Africa

La nd o f Contra s ts

Th e c ontine nt o f Afric a m e a ns m a ny d iffe re nt th ing s to pe op le in Afric a a nd a round th e world .

To s om e pe ople it is th e h om e th e y love . To oth e rs it is a m ys te rious , fa r o ff la nd th a t th e y know little a bout.

To g e og ra ph y s tude nts , Afric a is a la rg e , d ive rs e la nd m e a nt to e xplore .

Th ing s to know a bout Afric a

• 53 inde pe nde nt c ountrie s• 732 m illion pe ople• 800 e th n ic g roups• Hotte s t te m pe ra ture e ve r re c orde d on E a rth ,

wa s 136.4 de g re e s F ., in Libya in 1922• Th e Nile is th e world’s long e s t rive r a t a

d is ta nc e o f 4 ,145 m ile s long• S e c ond la rg e s t o f th e E a rth ’s c ontine nts• Afric a h a s a n a re a o f 11,798 s qua re m ile s

Voca bula ry for the S tudy of Afric a

•Contine nt – one of s e ve n la rg e la nd ma s s e s of the e a rth

•E qua tor – a n ima g ina ry line a round the E a rth , h a lfwa y be twe e n the North a nd S outh pole s

•Tropica l – a wa rm, ra iny a re a ne a r the e qua tor

•P la in – a la rg e , fla t a re a of la nd

•S a va nna – la rg e a re a of g ra s s y pla ins with s ma ll s h rubs

•R a in F ore s t – a re a of g re a t ra infa ll, ta ll e ve rg re e n tre e s

•De s e rt – a n a re a whe re a lmos t no ra in fa lls , whe re a lmos t noth ing g rows , a nd no one live s pe rma ne ntly

Afric a is a la rg e c ontine nt with m a ny d iffe re nt la nd re g ions . E le ph a nts p la y in th e wa te r in th e trop ic a l re g ion a long th e e qua tor wh e re th e re is p le nty o f food to fe e d th e la rg e h e rds . Th e Afric a n e le ph a nt h a s ve ry la rg e e a rs th a t a re a s un ique a s a h um a n’s fing e rprints .

Th e g ra s s y la nds in m uc h o f Afric a a re known a s s a va nna s .

A g ood c lim a te a nd th e rig h t a m ount o f ra in ma ke th e s a va nna a g ood p la c e to live .

Th e Afric a n s a va nna re g ion is h om e to la rg e h e rds o f a n im a ls like th e s e g ira ffe s , z e bra s , a nd wilde be e s ts , a s we ll a s lions , g a z e lle s , a nd oth e rs .

Afric a ’s rive rs s e e m to s wirl with life , like th is h ug e c roc odile , qu ie tly s unning h im s e lf on a roc k.

Mount Kilima nja ro, a t 19,340 fe e t, s e e ms to wa tch ove r the he rds of a nima ls g ra z ing on the pla ins be low. Th is mounta in in Ta nz a nia is Afric a ’s h ig he s t point.

F rom th e roc ky c oa s tline …to th e s a ndy de s e rt…

…a nd from th e la z y flowing Nile R ive r…to th e roa ring wa te rs o f Vic toria F a lls …Afric a s e e m s to de fy de s c ription…to re fus e to be ta m e d…e ve n by words .

Afric a ’s pe ople a re a s d ive rs e a s th e la nd in wh ic h th e y live . Th e s e de s e rt noma ds in E g ypt s till live th e s a me nom a dic life a s th e ir a nc ie nt a nc e s tors , m oving from pla c e to p la c e in s e a rc h o f food a nd wa te r.

Wh ile m a ny Afric a ns h a ve a dopte d a m ore pra c tic a l form of dre s s , th e s e g irls c ontinue to dre s s in th e tra d itiona l Afric a n c loth ing o f th e ir fa m ily g roup.

Mos t o f th e pe ople o f North Afric a a re Ara b s , fo llowing th e Mus lim re lig ion a fte r th e ir la nds we re c onque re d by th e fo llowe rs o f Muh a m m a d.

Afric a is a la nd in a s ta te o f tra ns ition… trying to c h a ng e a nd m ode rn iz e wh ile ke e p ing th e tra d itiona l va lue s a nd c us tom s o f th e ir pe ople .

This woma n in Ma li continue s to we a r tra ditiona l c loth ing a nd pre pa re food in the fa milia r wa ys of he r a nce s tors . He r cus toms ha ve pre s e rve d he r la nd a nd he rita g e throug h the ce nturie s , wh ile s ome e fforts to mode rniz e ha ve le d to dis a s te r.

P ove rty, po llution, c rim e , a nd d is e a s e a re a ll prob le m s th a t troub le th e pe ople o f Afric a a s th e y be g in to de ve lop a m ore m ode rn wa y o f liv ing . Ma ny th ink th e o ld wa ys we re b e tte r.

Afric a – La nd o f Contra s ts

We e nd a s we be g a n th is pre s e nta tion.

Afric a is a ve ry d ive rs e la nd with m a ny d iffe re nt kinds o f pe ople a nd ma ny

d iffe re nt kinds o f prob le m s . Th e re is no one s o lution th a t will s o lve a ll th e

prob le m s .

Afric a a nd th e re s t o f th e world will h a ve to work tog e th e r to s o lve th e s e prob le m s th a t

m a y one da y a ffe c t a ll o f u s .

Ke e p your e ye on th e s e c ond la rg e s t c ontine nt!