1. Africa’s Geography

2. General Information 2nd largest continent 3.3 times larger than US
20.2% of Earth’s land
1.1 billion people

3. Remember: Africa is a CONTINENT,
not a country

4. The Land

5. Much of Africa covered by plateaus

7. Because there are Plateaus…
Escarpments - steep cliffs at edge of plateaus

8. Cataracts - large waterfalls & rapids at edge of plateaus

9. Great Rift Valley Series of mountains & valleys
Run north to south along eastern Africa for 3,000 miles
(from northern Sudan to central Mozambique)

12. Mt. Kilimanjaro Highest Peak in Africa (19,340 ft.)
Located along Great Rift Valley

13. Rivers and Lakes Used for: Irrigation Transportation
Power (hydroelectric dams)

14. Nile River World’s longest river (4,150 miles)
Nile begins in the northern Great Rift Valley
Aswan Dam

17. Aswan Dam

18. Lake Chad

19. Located where Niger, Nigeria, and Chad meet
1972
1987
Located where Niger, Nigeria, and Chad meet
Desertification is causing Lake Chad to decrease in size

20. Desertification - the turning of semi-desert into desert; This is often caused by people, not nature.

21. Lake Victoria
Largest Lake in Africa & 2nd largest freshwater lake in the world (26,830 sq. miles)
Located in the Great Rift Valley

23. Victoria Falls 1 mile wide with a maximum drop of 420 feet
Southern Africa (not near Lake Victoria)

25. Lake Victoria
Lake Victoria & Victoria Falls are NOT NEAR EACH OTHER
Victoria Falls

26. Niger River

27. Congo River & Congo River Basin

28. Natural Resources Many countries lack $ to develop resources
Uneven distribution of resources
Examples: Precious metals
Industrial Metals
Oil

29. Rainfall 2 seasons: wet & dry
seasons opposite on either side of equator
Rain amounts vary greatly

30. Climate Zones

31. Desert
Over 40% of Africa is desrt

32. Sahara About 1/3 of the continent
Largest desert in the world (Antarctica does not count!)
Size of US(3.5 million sq. mi)
Rock-strewn plains, rolling sand dunes, mountains, and sand seas

35. Kalahari Desert
Covers much of Botswana, southwest South Africa & western Namibia
Some rain; grasses, shrubs & some animals
Namib Desert along the coast

38. Tropical Wet & Dry Climate Region
Largest climate zone in Africa
Savanna
Unpredictable rain
Population growth causes deforestation & desertification

39. Sahel Area separating the savanna from the Sahara Receives little rain
Human populations are causing its destruction (desertification)

40. Tropical Wet Climate Region
Rainforest
Small part of Africa
Poor soil
Diseases make it difficult to live in

42. Mediterranean Climate Zone
Mild climate (like Los Angeles)
Fertile soil - crops & herding
Attracted European settlers

43. Geography Leads to Diversity
Africa is considered to be made up of two cultural regions: North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa

44. Hundreds of languages are spoken throughout Africa
Ex. Swahili - As Arabs traded with East Africa words of the Arabic language blended with the local African language