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Published byEvangeline Payne Modified over 8 years ago
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Africa
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Geography The worlds second largest continent 55 Nations; most of any continent Between two oceans; Atlantic & Indian –Part of major trade routes since ancient times
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Regions North Africa – above the Sahara Desert –Linked to the Middle East culturally West Africa – extends into Atlantic –Part of major slave trade routes to new world Central Africa – home to Africa’s tropical rain forests South Africa – crucial to trade b/w oceans East Africa – Great Rift Valley, fertile land
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Landforms Africa is a continent of Plateaus The land made exploration difficult for Europeans Great Rift Valley – a split in the African Continent –Rich in natural resources –Hard to mine and transport because of the rough terrain
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Rivers Provide food, transportation, and irrigation and hydroelectric power Major Rivers –Nile, Zaire (Congo), Niger, Zambezi
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Nile River – East Africa Longest flowing river in the world 4,160 miles Home to early civilizations –Predictable floods supported huge population Aswan High Dam –Pros – Hydroelectric Power, Irrigation –Cons – Farmers upstream now need to purchase fertilizers
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Nile River Route and its tributaries
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Zaire (Congo) River –Central Africa –Provides hydroelectric power –Cannot be navigated with boats –Poor for trade Niger River –West Africa –Provides water for irrigation –Floods predictably
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Zaire (Congo) River
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Niger River
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Zambezi River Southern Africa Creates Victoria Falls, 1 mile wide and 420 ft. high, between Zambia and Zimbabwe The Kariba Dam provides hydroelectric power
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Victoria Falls (Zambezi River)
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Homework Page 61 – Great Rift Valley 1, 2 Page 64 – 3 a, b, c
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Africa’s Natural Resources
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Rich source of resources Gold and Diamonds can be found in Africa’s rivers Europeans mined much of their gold from west Africa beginning in the Age of Discovery Power-Wealth-Trade
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Africa’s Resources Today Copper – Zaire and Zambia Platinum and Cobalt – S. Africa, Zaire, and Botswana Oil – Nigeria, Botswana, Libya, Algeria, and Gabon Profits from African nations often end up in foreign countries
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Resource Distribution The countries without resources must purchase their goods and resources Countries without mineral resources grow cash crops if the soil and climate cooperate
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Adapting to the Land Societies developed near sources of water –Farming, hunting and gathering, herding, fishing, urban Major urban areas developed on the Mediterranean Coast, western savannas, and East Coast
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Language More than 1,000 languages Groups only a few miles apart often speak different languages –Small tribes migrated constantly and used their own language Scholars group African Languages into large families Trade and diffusion created new languages
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Climate and Diversity
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Climate Facts Most tropical of all the continents Temperature is warm to hot Therefore, rainfall determines the climate in Africa Colder temperatures seen in higher elevations Precipitation – Less than an inch to more than 80 inches
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Climate Map of Africa
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Tropical Wet – 8% of Africa Home of the rainforests Average Temp – 80 F Average Rain – 60-120 inches per year Leaching destroys soil, unsuitable for farming Moisture feeds disease and destroys daily items Concrete and steel are expensive fixes
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Tropical Wet and Dry – 50% of Africa Rainfall varies by season –Summer – Hot temps & Rainy Season –Winter – Warm temps & Dry Season Major Feature –Savanna – grasslands that cover half the continent. More rain near the equator support plant and wild life –Unpredictable rainfall makes daily life difficult –Desertification – land turning into deserts
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Deserts and Desertification
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Deserts – 40% of Africa Sahara – Means ‘desert’ in Arabic –Larger than the continental United States –Rain rarely falls, less than 10 inches a year –Temperatures reach as high as 130 F –Traders traveled across the Sahara Diffusion of European, Asian, and African cultures Kalahari – Southern Africa –More rain than the Sahara allows food to grow
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The Sahara Desert
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Kalahari Desert
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Deserts – 40% of Africa Namib Desert – one of the driest places on Earth –One of the oldest deserts in the world: 80 million years –Averages less than.4 inches of rain a year –Dune 7: the highest sand dune in the world, 383 meters ~ 1200 feet
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Namib Desert
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Mediterranean - ~2% The Southern Tip and the Northern Coast Climate similar to LA –Hot, Dry Summer –Cool, Wet Winter Fertile soil good for farming Major travel destination
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Mediterranean Zones are in Purple
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Homework Why does uneven resource distribution affect a nations ability to modernize? How has modernization altered life for people who live on Africa’s rivers? How has unpredictable rainfall and desertification complicated life in Central Africa? Read page 69-70 –What diseases come from the different climate zones?
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Homework Page 71 #6 AND How can scientists use language to track the movement of groups of people?
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Identifications Escarpment Cataract Leaching Diffusion Desertification Pharaoh Hieroglyphics Olduvai Gorge Sahel Swahili
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