Africa Notes SSA = Sub-Saharan Africa

The Land A series of steplike plateaus dominates lands south of the Sahara High elevations and a narrow coastal plain have historically hindered travel to the interior of Africa

The Land The Great Rift Valley slices through East Africa and affects the landforms of nations from Ethiopia to Mozambique Most of Africa’s large freshwater lakes nestle in cuts in the Great Rift Valley

The Land – Great Rift Valley

The Land Four major river systems tumble over escarpments (cliffs that separate plateaus) in dramatic rapids and falls as they spill off the continent

The Land – Victoria Falls

The Climate and Vegetation Although most of Africa lies in the tropics, it still exhibits diverse climates and vegetation Elevations and rainfall are the main factors influencing climate variations in Africa south of the Sahara

The Climate and Vegetation The main climate regions in Africa south of the Sahara include: desert, steppe, tropical savanna, and tropical rain forest Africa has an abundance of mineral wealth, but it lacks the fuels to develop it Deserts and steppes cover more than two-thirds of the land surface in Africa

Population Patterns With more than 625 million people, sub- Saharan Africa is the third most populous region in the world The uneven distribution of people in sub-Saharan Africa is linked to the region’s physical geography

Population Patterns Inadequate food, water, and health care contribute to short life expectancies in sub-Saharan Africa Sub-Saharan Africa is urbanizing faster than any other region in the world

Population Patterns More than 2,000 ethnics groups, speaking some 800 languages, make up the population of Africa south of the Sahara

History and Government The movement of the Bantu south from Niger formed one of the largest human migrations in history European colonization remapped traditional ethnic territories

History and Government Most of Africa’s nations have won independence since the 1960s In the 1990s, South Africa ended apartheid and created a democracy open to all ethnic groups

Cultures and Lifestyles Sub-Saharan Africa’s many languages and variety of religions contribute to the region’s diversity Sub-Saharan Africans have influenced the artistic cultures of the world One of the biggest challenges facing sub-Saharan African governments is how to raise literacy rates

Living in Africa South of the Sahara Most of sub-Saharan nations depend on the export of one or two cash crops The majority of sub-Saharan Africans work as subsistence farmers

Living in Africa South of the Sahara Mineral deposits, as well as the profits from their export, are spread unevenly throughout Africa south of the Sahara Industrialization is hindered by a lack of capital and a shortage of skilled workers

Living in Africa South of the Sahara To reduce foreign dependence some nations are developing regional trade and transportation systems

People and Their Environment Desertification, drought, and war have contributed to hunger in sub-Saharan Africa In the 1990s Ethiopia and Eritrea took steps to restore their battered environment Destruction of the rain forests is a global problem

People and Their Environment Increasing human population and hunting has placed some African wildlife at risk of extinction To win rural support of game preserves, some nations have shared the profits of ecotourism

People and Their Environment As sub-Saharan Africans head into the next century, they hope to win economic independence