shrinking every year. The rainforest in Africa is found primarily along the Equator in the Congo.
3.Africa has lions, tigers, and many other wild animals. False There are NO tigers in Africa. Tigers are only found in Asia. And less than 1 % of the animal population Africa had in 1900 is left. WHY? There may not be tigers but there are………
Amazing African Wildlife
4.The cultures of Africa are very similar. False There are over 700 different culture groups in Africa.
Images of AFRICA
5. Most of Africa experiences four seasons each year. False There is very little seasonal change due to its tropical location. (Remember-- What is the temperature in tropical areas? ) Seasonal change in most of Africa consists of a wet and dry season (precipitation)—but always hot (temperature)!!
6. Africa is one of the largest countries in the world. False Africa is a CONTINENT with more countries than any other continent.
7. The “Afro” is a hairstyle from Africa. False The Afro is a hairstyle that originated in the United States back in the 1960s.
8. There are very few tribes left in Africa today. False Remember there are over 700 DIFFERENT cultures.
9. Outside of South Africa, there are very few ethnic problems in Africa. FALSE Nearly every African country has experienced political problems related to ethnic or tribal differences. For example, the issue of leadership has been disputed in Uganda, Nigeria, Angola, Ethiopia, Sudan, and Somalia. Horrible civil & tribal wars have erupted in Rwanda and Burundi.
10. Africa is a poor land with few resources. FALSE Africa has a vast amount of resources: 70% of the world’s diamonds 60% of the world’s gold 40% of the water Look at the map on p. 419
11. The people in Africa live in huts. FALSE Africans live in all types of houses. The term “hut” comes from European colonialism. Look on pp. 438 & 441.
12. The male lion is the best hunter of all African cats. FALSE Actually, the female lion does most of the hunting so the KING of the JUNGLE should really be the QUEEN of the Savanna !
13. Africa had no early history or advanced civilizations. FALSE Africans had many advanced civilizations but few written records survived. Many African societies have rich oral histories which were not “recognized” by Europeans as civilized.
14. The largest river in the world is the Nile. FALSE The Nile is the LONGEST river in the world, but the Amazon is the largest in water volume.
15. Most Africans speak the same language. FALSE Look on p. 407 Most Africans speak their tribal language, another tribal or regional language, and a European language (the language of the European colonizing power), usually French. There are also MORE than 800 ethnic languages.
16. Africans are either natives or Europeans. FALSE Everyone is a native of some place, so the term does not only apply to Africans. In Africa there are also Arabs and Asians, as well as over 3000 ethnic groups.
So….. How well did you know Africa? If you are like most of the world, we still have much to learn!