1. Physical Features of Africa

2. Sub-Saharan Africa is composed of a huge plateau
a land area having a relatively level surface considerably raised above adjoining land on at least one side

3. The edges of the continent tend to end in Escarpments
Physical geography affecting exploration – how do you go around escarpments with a limited supply line?
Steep cliff at the edge of a plateau with a lowland area below

4. River Transportation impeded by waterfalls and rapids
How would this affect colonization, exploration, settlement, and movement?

5. Kongou Falls - Gabon

6. Victoria Falls Largest sheet of continuous water from a water fall;
Zambezi River

7. The Great Rift Valley
A rift valley is a large break in the Earth’s surface formed by shifting tectonic plates (divergent)
The Great Rift valley has rich volcanic soil that supports farming
Plate tectonics – scientific theory that explains how processes within the Earth form continents and cause their movement

8. Location of equator through middle of region acts like a mirror
Similar climatic patterns north and south of equator
Desert
Savannah
Tropical
Tropical
Savannah North = The Sahel; Savannah South = Serengeti Plain
Desert North = Sahara; Desert South = Kalahari (East) and Namib (West) Desserts
Savannah
Desert

9. Desertification of the Sahel

10. Smooth Coastline, few harbors
Harbor – a part of a body of water along the shore deep enough for anchoring a ship and situated to provide protection from wind, waves, and currents
tHarbor - a part of a body of water along the shore deep enough for anchoring a ship and so situated with respect to coastal features, whether natural or artificial, as to provide protection from winds, waves, and currents.
How does this affect exploration?

12. Large Number of Land-locked countries
How many do you see?

13. Soil Composition – not a lot of fertile land
Limited fertility of rain forest soil
Deserts
Sahara in north, Kalahari in south, Namib in south east

15. Africa has approximately 30 percent of the earth’s remaining mineral resources.  South Africa’s total mineral reserves alone is estimated to be worth $2.5 trillion. The continent has the largest reserves of precious metals with over 40 percent of the planet’s gold reserves, over 60 percent of the cobalt, and 90 percent of the platinum reserves

16. How does the physical geography of Africa affect settlement, conquest, and development?
Ethiopian highlands – where are they located? What does that tell you about the lack of colonization of Ethiopia?

17. Plateau
Hydroelectric Power
Escarpment
Rift Valley
Animism
Sub-Saharan
Imperialism
Colony
Harbor