African Geography

Africa, is a CONTINENT, NOT a country!

Mount Kilimanjaro The tallest mountain in Africa On the border between Kenya & Tanzania An extinct volcano – located near the equator Because of its high elevation – it is snow-covered year-round ex. of Elevation, countering Location

Mount Kilimanjaro

Escarpments High, steep cliffs Located along the southern coastal 1/3 of the African continent They are the edge of a large plateau that is southern Africa – they separate the plains of the plateau, from the coast * They slowed the exploration of Africa & have delayed Africa’s development

Escarpments @ Cape of Good Hope

Cape Town

Escarpments – west coast

Western escarpments Namib Desert

Drakensberg Range Located along the southeastern coast of South Africa High mountains block the rains from the east – causing it to fall on the coastal plains & blocking it from the interior to the north and west This is the concept of a RAIN SHADOW

Rain Shadows: Africa The Equator Southern AFRICA The Indian Ocean The Windhoek Mnts Southern AFRICA The Drakensberg Range The Indian Ocean The Namib Desert The Kalahari Desert Wet Winds From East to West The Atlantic Ocean RAIN The Cape of Good Hope

In southern Africa it is opposite from the illustration below – WHY? Coastal Rainforest Desert

Drakensberg Range – southeast coast

Drakensberg Range

Kitanga Plateau Located in southern-central Africa Tilts from south to north Drains water into the Congo Basin & the East coast – via the Zambezi & Limpopo Rivers – West Coast, via the Congo River Location of many rich mineral deposits – including one of the world’s largest copper & cobalt mines

Katanga Plateau

Ethiopian Highlands Located in Ethiopia & Eritrea & extending south into Uganda Source of the Nile River

Atlas Mountains Located in Morocco – Northwest Africa Causes a rain-shadow that helped to create the Sahara Desert

Atlas Mountains

Great Rift Valley A giant fault line in the Earth’s crust Runs southwest, from Ethiopia, through Kenya & Tanzania Has high. steep cliffs Valley has fertile soil and many lakes Thought by many tribes to be the “end of the Earth” and the “home of the gods” Area of Africa where human ancestry began

Great Rift Valley

Cataracts A Series of rapids or waterfalls – found on many of Africa’s rivers Caused by sudden changes in elevation as water runs off of plateaus * Good potential for hydro-electric power *Obstacles to river transportation ** Areas where many cities developed & sites of cultural diffusion – b/c trade up & down the rivers must stop at these points

Cataracts

The Nile River World’s longest river flows north from its source in the Ethiopian Highlands – through Sudan & Egypt Silt from flooding gave ancient Egyptians – fertile soil for Agricultural surplus Flooding today – controlled by the Aswan High Dam

The Nile

Aswan High Dam - Egypt

Congo River (Zaire) System A complex system of rivers that feed into the Congo from surrounding highlands Located in Central, West Africa (Zaire) Creates a vast rainforest Difficult to navigate b/c of many cataracts

Congo River

The Niger River Located in Western Central Africa One of the world’s longest Flows from the Southern edge of the Sahara Desert – to its delta in Nigeria The most navigable river in Africa – used for transportation & irrigation

The Niger River

The Sahara Desert Spread across northern Africa The world’s largest desert About 10,000 years ago it was a vast fertile, grassy plain Acts as a barrier to trade, communication & cultural diffusion It is still growing

The Sahara Desert

The Sahel Area of grassy plains and scrub south of the Sahara Semi-arid region with small farms, nomads & herders Over-grazing and deforestation are turning this region into true desert as the Sahara expands

The Sahel

The Namib Desert Located on the west coast of southern Africa One of the driest places on Earth Created by a series of rain shadows across southern Africa

The Namib Desert

General Info ** Regents Point** Africa’s natural resources are rich and abundant, BUT unevenly distributed and difficult to develop

Examples 1. Nigeria, Angola, Gabon & Libya all have OIL 2. Uganda has fertile soil and fresh water 3. Congo/Zaire – has gold, copper, cobalt, rubies & emeralds 4. South Africa, Sierra Leone & Ghana have gold and diamonds