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Physical Geography of Africa
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Location Where is Africa located?
What are the major landforms of Africa?
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Africa is the only continent in the world that is located in all four hemispheres!
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First, let’s label our maps.
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Mediterranean Sea Atlantic Ocean Red Sea Indian Ocean
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Egypt Sudan South Sudan Rwanda Nigeria Kenya Zimbabwe Dem. Rep. of the Congo South Africa
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Physical features of Africa
Atlas Mountains Horn of Africa Sahara Desert Sahel Great Rift Valley Kalahari Desert Namib Desert
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Major rivers and lakes Nile River Niger River Congo River
Lake Victoria Lake Tanganyika Lake Nyasa Zambezi River
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Now that our maps are labeled, let’s take a closer look at Africa!
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Quiz time …. Which country is the only country to border both the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean? Morocco Which country is the only country to border both the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean? South Africa
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Cape of Good Hope Cape Agulhas
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Cape Agulhas – southernmost point of African continent and dividing line between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans
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(What makes Africa different from other places?)
What types of climate does Africa have? What types of physical features are there in Africa?
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Mediterranean Mediterranean Desert Desert Rainforest Savanna Steppe
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What are the major physical features of Africa?
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Physical features of Africa
Atlas Mountains Horn of Africa Sahara Desert Sahel Great Rift Valley Kalahari Desert Namib Desert
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Sahara Desert Largest HOT desert in the world
Largest HOT desert in the world Temperatures can reach 136 F during the day and below freezing at night!
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Sand blowing from the Sahara … taken from orbiting satellite
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But it wasn’t always a dry, inhabitable place!
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Namib Desert Stretching 1,200 miles in length, but averaging a width of only 70 miles, the Namib Desert is home to the highest sand dunes in the world. Nicknamed the world’s oldest desert.
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Although a vast, dry desert, it doesn’t mean it is void of life
Although a vast, dry desert, it doesn’t mean it is void of life! Let’s take a closer look …
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Savanna A tropical grassland - warm temperatures year-round & highest seasonal rainfall in the summer. characterized by grasses & small & dispersed trees that do not form a closed canopy, allowing sunlight to reach the ground.
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2 million large plant-eating mammals live in the savannas.
Serengeti Plains – largest diversity of hoofed animals in the world including antelopes, wildebeest, buffalos, zebras, & rhinos. Other animals include – lions, African wildcats, monitors and puff adders
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The Serengeti https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ko-tNQbWCbQ
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Major rivers and lakes Nile River Niger River Congo River
Lake Victoria Lake Tanganyika Lake Nyasa Zambezi River
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The Great Lakes of Africa
Lake Victoria Lake Tanganyika Lake Nyasa The Great Lakes of Africa
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Longest lake in the world
Lake Tanganyika Longest lake in the world
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Lake Tanganyika –As seen from space
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Lake Tanganyika Second largest lake of Africa
Longest lake of the world Deepest lake on the African continent Second deepest in the world (Lake Baikal in Russia is the deepest) Oldest lake in Africa and perhaps in the world
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Let’s take a closer look …
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Located in Zimbabwe on the Zambezi River
Victoria Falls Located in Zimbabwe on the Zambezi River
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Victoria Falls is twice as wide and twice as deep as Niagara Falls
Thus creating the largest curtain of water in the world!
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The Zambezi River flowing into Victoria Falls
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To experience Victoria Falls, click on the following link and view the video!
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Mt. Kilimanjaro
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The snow-capped mountain is located in Tanzania and is the highest point in Africa.
Mountains of Africa
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However, Kilimanjaro may not always be snow-capped
However, Kilimanjaro may not always be snow-capped! The glaciers of Kilimanjaro are melting at an alarming rate!
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Let’s watch this video …
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If the current rate of melting continues, scientists predict that the glaciers that have covered Kilimanjaro for over 12,000 years will be totally gone by 2020 – less than 15 years from now!
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Great Rift Valley Arabian tectonic plate African tectonic plate
The valley was created by the movement of two fault lines in the earth, and it is responsible for creating mountains, valleys and lakes found throughout this area. In fact, the highest point on the African continent is found in the Great Rift Valley—Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, which reaches 19,340 feet above sea level. Created through the rifting and separation of the African and Arabian tectonic plates that began 35 million years ago African tectonic plate
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Vast geological feature that runs north to south for 6,000 miles
From Syria in Southwest Asia to Mozambique in East Africa
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As the tectonic plates continue to break apart, the rift will become bigger and bigger until finally breaking off from the rest of the continent of Africa … in about 20 billion years! Thus, creating a whole new island continent!
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Any questions? Study this tonight! Who knows … there just
might be a pop quiz tomorrow!
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Words and places to know…
Sahara Desert Kalahari Desert Savanna Namib Desert Sahel Lake Tanganyika Congo River Lake Victoria Nile River Lake Nyasa Zambezi River Great Rift Valley Niger River Atlas Mountains
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Africa – Physical & Political Maps
Sahara Desert _________________ desert in the world Temperatures can reach ______________ in the day and _______________ at night! In which hemisphere is Africa located? How is this different from other continents in the world? What does hemisphere mean? Namib Desert Nicknamed – world’s _____________________ desert Located in __________________ Africa, along the _________________________ Which country is the only country to border both the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean? Which country is the only country to border both the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean? Savannas Tropical _________________________ ________________ temperatures & highest seasonal rainfall in the ________________all / dispersed trees Most famous - ____________ Lake Tanganyika ___________________ lake in the world _______________ largest lake in Africa ____________ lake on African continent ____________ deepest lake in the world Perhaps, the ___________________ lake in the world What type of climates are found in Africa?
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Words and places to know … Sahara Desert Savanna Sahel Congo River
Victoria Falls Located in ________________________ Located on the _______________ River Largest ___________________ of water in the world Twice as wide and twice as deep as ________________________________ Words and places to know … Sahara Desert Savanna Sahel Congo River Nile River Zambezi River Niger River Atlas Mountains Kalahari Desert Namib Desert Lake Tanganyika Lake Victoria Lake Nyasa Great Rift Valley Mt. Kilimanjaro _______________ point in Africa Located in ________________________ Snow-capped – however – what is happening to Kilmanjaro’s glacier? Great Rift Valley Created by ________________ & _________________ tectonic plates separating Stretches ______________ miles – north to south – from __________________ to Mozambique in East Africa
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