1. I. Physical Features A. Plateaus and Lowlands
1. Almost all of Africa south of the Sahara lies on a series of plateaus.
a) They rise like steps from west to east as well as from the coasts to the interior.
b) The plateaus give Africa south of the Sahara the highest overall elevation of any world region (>1,000ft ASL)
2. In eastern and southern Africa, the edges of plateaus are often marked by escarpments, steep, jagged cliffs.
a) Waterfalls form here.
b) Waterfalls block trade on rivers.

2. I. Physical Features B. Mountains
3. Africa south of the Sahara also has some lowland areas.
a) Narrow plains that border the region’s Atlantic and Indian Ocean coastlines.
b) Among Africa’s plateaus are low, sunken areas called basins.
c) The Congo Basin in central Africa is the largest lowland area in Africa’s interior.
B. Mountains
1. Africa has only a few long mountain ranges and towering summits.
a) In the east are the Ethiopian Highlands, as well as volcanic mountain peaks, such as Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya.
2. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania is the highest peak in the region, rising to a height of 19,341ft.

3. I. Physical Features C. The Great Rift Valley
a) Even though Kilimanjaro is near the Equator there is snow on its summit year round.
3. The Drakensberg Range is in southern Africa.
a) It reaches 11,400 ft. high and is 700 miles long.
b) “Barrier of Pointed Spears”
C. The Great Rift Valley
1. In eastern Africa, the Great Rift Valley stretches about 4,000 miles from Southwest Asia to southern Africa.
2. A rift valley is a large break in the Earth’s surface formed by shifting tectonic plates.
a) The valley floor lies below sea level in some places.

4. I. Physical Features D. Lakes
b) The valley walls rise 2,000 to 3,000 ft. above sea level.
c) Rich volcanic soil for farming.
D. Lakes
1. Most of the region’s large lakes lie in or near East Africa’s Great Rift Valley.
a) Lake Tanganyika is 420 miles long making it the longest fresh water lake in the world.
b) Lake Victoria lies in a low basin and is Africa’s largest lake.
c) These lakes provide freshwater and fish.

5. I. Physical Features E. Rivers
2. Some of the lakes are sources for rivers.
a) Lake Victoria = White Nile, Lake Tana = Blue Nile
b) The White and Blue Nile meet in Sudan to form the Nile River.
3. Lake Chad is in West Africa.
a) Lake Chad changes in size drastically depending on the rainy season.
E. Rivers
1. Africa south of the Sahara has four large river systems – the Nile, the Congo, the Niger, and the Zambezi.
a) All of these rivers begin in the interior plateaus and make their way to the sea.

6. I. Physical Features
b) These rivers are useful if geographic barriers are not present.
c) On the Congo River there are 30 waterfalls which makes travel difficult.
d) A railroad was built to bypass the waterfalls.
2. The Zambezi River in southern Africa plunges over a cliff creating Victoria Falls (420 ft.)
3. The Congo River carves deep gorges, or steep-sided valleys formed when rivers cut through the land.
a) Rivers can also fan out into marshes and lakes which also hinders travel.

7. I. Physical Features F. Mineral Resources
1. Africa south of the Sahara is rich in energy resources.
a) Petroleum deposits along the Atlantic Coast from Nigeria to Angola.
b) Petroleum is also found in Chad and Sudan.
c) Oil has replaced agricultural products as the principal export in these areas.
2. Natural gas is also found in Central African countries along the Atlantic coast.
a) Nigeria, the Dem. Rep. of the Congo, and South Africa have coal deposits.

8. I. Physical Features
b) Hydroelectric power = Akosombo Dam in Ghana.
3. Metals are among the region’s most important mineral resources.
a) Large deposits of iron ore in Zimbabwe, South Africa, and several countries in West and East Africa.
b) Uranium and Copper are also found here.
4. Africa south of the Sahara also has deposits of precious materials.
a) Large deposits of gold in South Africa.
b) Platinum, chromium, and manganese.
5. Many gemstones are mined in Africa south of the Sahara, including diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and sapphires.

9. I. Physical Features a) South Africa is a major diamond producer.
b) Industrial diamonds are used to make drills, saws, and grinding tools.