1. Africa’s Geography and Climate

2. Location 1000s of miles North and South of the Equator
2nd largest continent
Regions
North Africa: Morocco to Egypt
West Africa: To the Atlantic (S of the Sahara)
East Africa: Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania
Central Africa: DRC, on the Equator
Southern Africa: Zimbabwe, South Africa

3. Landforms
Escarpments: Steep cliffs that divide the plateau from the coastal plain
Cataracts: Large waterfalls
Great Rift Valley: Series of mountains and valleys in East Africa (rich in minerals and metals)

4. Rivers Provide hydroelectric power The Nile The Congo
Flows over 4000 miles north into Egypt and empties into the Mediterranean Sea
Rich farmlands used to support the Nile
Aswan Dam: Built in the 1970s in the upper Nile
Supplies hydroelectric power
The Congo
Drains in Central Africa: many waterfalls
Niger River in Sierra Leone and Guinea: used for irrigation

5. Natural Resources DRC: copper South Africa, DRC: Diamonds and cobalt
Nigeria, Angola: Oil
Uneven distribution in resources

6. Climate 80% lies in the Tropics 4 Climate Zones 1. Tropical Wet
Hot and humid all year
inches of rainfall
2. Tropical Wet and Dry
Largest in Africa
Wet and dry season
Savanna, a grassland, covers almost ½ the continent
Issues:
Drought
Desertification: Turning of semidesert land into deserts

8. Climate Part 2 3. Deserts 4. Mediterranean Climate 40% of Africa
Sahara: highway for traders, Kalahari (Southern Africa), Namib (1 of the driest places on earth)
4. Mediterranean Climate
Southern tip and northern coast
Mild (similar to LA)
Supports many crops