1. AFRICA

2. Africa is a huge, diverse continent home to many different kinds of physical features from deserts to plains, and highlands to rainforests.
The Sahara is the world’s largest desert, dominates land and life in North Africa
Grassy plains called Savannas stretch across large parts of the continent. Home to much African wildlife
In East Africa, Earth’s crust is slowly being pulled apart causing wide rift valleys to form.
The Sahara
Savannas
Rift Valleys

3. Political Map V. Resources Map
Turn to pages
Look at the Resources map.
What are the major resources of Africa?
Coal, natural gas, oil, hydroelectric power, gold, silver, platinum, diamonds, uranium, other minerals, seafood
Where is oil found? How does it affect economies in the region?
Most oil is located along the west-central coast and in northern Africa. These countries may have strong economies because they can export so much oil.

4. Political Map V. Resources
Now compare the Resources map to the Political Map:
What countries use water resources to produce hydroelectric power?
Egypt, Nigeria, Zambia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Algeria, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo
1) What mainland countries have no resources? 2)What economic activities do you think they depend upon?
Mali, Chad, Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia, Uganda, Malawi.
Economic activities in this country may include farming and raising livestock.

5. Climate Types

6. Africa is divided into 5 Regions:

7. North Africa: Physical Features
The Nile
The Nile River is the world’s longest river flowing upward about 4,000 miles; empties into the Mediterranean Sea
For centuries rain to the south caused floods in the north leaving rich silt in the surrounding fields.
Silt: finely ground fertile soil that is good for growing crops

8. North Africa: Physical Geography
The Sinai and Suez Canal
Desert and rocky mountains cover the Sinai Peninsula. Between the Sinai and rest of Egypt is the Suez Canal: a narrow waterway that connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea.

9. North Africa: Physical Geography
The Sahara
Largest desert in the world.
Few people live there. Small settlements are located near a water source such as an oasis; a wet fertile area where a natural spring or well provides water.
The Sahara desert is not flat. Some sand dunes and ridges are as high as 1,000 feet and the Atlas Mountains rise as high as 13,600 feet!

10. North Africa: Climate and Resources
Three Main Climates:
Desert: Very dry covers most of the region. Very hot during the day ( up to 136° F) and drop quickly after sunset.
Mediterranean: northern coast consists of moist, mild winters and hot, dry summers.
Steppe: Areas between coast and Sahara
Oil and gas are important resources.

11. West Africa: Physical Features
Plains and Highlands:
Coastal plain is home to most of the region’s cities. Interior plains provide land where people grow crops.
Tibesti Mountains to the northeast
The Niger River
Flows 2,600 miles, empties into the Gulf of Guinea
Many people farm along its banks or fish
Important transportation route especially during rainy season

12. West Africa: Climate
Four different climate regions: “zonal”, meaning organized by zone
Sahara- hardly any vegetation, dry climate, few or no people
Sahel- strip of land dividing desert from wetter areas, steppe climate. Desertification- spread of desert-like conditions
Savanna- Tall grasses, scattered trees and shrubs
Humid tropical- lies along coasts of Atlantic and Gulf of Guinea

13. West Africa: Resources
Variety of resources including agricultural products, oil, and minerals (diamonds, gold, iron ore, bauxite- main source of aluminum)
Ghana leading producer of cacao (used to make chocolate)
West Africa’s main exports include coffee, coconuts, and peanuts

14. West Africa: History
One of the earliest kingdoms was Ghana. Controlled the Sahara trade in gold and salt became rich and powerful in 800.
Empire of Mali replaced Ghana in about 1300 gaining control of the trade routes
Mansa Musa was Mali’s most famous king
Invasions caused the decline of Mali in the 1500s
Replaced by kingdom of Songhai
Timbuktu was the cultural center with a university, mosques, and over 100 schools
Declined around 1600 when Europeans began trading along coast

15. West Africa: History The Slave Trade
For a while European and Africans traded with each other however demand for labor in American colonies changed that.
European traders met demand by selling enslaved Africans to the colonists
Devastated West Africa: families were split apart, many died on the voyage. By the end of the slave trade in 1800s millions had been enslaved.
After end of slave trade France, Britain, Germany, and Portugal claimed colonies to access resources. Most of these did not become dependent until after WWII

16. East Africa: Physical Features
Rift Valleys: Places on Earth’s surface where the crust stretches until it breaks.
Great Rift Valley is the largest rift on the Earth
Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa rising 19,340 feet!
Home to one of the largest plains called the Serengeti Plain. Wildlife includes elephants, giraffes, lions, and zebras.
Lake Victoria- Africa’s largest lake

17. East Africa: Climate and Vegetation
Location on equator and differences in elevation influence climate and vegetation.
North of the equator has cool, highland climate. Most of the population lives in highland region.
Areas near equator receive greatest amount of rainfall
Areas farther from equator are much drier and droughts are common causing crops and grasses for cattle die, people begin to starve

18. East Africa: Religion
Christianity and Islam influenced the lives of many East Africans. Other influences included trade, the arrival of Europeans, ethnic conflict, and independence
Christianity was first introduced as early as 300 AD
By about 700 AD Islam spread from Egypt to Northern Sudan and spread to the Indian Ocean coast to what is now Somalia
Many city-states became major Islamic centers controlling trade on the coast

19. Central Africa: Physical Features
Congo Basin- generally flat region surrounded by higher land such as mountains and plateaus
Congo River is fed by hundreds of smaller rivers. Provides important transportation route to the interior of the region
Victoria Falls is located on the Zambezi River

20. Central Africa: Climate, Vegetation, and Animals
Lies along the equator. Congo Basin has a humid tropical climate.
Large, dense tropical forest
Gorillas, elephants, wild boars, okapis live on the forest floor. People hunt large animals for food. National Parks have been set up to promote protection
Forests are in danger: rapidly being cleared for farming and logging.

21. Central Africa: Resources
Most people are subsistence farmers ( grow coffee, bananas, and corn)
People trade products in periodical markets, open air trading markets set up once or twice a week
Copper is the most important resource in this region.
Poor transportation systems and political problems have kept regions resources from being fully developed.

22. Daily life in Cameroon
Mosquito netting on bed to protect from insects and Malaria
My friend with her “host sister”
Eating with her “host family”, the family she lived with while in the Peace Corps

23. Lokoti, Cameroon

24. Cameroon
Girls at school in Lokoti, Cameroon

25. Southern Africa: Physical Geography
Most of the land lies on a large plateau. The steep face at the edge of the plateau is called an escarpment.
Many rivers flow in this regions providing irrigation for farmland. Also home to animals such as crocodiles, zebra, hippos.

26. Southern Africa: Climate and Vegetation
Climate varies from east to west. The east coast is wet, whereas the west is very dry.