1. Africa
The Ancient Romans called the continent Africa from the Latin word aprica meaning sunny….

2. Africa World’s 2nd largest continent.
Location: Almost centered on the equator, which affects its vegetation, climate, and population patterns.
Continent stands between Atlantic Ocean (west) and Indian Ocean (east). Mediterranean Sea in the north and the Red Sea in the Northeast also border Africa

3. Africa
Regions: North Africa, West Africa, East Africa, Central Africa, and Southern Africa.
Each region is unique and has it’s own identity.
Regional differences contribute to the diversity of African peoples.
Rich in natural resources, but unevenly distributed

4. Regions
North Africa stretches from Morocco in the west to Egypt in the East. Location contributes to its historical ties to Europe and Middle East.

5. Regions
North Africa linked to the regions south of the Sahara. These regions are often referred to as sub-Saharan Africa.

6. Regions South of Sahara, West Africa bulges to Atlantic
Central Africa, includes the large nation of Democratic Republic of the Congo (on equator).
East Africa largest nations are Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. Great Rift Valley-a series of mountains and valley’s slices eastern part of continent
Southern Africa: SA, Zimbabwe, Zambia

7. Africa
Region: 650 million of Africa’s 800 million people live south of the Sahara.
Divided into more than 800 ethnic groups, each with it’s own language, religion, and culture.

8. Landforms Mt. Kilimanjaro
Most Africa = 2/3’s either desert or dry lands
Mt. Kilimanjaro
Mountain ranges toward the edges (Atlas Mts in NW & Drakensberg Mts in SE)
Highest Plateaus in East (Mt. Kilimanjaro)
Escarpments: steep cliffs divide plateaus from coastal plains
Cataracts: large waterfalls

9. Africa: Cradle of Civilization?
Anthropologists claim that Homo Erectus, the walking predecessors of modern humans, migrated from Africa about 1.8 million years ago. *
Birthplace? Olduvai in Tanzania
*Source: Palmer, R.R. “A history of The Modern World,” McGraw-Hill, pg. 1

11. Great Rift Valley Flanking the Rift Valley are high, cliff like walls.
Soils have washed down into valley
The valley contains some of Africa’s most fertile farmland. Valley is rich in minerals & metals. Mining and transportation difficult due to terrain.

12. Great Rift Valley Split along East that extends 4,000 miles
Plates of Earth’s crust have moved apart, volcanic activity created Mt. Kilimanjaro and Mt. Kenya .

15. Climate and Diversity
Four Major Climate Zones: differences in amount of rainfall distinguish each zone.
Rainfall –or lack of it-determines climate on the continent.
Money in Botswana called, pula = rain
Northern and Southern half are mirror images of each other. Climates are: tropical wet, tropical wet and dry, desert, & Mediterranean.

16. Deserts of Africa
Deserts cover nearly 40% of Africa…Sahara in the north and Kalahari and Namib (na-mib) in the south
Sahara Desert is larger than continental U.S. Temp’s can reach as high as 130 F., can go years w/o rain, avg. less than 10 in. annually
Sahara historically both a barrier and a highway for travel-camel caravans salt and goods
Namib Desert, one of driest places on Earth

18. Desertification
Process by which land becomes increasingly dry until almost no vegetation grows on it, making it a desert

19. Desertification: Process of becoming a desert
How? Natural forces and human action put land at risk. Grazing herds destroy the roots of the grasses, so the thin layer of topsoil turns to dust.
Desertification Big Problems associated with it
Famine, leads to no crops to eat cause no water for plants, poor soil
Conflict
Migration

21. Desertification and the Problems associated with it
Social Disruption Desertification increases drought, poverty and hunger around the world! It also contributes to increased social violence, abuse of women and children, cultural genocide and emigration to cities and other countries.
Climate Change
Poverty
Water issues such as runoff and flooding (leads to drought)
Famine

22. So how to address the problem? (Desertification reading and worksheet)
Preventing soil exhaustion
Diversify production
Land restoration
Reducing the herd
One way that incorporates all of these is something called “Holistic Management” which results in ecologically regenerative, economically viable and socially sound management of the world’s grasslands!

23. How to address the problem? Tunisia (Northern Africa)
Tunisia: crops planted along the contour line is a sensible method to adapt agricultural practices to topographic realities.
*this is effective in preventing soil exhaustion © Yann Arthus-Bertrand / Earth from Above/ UNESCO

24. How to address the problem? Mali (Western Africa)
Mali: diversifying agricultural production better employs land resources and prevents over production of a sole product. In the drylands and oases, man has had to devise clever ways to exploit the fragile natural resources in a sustainable way.  © Yann Arthus-Bertrand / Earth from Above / UNESCO 

25. How to address the problem? South Africa
South Africa: holistic land management land restoration is possible as seen here! The most promising – if not the only – way to effect this positive change on a large-scale is use properly managed livestock to restore the grasslands of the world. © Yann Arthus-Bertrand / Earth from Above/ UNESCO
1 cow every 44 acres versus 1 cow every 68 acres

26. Allan Savory: Grassland ecosystem pioneer
Holistic management
Hear Allan Savory:
AFRICA CENTRE FOR HOLISTIC MANAGEMENT
This is an excellent website