Africa

Physical Geography Africa is the 2nd largest continent. Northern countries are covered by the Sahara, the largest desert in the world Africa south of the Sahara also includes about 9 million square miles of mountains, valleys, and plateaus.

Plateaus Many geographers describe Africa as a gigantic plateau. Separating the plateaus are steep cliffs or slopes known as escarpments. The highest plateaus lie in the south and the east. Rivers spill over these escarpments in thundering waterfalls known as cataracts.

Plateaus Because of its plateaus, Africa boasts the highest average elevation in the world. The average elevation of Africa south of the Sahara is more than 2,000 feet above sea level.

Victoria Falls The most famous waterfall in Africa is Victoria Falls It is more than twice the height of Niagara Falls. David Livingstone, the first European explorer to see the falls, named them after the British queen. YouTube - Zimbabwe's Vic#14C507

Victoria Falls

Mountains The mountains south of the Sahara are mostly scattered peaks. The cone-shaped volcanic peaks of Kenya and Tanzania include Mount Kenya and Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain. Video -- Kilimanjaro -- #14C538

The Great Rift Valley The Great Rift Valley is one of the world’s natural wonders. It runs from the Jordan River in Southwest Asia to the Zambezi River in Mozambique. In East Africa, it is more than 3500 miles long and creates escarpments more than a mile high in some areas.

African Rift- The Great #14C55A

Water Systems Lake Victoria is the second largest fresh-water lake in the world. It is the source of the White Nile It is surrounded by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.

Water Systems Four great rivers slice through Africa: Nile Congo Niger Zambezi

The Nile is the largest river system in the world, but the largest system south of the Sahara is the Congo.

Natural Resources Diamonds: some of the biggest deposits on earth. Gold: more than half the world’s gold Copper Oil Uranium Manganese zinc

Climate Regions Desert: Desert covers 2/5 of Africa’s land area. In southern Africa, the Namib and Kalahari Deserts are present. Planet's Best: Kalahari Desert Meerkats : Video : Animal Planet

Climate Regions Steppe: Steppe grasslands surround the desert regions in southern Africa. In Africa, the steppe grasslands are called the Sahel, meaning “coast” The climate alternates between a long, dry season and a short, wet season. Unfortunately, in recent years the rainy seasons have almost disappeared bringing famine to the region.

The Sahel

Climate Regions Tropical Savannas: Also called tropical grasslands. Savannas also alternate between wet and dry seasons, but receive considerably more rain than the Sahel. Some parts of the savannas are used for grazing livestock

……Savannas continued To protect wildlife, governments have created huge game preserves such as Tanzania’s Serengeti Plains and Kenya’s Nairobi National Park.

Extinction: the disappearance or end of a species of plant or animal.

HowStuffWorks Videos "Survival Guide: Serengeti: Serengeti National Park"

Climate Regions Tropical Rainforest: This region covers only 8% of Africa Temperatures hover around 80°F, and rain falls daily The heavy rains leach, or wash away the nutrients in the soil.

Cocoa, rubber, and palm-oil plantations take more and more land. Deforestation: The loss or destruction of forests. Cocoa, rubber, and palm-oil plantations take more and more land. Logging companies take the trees for their profit This climate region could someday disappear.

Climate Regions Moderate Climates: There are several other moderate climates. These are heavily populated because they have fertile soil, adequate rain. These are good conditions for farming.

Moderate Climates Include: Mediterranean Humid Subtropical Marine West Coast Highland

Human Characteristics Population: 625 million people Sub-Saharan Africa has the world’s highest birthrate and the world’s shortest life expectancy The physical geography causes the population to be unevenly distributed.

Economics and Population: Food production has dropped nearly 20% since 1970, yet the population has tripled. Famine and poor nutrition claim many lives, especially infants and children. Impure water is another cause of death. Only about 40% of sub-Saharan Africans have clean water to drink.

AIDS has reached epidemic proportions in sub-Saharan Africa. Economics and Population: Insects such as the tsetse fly carry diseases that kill cattle, horses, and people. AIDS has reached epidemic proportions in sub-Saharan Africa.

Economics and Population: The 625 million people of sub-Saharan Africa generate a GDP of $150 billion. This is comparable to the small country of Belgium of 10 million people

This varies throughout Africa. Economics and Population: In Chad, the per capita income, or average per person income is around $220. This varies throughout Africa.

Urbanization: The movement of people from rural areas into the cities. Africa is the least urbanized continent, but it is urbanizing at the world’s fastest rate. Economic hardships have driven millions of people to seek better opportunities in the cities.

Kenya, for example is home to over 100 ethnic groups by itself. Population Diversity: Africa is home to hundreds of different ethnic groups, or people with similar histories and cultures. Kenya, for example is home to over 100 ethnic groups by itself.

Language: Today, Africans speak more than 800 languages. Swahili is one of the major languages spoken throughout Africa This makes Swahili a lingua franca, or a universal language because it is understood almost everywhere in Africa.

Religion

Family Life: Africans place great emphasis on extended families, or households made up of several generations. In some places, families are organized into clans, or large groups of people related to each other. It is the clan’s responsibility to safeguard traditions by passing them down from one generation to the next.

Education Literacy rates: the percentage of people who have the ability to read and write.

Obstacles for Education 1. Low standard of living: many people simply cannot afford to send their children to school. 2. Some parents still believe that their children will benefit more from learning survival skills, such as hunting or farming.