Africa Chapter 1

Land and Water  Africa can be divided into four regions: North, West, East, and Central and Southern.  Africa’s major landforms include plateaus, mountains, coastal plains, and a rift valley.  Africa’s four major rivers are the Nile, the Congo, the Zambezi, and the Niger.

Land and Water continued  West Africa is the most populated region.  West Africa’s fertile grasslands provide ample source of food, allowing the region to feed and sustain a large population.  Few people live in the deserts of Africa because the deserts lack sources of food and water.  Each region of Africa has mountains but the highest are located in East Africa.

Land and Water continued  The coastal plain consists of a strip of land along much of Africa’s coast that varies from dry and sandy to marshy and moist.  The Great Rift Valley is a deep trench, or rift, that cuts through 4000 miles of East Africa and includes many of Africa’s major lakes.  The Nile begins in Uganda at Lake Victoria, proceeds north through the Sudan and Egypt, and empties into the Mediterranean Sea north of Cairo.

Land and Water continues  People farm near and fish the Congo and Niger rivers. People use the Zambezi for limited transportation and hydroelectricity.  Victoria Falls is located on the Zambezi River.

Climate and Vegetation  Distance from the Equator, elevation, nearness to large bodies of water or landforms are factors that influence climate.  Africa’s vegetation regions include tropical rain forests, tropical savannas, and deserts.  Disease-carrying insects thrive in some of Africa’s climate regions, threatening the health of the people who live there. (malaria)

Climate and Vegetation continues  Tropical Wet climate is common in Africa along the Equator.  Tropical wet and dry, semiarid, and arid regions of Africa are usually in the same relative positions as you go north and south of the Equator.  Most of Africa is warm because a large portion of it falls between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, near the Equator.

Climate and Vegetation  Rainforests are found near the Equator.  The moisture from the constant rain provides a rich environment of trees and plants that support many types of animals.  Logging provides people with timber, yet threatens the forests and the many species that live there.  Savannas cover much of Africa north and south of the rain forests. The climate is wet or dry depending on the season.

Climate and Vegetation  The enormous Sahara lies next to the savanna and extends across most of North Africa. Very little vegetation grows in the Sahara because it is a hot desert.  Nomadic herders travel to places they know they can get food and water for their herds.  The Sahara is a vast expanse of sand, covering almost as much land as the United States. The Sahel is the strip of land where the Sahara meets the savanna. It is hot and dry and receives 4 t0 8 inches of rain per year. Small trees, shrubs, and grass grow in the Sahel.

Resources and Land Use  Africa’s agricultural resources are used for subsistence farming and cash crops.  Natural resources, such as minerals, are an important part of African economies.  African countries are working to improve their economic health by diversifying their specialized economies.

Resources and Land Use  Farmers face difficulties farming because much of the land has poor soil and little rainfall.  Most Africans are subsistence farmers.  Some farmers grow cash crops.  A diverse economy is better able to withstand downturns in particular industries without ruining the entire economy.