1. Physical Geography of Africa
 2011 Clairmont Press

2. Atlas Mountains Located along the of the Mediterranean Sea
Separates the coastal
regions from the
Sahara Desert

3. Sahara Desert Runs across the width of northern Africa
World’s largest desert
Comprised of sand dunes,
rocky hills, and wide
stretches of gravel
Few people live there
Traders cross the desert to
trade

4. Sahel Located south of the Sahara
A dry, semi-arid region that is slowly turning into desert
Little rainfall
People have tried to live there, but generations of overgrazing and deforestation have caused soil erosion

5. Savanna Located near the Equator Vast area of grassland
and more tropical
habitats
Large variety of wildlife,
including lions and
elephants
Farming is good, when
there is good rainfall

6. Rainforest Located along the central coast Hot and humid climates,
with dense forests with
trees that are hundreds
of feet tall
Large variety of animals
Biggest threat: population
growth that requires logs
for fuel

7. Kalahari Desert Located in the southern part of Africa
Surrounded by semi
arid areas that are
slowly becoming drier

8. Nile River World’s longest river
Flows northward for over 4,000 miles and empties into the Mediterranean Sea
White Nile and Blue Nile are tributaries
Provides water for Sudan and Egypt

9. Nile River
Why do you think the area around the Nile River looks green from space?
What is the term used to describe what happens at the mouth of the river, shown above?

10. Lake Victoria Largest lake in Africa White Nile begins here
Located in central Africa

11. Congo River
Flows through central and west Africa, through the largest rainforest in Africa and the second largest in the world.
Begins in central Africa, near Lake Tanganyika
Flows almost 3,000 miles before it reaches the Atlantic Coast

12. Lake Tanganyika One of the largest freshwater lakes in the world
Located in central Africa
One of the deepest lakes
in the world

13. Niger River Third largest river in Africa Flows from Guinea over 2,600
miles to the coast
Mouth of the river flows into a
large delta, sometimes
referred to the “Oil Delta”
because of the petroleum
industry centered there