Africa

Physical Geography

Landforms and Resources

The geographic features of Africa include:plateausbasinsriversrift valleysmountains

Plateau

an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain that is raised significantly above the surrounding area, often with one or more sides with steep slopes

Basins

a depression, or dip, in the Earth’s surface Major basins include the Congo,

Chad, Sudan, and Djouf basins

Each basin in more than 625 miles acr across and as much as 5000 feet

deep

Chad Basin

Sudan Basin

Congo Basin

Djouf Basin

Rivers

The Nile is the world’s longest river at more than 4000 miles

flows through Uganda and Sudan into Egypt95% of Egyptians rely on the Nile for waterpopulations density along Nile = 3,320 people

per sq mileaverage in Egypt is 177Helena = 1724

Nile River

Rift Valleys

Rift Valleys are long, thin valleys formed when the continental plates pulled apart over millions of years and huge cracks appeared in the earth

eastern Africa is pulling away from the rest of Africa

Lakes

Lake Tanganyika is the longest freshwater lake in the world

420 miles long and depth of up to 4700 feet

Lakes

Lake Victoria is Africa’s largest lakethe world’s 2nd largest freshwater lake

Mountains

Africa contains mainly volcanic mountainsMt. Kilamanjaro in Tanzania is Africa’s highest

mountain

Africa’s Resources

Africa has a huge amount of the world’s minerals but many of the countries lack the industrial base and money to develop them

Africa’s minerals make it one of the richest continents

S. Africa is world’s largest producer of chromium and produces 80% of world’s platinum and 30% of gold

Africa’s Resources

In the 19th and 20th centuries, European colonial rulers developed natural resources for export

many African nations have been slow to turn these resources into valuable products

Africa’s Resources

Africa is home to 1/10th of the world’s oil reserves

Libya, Nigeria, Algeria, and Angola are among the world’s leading oil producers

Angolan government used money from oil production to pay for long running civil war that started shortly after the country gained independence from Portugal

Major commodities

Africa produces 12% of the world’s coffeelumbersugarCote d’Ivoire is world’s largest cocoa bean exporter

Agriculture is Africa’s most important activity

Climate and Vegetation

Africa lies almost entirely between the tropic of Cancer and the tropic of Capricorn

The Deserts

The Sahara is the largest desert in the world3000 miles from Atlantic to Red Sea and 1200 miles

north to south136 degrees in summer and below freezing in winternot all sand- only 20%

mountains, rock formations, gravelly plainsaquifers, huge stores of underground water, lie 6000

feet undergroundcome to surface as an oasis

Rainfall

Rainforest in Central Africa receives most raincloser to equator = longer rainy seasoncloser to desert = longer dry seasonLiberia = 120” rain/yearaverage in Africa = 20”Helena = ??

Rainfall

Mediterranean climate on northern and southern tips

clear, blue skiesrain only in winter

December and January in NorthJune and July in South

Summer temps in Johannesburg, South Africa average 68

Vegetation

mirrored north and south

vegetation contains grasslands, rain forests, other plant life

Tropical Grassland

covers most of the continentSerengeti Plain in northern Tanzania

Rain Forest

stretches across Central Africaon the equator in Congo Basinhuge variety of trees and birdsslash-and-burn agriculture endangers the rain forest

destroyed up to 90% of the rain forests in the West

Human-Environment Interaction

Desertification: expansion of dry conditions into moist areas next to deserts

Normally naturally occurring but can be sped up by human activity

Human causes of desertificationovergrazing of vegetation by livestockfarmingincreasing population (indirect) ???

Human-Environment Interaction

Oil in Nigeriadiscovery in 1956 made

Nigeria one of Africa’srichest countries

80-90% of Nigerian income

Human-Environment Interaction

Oil in Nigeria1970’s = high oil prices = wealthy Nigeria

Government borrowed against high oil prices

Oil prices dropped, sent Nigeria into huge debt

Nigeria ended up poorer than before oil boom

Human-Environment Interaction

Oil in NigeriaSevere environmental damage

over 4000 oil spillsslow cleanupfires

acid rainrespiratory disease

over 2000 deaths from explosionsome intentionally set

Human-Environment Interaction

Controlling the NileAswan High Dam completed in 1970 to control cycles of

flooding and drought along the NileBenefits

regular supply of water holds floodwaterfarmers can have 2-3 harvests/yearfarmland increased by 50%

Human-Environment Interaction

Controlling the NileAswan High Dam completed in 1970 to control cycles of

flooding and drought along the NileProblems

people and treasures had to be relocatedpermanent change to way of life

decreased soil fertility around Nileincrease in malaria and other diseaseswater loss due to evaporation