1. Splash Screen

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Chapter Introduction
Section 1 The Land
Section 2 Climate and Vegetation
Chapter Summary & Study Guide
Chapter Assessment
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Contents

3. Intro 1

4. Chapter Objectives
Identify the major landforms, water systems, and natural resources of Africa south of the Sahara. 
Describe the relationship between climate and vegetation in the region.
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Intro 2

5. As you read this chapter, use your journal to compare and contrast the physical geography of Africa south of the Sahara with that of Latin America. List similarities and differences in your journal.
Intro 3

6. End of Intro

7. The Land
Objectives
Describe the major landforms in Africa south of the Sahara. 
Explain how the land affects the water systems of Africa south of the Sahara. 
List the most important natural resources of Africa south of the Sahara.
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Section 1-1

8. The Land Terms to Know escarpment  cataract  rift valley  fault 
delta 
estuary
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Section 1-2

9. The Land Places to Locate Ruwenzori Mountains  Drakensberg Range 
Great Rift Valley 
Lake Victoria 
Niger River 
Zambezi River 
Congo River
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Section 1-3

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Section 1-4

11. At nearly 27,000 square miles (69,500 sq
At nearly 27,000 square miles (69,500 sq. km), Lake Victoria is the world’s second-largest freshwater lake, after Lake Superior in North America. Lake Albert, named for Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert, is much smaller, at only a little over 2,000 square miles (5,300 sq. km). However, it is nearly 100 feet deeper than Lake Victoria, which is substantially shallower than most of the world’s other large lakes.
Section 1-5

12. Landforms
Plateaus, Mountains, and Highlands Africa south of the Sahara is a series of plateaus that rise in elevation from the coast inland and from west to east. 
The Ruwenzori Mountains, which form the border between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, are one of the few mountain ranges in the region.
(pages 499–500)
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Section 1-6

13. Landforms (cont.)
The Great Rift Valley The Great Rift Valley, stretching from Syria to Mozambique, was formed millions of years ago by shifting tectonic plates. 
Volcanic mountains, including Kilimanjaro, rise at its edges, and deep lakes run parallel to its length.
(pages 499–500)
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Section 1-7

14. Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the answer.
Landforms (cont.)
Why do you think so much of the African continent can be studied as one region?
It is characterized by a series of plateaus that rise from the coast inland and from west to east.
(pages 499–500)
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Section 1-8

15. Water Systems
Africa’s rivers originate high in the plateaus and flow toward the sea. Rapids and waterfalls make it impossible to navigate most of the rivers from mouth to source.
(pages 500–504)
Section 1-9

16. Water Systems (cont.)
Land of Lakes Most of the region’s lakes are near the Great Rift Valley. 
Lake Victoria, the largest lake in Africa, lies between the eastern and western branches of the Great Rift.
(pages 500–504)
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Section 1-10

17. Water Systems (cont.)
A Lake Meets Many Needs The human-made Lake Volta in West Africa was created in the 1960s by damming the Volta River. 
The lake is a source of hydroelectric power and supplies water for irrigation farming. 
It also has an abundance of fish.
(pages 500–504)
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Section 1-11

18. Water Systems (cont.)
River Basins The Niger River, the main artery of western Africa, flows 2,600 miles (4,184 km) northeast and then curves southeast. 
As the river nears the Atlantic Ocean at Nigeria’s coast, it forms a delta 150 miles (241 km) long. 
The 2,900 miles (4,667 km) of the Congo River form the largest network of navigable waterways on the continent.
(pages 500–504)
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Section 1-12

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Water Systems (cont.)
(pages 500–504)
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Section 1-13

20. Water Systems (cont.)
Daunting Physical Barriers Between the late 1400s and early 1700s, Europeans were limited to trading with Africans from offshore islands or at coastal forts. 
Inland water travel was nearly impossible because of waterfalls, rapids, sandbars, and sometimes dry riverbeds.
(pages 500–504)
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Section 1-14

21. Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the answer.
Water Systems (cont.)
How do Africa’s rivers both foster and limit transportation?
Parts of these rivers are navigable even by large ships. However, it is not possible to navigate the full length of the rivers. Cargo can be transported only so far inland before it must to be unloaded for land transport. The same is true of passenger ships. This may mean that there are areas that cannot easily trade with other areas and that there are places to which people can travel only with difficulty.
(pages 500–504)
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Section 1-15

