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Geography of Africa An Introduction
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Standards SSWH6 The student will describe the diverse characteristics of early African societies before 1800 CE. e. Analyze the role of geography and the distribution of resources played in the development of trans-Saharan trading networks.
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Physical Geography PHYSICAL FEATURES Sahara Desert smooth coastline
lack of navigable rivers Great Rift Valley high plateau Fertile soil along the Nile River encouraged the rise of great civilizations (ex. Egypt)
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Physical Geography RESULT Groups are kept separate
800 different languages are spoken in modern Africa Many geographic features in Africa have prevented contact, trade & unity among peoples Many of these same features limit European knowledge of Africa “the Dark Continent”
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True desert spreads into semi-arid regions
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Topography Deserts Sahara Desert 40% of the land surface of Africa
slows cultural diffusion - does not totally prevent it Sahara -- North Africa Size of the U.S. majority is rock and gravel Kalahari--Southwest Africa Sahara Desert
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Desertification - Causes
Farmers use semi-arid land next to desert - yields poor crop Overgrazing by cattle and goats Overcutting of trees for firewood With no grass or tree roots, the topsoil blows away, the desert advances Somalia
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Solutions Crop rotation Terracing to prevent soil from washing away
Tree belts to stop erosion and hold soil in place
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Rivers Congo - 3000 miles long
Niger - ancient civilizations flourished here Zambezi - Victoria Falls, used for hydro-electric power Therefore, the interior of Africa remained largely unexplored Zambezi Gorge
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The Nile 4,180 miles long (world’s longest!!) flows NORTH
Source - - Lake Victoria Delta - - Egypt Floods annually One of the most densely populated region in Africa
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Coastline Smooth Few natural harbors - hard to land ships
Skeleton Coast, Namibia
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Climate - determined by rainfall, latitude and elevation
Savanna - 40%, safari!! Tropical Rainforest - 8%, Desert - 40% Mediterranean - 12%, good farm land About 85% of the land is not suited to farming
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Natural Resources Farming Minerals Water
peanuts, cotton, cocoa, coffee Minerals diamonds, gold, copper, cobalt Water hydroelectric power
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A Satellite View of Africa
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Rift Valley, Kenya
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Savannah Savannah
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Sahara Desert Sahel Deserts Kalahari Desert
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The Sahel
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Bodies Of Water Mediterranean Sea Red Sea Nile River Niger River
L. Chad--> <--Gulf of Aden L. Albert--> Congo River L. Victoria L. Tanganyika-> Indian Ocean Atlantic Ocean Zambezi River Limpopo River Orange River Pacific Ocean
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Mountains & Peaks Atlas Mts. Drajensburg Mts. Ruwenzori Mts.
Δ Mt. Kenya Δ Mt. Kilimanjaro Ruwenzori Mts. Drajensburg Mts.
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Vegetation Zones
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The Complete Topography Of AFRICA Mediterranean Sea Atlas Mts.
Libyan Desert The Complete Topography Of AFRICA Tropic of Cancer 20° N Sahara Desert Red Sea Sahel Nile River Niger River L. Chad--> Great Rift Valley <--Gulf of Aden L. Albert--> Equator 0° Δ Mt. Kenya Congo River L. Victoria Δ Mt. Kilimanjaro L. Tanganyika-> Indian Ocean Ruwenzori Mts. Atlantic Ocean Zambezi River Namib Desert Kalahari Desert Limpopo River Tropic of Capricorn 20° S Orange River Drajensburg Mts. Pacific Ocean
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Standards SSWH6 The student will describe the diverse characteristics of early African societies before 1800 CE. e. Analyze the role of geography and the distribution of resources played in the development of trans-Saharan trading networks. List 5 facts which will help you remember this lesson:
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