AFRICAN FEATURES

STANDARDS: SS7G1 a,b

SS7G3 a,b,c,d

The Regions

• The Sahara• The Sahel• Ethiopian Highlands• The Savannah• Rainforest & the Great

Lakes• Southern Africa

SAHARA• World’s largest desert (it stretches from

southwest Morocco to northern Tunisia)• Sahara means “desert” in Arabic• Countries included: Egypt, Libya, Tunisia,

Algeria, Morocco, and Western Sahara• The Atlas Mountains border the region to the

north.• Most people in this region are nomadic herders. • They use camels for transportation and food.• About the size of the United States.

SAHARA (cont.)• Most people live near the Mediterranean

Sea and the Nile River.• Nile River begins in east Africa, and it

flows north through nine countries.• Its river delta empties into the

Mediterranean Sea.• It supplies 85% of Egypt’s water supply.• It is the longest river.• Aswan High Dam controls flooding which

has lead to blessings and problems.

Dams control flooding which has lead to blessings and problems.

• Blessings- plant more crops more often- more crops = more money!- produces hydroelectric power

• Problems- artificial fertilizer vs. silt- lack of irrigation- more salt water in delta.

The Sahara

SAHEL• Sahel- a strip of semi-arid land south of

the Sahara.• Most people moved from rural to urban

areas due to a famine in the 1970’s. • Almost 200,000 people died from

starvation.• The region’s economy depends on

farming.• Transportation is relied upon by roads and

water (ex: Nile River)

SAHEL (cont.)

• Sudan is located in both the Sahara and Sahel regions.

• Sudan has many different environments: plateaus, forests, grasslands, and deserts

• Sahel supports a range of crops for Sudan’s economy: cotton, peanuts, wheat, dates, and sugar cane.

• Sudanese people raise livestock.

The Sahel

ETHIOPIAN HIGHLANDS

• A rugged, mountainous region that covers parts of Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Somalia.

• The Great Rift Valley is located in this region.- a geographical fault system that stretches 3,000 miles from Asia to Africa

• Did you know? The earliest human remains were found in this region.

ETHIOPIAN HIGHLANDS (cont.)

• Ethiopia very poor.• Deforestation, bad farming practices, and

drought have caused severe economic hardships.

• The main economic activity is subsistence farming. What is it?

• The main export is coffee.• Ethiopia has poor infrastructure (roads,

electricity, sewers)

Ethiopian Highlands

SAVANNAH

• Savannah is a tropical grassland with scattered trees.

• It is home to amazing variety of wildlife such as buffalo, gazelles, zebras, lions, elephants, rhinos, giraffes, and hippos.

• The most famous area is the Serengeti which is a migration area for wildlife.

SAVANNAH (cont.)

• Kenya is the main country in the region.• Many Kenyans rely on the land for their

livelihood. • About one-third of the country is used for

grazing land for cattle, goats, and sheep.• Kenya’s main exports are coffee and tea.

The Savannah

RAINFOREST & GREAT LAKES• Tropical rainforests are located in west

Africa. • Rainforests have declined due to

deforestation and destructive farming practices.

• Countries included: Rwanda, Congo, Burundi, Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya.

• There are 15 lakes. Lake Victoria and Lake Tanganyika. The Congo River is the second largest river in Africa.

• Ghana is an agricultural and mining nation.

• Ghana’s most profitable crop is cocoa. It also is a gold and diamond exporter.

• Ghana has a very poor road system which makes traveling difficult and slowed the timber industry.

• Republic of Congo’s (DRC) economy is based on mining crude petroleum.

• Rwanda is based more on farming.

RAINFOREST & GREAT LAKES(cont.)

The Great Lakes Region

African Rainforests

SOUTHERN AFRICA

• Region includes the Kalahari desert & Drakensberg Mountains and it has many natural resources.

• Most of these people live in poverty. Most of the wealth is with the white minority who controls the mining industry. People of color are paid very little.

• The region is a major producer of gold, coal, diamonds, and platinum.

Southern Africa