Page 51: Blank Page 52: Imperialism Unit Cover Page 53: Write and respond to the following questions: When you hear the word “AFRICA”, what images come to mind? What do you think it’s like in Africa? Do you think it’s always been this way? How big is Africa? How many countries are in Africa?

Congo River It is the second longest river in Africa at 2920 miles (the Nile is the longest). It is the ninth longest river in the world. The Congo River is the deepest river in the world. It reaches depths of over 750 feet The Congo River is so powerful that if has the potential to supply all of sub-Saharan Africa's electricity needs.

What lives in the Congo River?

Niger River The Niger is the third- longest river in Africa, at 2600 miles The Niger has an unusual route It starts approximately 150 miles from the Atlantic Instead of flowing to the nearby Atlantic Ocean it instead heads inland, away from the sea into the Sahara Desert. It turns sharply near the city of Timbuktu and heads to the Gulf of Guinea. Unlike the Nile, the Niger is very clear. This is because its source contains very little silt

Nile River It is the longest river in the world. It is approximately 4,160 miles The Nile river flows from the high mountains in the middle regions of Africa north to the Nile delta. The Nile flows through 9 countries: Egypt, Zaire, Tanzanian, Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi, Ethiopia, Sudan, and Kenya. Ancient Egyptian civilization grew from the Nile River The Aswan High Dam was built to control the annual flooding of the Nile; it also provides tremendous hydroelectric power

Zambezi River The river is an amazing 2,200 miles There are several waterfalls on the Zambezi including the amazing Victoria Falls, The river has many rapids and therefore has never been a used for long- distance travel. Bull sharks (also called Zambezi Sharks) which normally live in costal waters have been known to swim very far up the Zambezi River. Compared to the other major rivers in Africa the Zambezi has been little explored.

Lake Chad Historically large, shallow, endorheic (inland basin) lake in Africa, the size of which has varied over the centuries. The Lake is economically important, providing water to more than 30 million people living in the four countries surrounding it The shrinking of the lake has also caused conflicts to emerge as to which countries that border Lake Chad have the rights to the remaining water.

Lake Tanganyika Lake Tanganyika is an African Great Lake. The lake is divided among four countries Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo Burundi Zambia The enormous depth and tropical location of the lake can prevent ‘turnover’ of water masses, meaning much of the lower depths of the lake is so- called ‘fossil water’ and is anoxic (lacking oxygen).

Lake Victoria It is Africa's largest lake and has a surface area of 26,600 square miles It is the largest tropical lake in the world. It is the world's second largest freshwater lake measured by surface area. The only larger freshwater lake is Lake Superior in North America. Approximately 80 percent of the lakes water comes from rain. The other 20 percent comes from small streams flowing into the lake.

Lake Victoria's Ecological Health Problem Lake Victoria faces many problems that are affecting its ecological health. Scientist fear that if action is not taken soon all life in the lake may disappear. Factors affecting the lakes health: Pollution: Many towns surround this body of water. These towns dump thousands of gallons of raw sewage into the lake on a daily basis. This coupled with the fertilizer and chemicals from farms cause a huge pollution problem. Water Hyacinth: This plant was introduced to Africa by Europeans; it reproduces rapidly and covers large areas of the lake. The dense mat of plants block sunlight needed for survival by the life below the surface. The booming fish-export industry: The demand for fish has been increasing rapidly with the population of Africa. This is bringing the fish populations down to dangerously low levels

Atlas Mountains The mountain range stretches approximately 1,600 miles (2,500 kilometers) across Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia The windward side of the mts face the Mediterranean and Atlantic ; the leeward faces the Sahara Desert. Mineral deposits found in this mountain range include gold, silver, zinc, lead, and iron. Many indigenous species are now extinct including: North African Elephant and the Barbary Lion

Ethiopian Highlands

What does this image depict? What message is the artist trying to convey? Do you think it’s positive or negative?