22. Natural Resources
Mineral resources of the region include oil, uranium, diamonds, and about half the world’s supply of gold. 
Water is an abundant resource for irrigation and hydroelectric power, but irregular and unpredictable rainfall poses a challenge to the control and use of this power. 
Solar power provides a vital source of power to rural areas. Between 1986 and 1996, 20,000 small-scale solar power systems were installed in Kenya.
(page 504)
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Section 1-16

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Natural Resources (cont.)
How do you think Africans might make better use of their water supply?
They might build dams, dredge and redirect rivers and streams, or build industries near sources of water.
(page 504)
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Section 1-17

24. Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the answers.
Checking for Understanding
Define Match each definition in the left column with the appropriate term in the right column.
__ 1. a crack in the earth’s surface created by shifting
__ 2. a crack or break in the earth’s crust
__ 3. an area where the tide meets a river current
__ 4. a large waterfall
__ 5. steep cliff or slope between a higher and lower land surface
__ 6. alluvial deposit at a river’s mouth that looks like the Greek letter delta (Δ) C
A. escarpment
B. cataract
C. rift valley
D. fault
E. delta
F. estuary D F B A E
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Section 1-18

25. Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the answer.
Critical Thinking
Identifying Cause and Effect Physical features such as the Sahara to the north and oceans to the east and west isolated Africa south of the Sahara from other regions. What effects did this isolation have?
For some time, goods, ideas, people, and conflicts from other regions did not easily spread to Africa south of the Sahara.
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Section 1-19

26. Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the answer.
Critical Thinking
Making Inferences Considering the region’s physical geography, what advancement in transportation do you think has contributed the most to improved travel in Africa?
Air travel has greatly improved travel in the region. Travelers can cross areas where roads and rivers are not navigable.
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Section 1-20

27. Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the answer.
Analyzing Maps
Place Study this map. What do most of the countries with elevations of less than 1,000 feet (300 m) have in common?
They are located along the coast.
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Section 1-21

28. Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the answer.
Applying Geography
Identifying Cause and Effect As a geographer from Kenya, write a paper on the geological process that caused the formation of the Great Rift Valley to deliver to the National Council for Geographic Education.
Possible answer: The Great Rift Valley was formed millions of years ago by a shift in tectonic plates, which created a system of faults in the earth’s crust. Volcanic eruptions and earthquakes also contributed to the unique landscape of the valley and continue to shape it today.
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Section 1-22

29. Close
Imagine you are traveling to Africa south of the Sahara for the first time. What physical feature do you most want to see? Write a letter to a friend or family member explaining why you want to see your chosen feature.
Section 1-23

30. End of Section 1

31. Climate and Vegetation
Objectives
Relate the geographic factors that affect climate in Africa. 
Identify the kinds of climate and vegetation that are found in Africa south of the Sahara.
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Section 2-1

32. Climate and Vegetation
Terms to Know
leach 
harmattan 
savanna
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Section 2-2

33. Climate and Vegetation
Places to Locate
Serengeti Plain 
Sahel 
Namib Desert 
Kalahari Desert
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Section 2-3

34. Click the Speaker button to listen to the audio again.
Section 2-4

35. The dry climate of Namibia has contributed to the preservation of the rock art of ancient peoples. Granite caves and rock shelters house a great variety of images of hunters, as well as of giraffes, antelopes, and other animals, painted in warm pigments of red, yellow, ochre, and brown. These caves were first occupied around 800 B.C. Although paintings from this period have long faded, many later ones remain intact.
Section 2-5

36. Tropical Climate
Tropical Rain Forest Dense tropical rain forest covers the land near the Equator in central Africa. 
The region has warm temperatures and receives 60 inches of rain each year.
(pages 505–508)
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Section 2-6

37. Tropical Climate (cont.)
Cutting Crops at a Cost Cash crops in rain forest areas include bananas, pineapples, coffee, cocoa, and rubber grown on large plantations. 
Farmers and loggers are clear-cutting so much land that the rain forest may disappear.
(pages 505–508)
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Section 2-7

38. Tropical Climate (cont.)
Savanna Savanna, or tropical grassland with scattered trees, covers about half of Africa. 
The harmattan–hot, dry air from the Sahara–dries the moisture left from heavy summer rains, while cool, humid air blows in from the southwest.
(pages 505–508)
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Section 2-8

39. Click the Speaker button to listen to the audio again.
Tropical Climate (cont.)
(pages 505–508)
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Section 2-9

40. Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the answer.
Tropical Climate (cont.)
Why do you think so many of Africa’s large mammals live in the savanna?
It provides zebras and other grazing animals with plenty of grass. These animals are a food source for lions and other meat-eating mammals. Grassy plains with few trees are perfect for both herding and hunting animals.
(pages 505–508)
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Section 2-10

41. Dry Climates
Steppe A semiarid steppe separates the savanna from the desert. 
The northern edge of the steppe–the Sahel–has natural pastures of grasses, shrubs, and acacia trees.
(pages 508–509)
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Section 2-11

42. Dry Climates (cont.)
Desertification Increasing amounts of productive land in the Sahel has turned into desert. 
People have stripped more and more of the steppe’s vegetation for firewood or farming. 
As a result, desertification has advanced, stressing human and animal populations that struggle to survive.
(pages 508–509)
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Section 2-12

43. Dry Climates (cont.)
Desert Isolated parts of southern Africa are deserts. 
The Namib Desert runs along the Atlantic coast of Namibia. 
The Kalahari Desert occupies eastern Namibia, most of Botswana, and part of South Africa.
(pages 508–509)
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Section 2-13

44. Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the answer.
Dry Climates (cont.)
What might result if desertification continues unchecked?
There could be massive starvation, destruction of wildlife, and a warmer climate if desertification continues unchecked.
(pages 508–509)
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Section 2-14

45. Moderate Climates
Coastal areas of South Africa and highlands regions in East Africa enjoy moderate climates with comfortable temperatures and enough rain for farming.
(pages 508–509)
Section 2-15

46. Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the answer.
Moderate Climates (cont.)
Where in the region might the climate be similar to what most North Americans are accustomed to?
Americans would be most used to the climate in coastal South Africa or the highlands of East Africa.
(pages 508–509)
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Section 2-16

47. Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the answers.
Checking for Understanding
Define Match each definition in the left column with the appropriate term in the right column.
__ 1. a tropical grassland containing scattered trees
__ 2. to wash nutrients out of the soil
__ 3. hot, dry air from the Sahara C
A. leach
B. harmattan
C. savanna A B
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Section 2-17

48. Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the answer.
Critical Thinking
Making Predictions Do you think desertification will continue in Africa south of the Sahara? Explain your answer.
Possible answer: Desertification will continue. Vegetation has been destroyed by people, their animals, and the climate, and without rain it is unlikely that new vegetation will grow.
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Section 2-18

49. Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the answer.
Critical Thinking
Identifying Cause and Effect In what ways are people affecting Africa’s tropical rain forests?
People are using more land for farming, and commercial loggers are clear-cutting tropical timber.
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Section 2-19

50. Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the answer.
Critical Thinking
Making Generalizations How does physical geography affect the climate and vegetation in this region?
Areas at higher elevations have cooler temperatures and receive plentiful precipitation, which results in lush vegetation.
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Section 2-20

51. Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the answer.
Analyzing Maps
Region Study the maps on the right. Which climate regions lie on the Equator? What kind of vegetation thrives there?
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Section 2-21

52. Analyzing Maps
Tropical rain forest, tropical savanna, steppe, highlands, and desert climate regions are on the equator. The vegetation that thrives there is tropical forest and tropical grassland.
Section 2-22

53. Applying Geography
Rainfall’s Impact As a geographer studying rainfall in Africa south of the Sahara, write a report explaining how precipitation defines climate and vegetation there.
Section 2-23

54. Close
Summarize orally what you have learned about climate and vegetation in Africa south of the Sahara. What questions do you still have about the region’s climate and vegetation?
Section 2-24

55. End of Section 2

56. Section 1: The Land (pages 499–504)
Key Points
Africa south of the Sahara is a series of step-like plateaus, rising in a few places to mountains and slashed in the east by a rift valley. 
High elevations and narrow coastal plains characterized by escarpments have made traveling to Africa’s interior very difficult. 
The region’s water systems include numerous long, large, or deep lakes; spectacular waterfalls; and great rivers that drain expansive basins. 
Minerals and water are the region’s most abundant natural resources.
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Chapter Summary 1

57. Section 2: Climate and Vegetation
Key Points
(pages 505–509)
Rainfall, tropical latitudes, nearness to the Equator, ocean air masses, and elevation are the main factors influencing climate variations in Africa south of the Sahara. 
The region can be divided into four main climate zones: tropical rain forest, savanna, steppe, and desert. 
Moderate climates such as humid subtropical and marine west coast are also found in Africa south of the Sahara.
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Chapter Summary 2