africa’s physical f eatures!

Africa’s Physical Features!

TheCompleteTopograp

hyOf

AFRICA

Nile River

Congo River

Zambezi River

Niger River

Orange River

Limpopo River

Mediterranean Sea

Atlantic Ocean

Pacific Ocean

Indian Ocean

Red Sea

L. Victoria

L. Albert-->

L. Chad-->

L. Tanganyika->

<--Gulf of Aden

Drajensburg Mts.

Ruwenzori Mts.

Δ Mt. Kenya

Δ Mt. Kilimanjaro

Sahara Desert

Sahel

Kalahari

Desert

Namib Desert

Libyan Desert

Gre

at R

ift V

alle

y

Atlas Mts.

Tropic of Cancer 20° N

Tropic of Capricorn20° S

Equator 0°

Regional Map

Africa’s Size

# Second largest continent 11,700,000 sq. mi.

# 10% of the world’s population.# 2 ½ times the size of the U. S.

5000

MILES

4 6 0 0 M I L E S

The African Plateau

ESCARPMENTS

A long steep slope or cliff at the edge of a plateau or ridge; usually formed by

erosion...

Valleys&

Plains

Gre

at R

ift V

alle

y

Great Rift Valley

3,000 miles long

Deserts Sahara Desert

Sahel

Kalahari

Desert

Namib Desert

Libyan Desert

Sahara• desert in northern Africa• largest desert in the world at

3,500,000 square miles• from Arabic word Al-Sahra

Kalahari Desert• located in south Africa and covers

Botswana and parts of Namibia and South Africa

• not a “true” desert because it receives 3-10 inches of rain per year

• because of the precipitation can sustain some animal life

The Sahel

Sahel• “Transitional Land”• the transitional land between

desert land and savanna• semi arid land, which is still dry

but gets more rain than the desert

Africa:

The“Tropica

l”Contine

nt

Tropic of Cancer 20° N

Tropic of Capricorn20° S

Equator 0°

Tropical Rainforest• a forest that receives more water

through precipitation than is loses through evaporation – What are these processes?

• more than 80 inches of rain per year• 1/5 of Africa is rainforest• Africa contains 1 of the 3 major

rainforests in the world.

Savanna• tropical or subtropical grassland

containing scattered trees• receives enough rain to support

drought resistant undergrowth but not enough to support “forest type” vegetation

BodiesOf

Water Nile River

Congo River

Zambezi River

Niger River

Orange River

Limpopo River

Mediterranean Sea

Atlantic Ocean

Pacific Ocean

Indian Ocean

Red Sea

<--Gulf of Aden

Nile River• It’s the world’s longest river at 4,150 miles!!!• located in eastern Africa • depended upon for water• Flows north into the Mediterranean sea!

Niger River• principal river in western Africa• runs through Guinea, Mali, Niger, Benin

and Nigeria • significant water source for the city of

Timbuktu

Congo River

• largest river in western central Africa

• flows through the third largest rain forest in the world

Zambezi River• southeast African river flowing

through Zambia and Angola, also along many of the borders of many countries

• empties into the Indian Ocean• contains Victoria Falls

Lake Tanganyika• deepest lake in Africa• located in central Africa• divided between Burundi,

Congo, Tanzania, and Zambia

Lake Victoria• largest lake in Africa • 2nd largest fresh water lake in the

world• vital in supporting the millions of

people that live nearby

Victoria Falls

• It’s the largest and most unique waterfall in the world!

Drajen

sburg Mts.

Ruwenzori Mts.

Δ Mt. Kenya

Δ Mt. Kilimanjaro

Mountains&

Peaks

Atlas Mts.

Atlas Mountains

• mountain range in north Africa between the Mediterranean Sea and the Sahara desert

• extends from Morocco to Tunisia

Mount Kilimanjaro• It’s the tallest free standing volcanic

mountain in the world! • It is the highest peak in Africa at 19,340

feet!

Southwest Asia. It looks like this:

SW Asia vs. the U. S.Latitude Lines

Peninsulas• The biggest peninsula is the Arabian peninsula, which is

dominated by Saudi Arabia

• The other big one is the Anatolian Peninsula, which is modern-day Turkey.

Bodies of Water

TigrisRiver

Nile River

EuphratesRiverJordan

River Persian Gulf

ArabianSea

Mediterranean Sea

IndianOcean

Red Sea

Black Sea

Gulf of Aden

Strait ofHormuz

Suez Canal

Dardanelles Strait

AtlanticOcean

Gulf ofOman

Caspian Sea

Waterways• Red Sea

TheJordan River

System:

• Jordan River• Important water source

that also serves as the boundary between Israel and Jordan.

• Flows into the Dead Sea.

The Tigris & Euphrates

River System

Mesopotamia: ”Land Between the

Two Rivers”

Marsh Arabs, So. Iraq

• Tigris and Euphrates Rivers• Twin rivers that run through modern-day Iraq.

• The land in between the two rivers is very fertile and a lot of agriculture takes place there.

• Because of this, the area is known as the fertile crescent.

• Some of the earliest civilizations developed here because of its agricultural bounty.

The Fertile Crescent

Fertile Crescent

Suez Canal

Completed by the British in 1869

• Suez Canal• Connects the Red Sea with the Mediterranean Sea,

which makes it a very important waterway.

• Black Sea• Just above Turkey.

• Arabian Sea and the Persian Gulf• The Arabian Sea is north of the Indian Ocean and the

Persian Gulf is sandwiched between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Dead Sea: Lowest Point on Earth

HighestSalt

Content(33%)

2,300’ below sea level

• The saltiest lake is the Dead Sea in Israel and Jordan. It has no outlet and a high evaporation rate, so the salt concentrates even more. It’s so salty (about nine times that of the ocean), it can’t support life.• Its shores are also the lowest dry point on Earth:

about 1,350 feet below sea level (you’re currently about 45 feet above sea level)

• And the salinity (saltiness) allows you to float without effort. Like these guys:

That’s because the water is so much denser than you that it makes you naturally buoyant.

Just don’t get the water in your eyes. It’ll sting.

Wadis – Instant Springs

Are riverbeds that remain dry except

during rainy seasons

Mountains & Plateaus

Elburz

Mts.

Taurus

Mts. Zagros Mts.

Iranian Plateau

AnatolianPlateau

Hejaz

Mts.

Mountain Ranges in SW Asia

Elburz Mts., Iran Zagros Mts., Iran

Lebanese Mts. Taurus Mts., Turkey

Deserts

Sahara Desert

ArabianDesert

NegevDesert

SinaiDesertLibyan Desert

Rubal-Khali

Rub al-Khali:“The Empty Quarter”

Desert Oases: Water at a Premium!

Fresh Groundwater Sources

Completed Map

TigrisRiver

Nile River

EuphratesRiverJordan

River Persian Gulf

ArabianSea

Mediterranean Sea

IndianOcean

Red Sea

Black Sea

Gulf of Aden

Strait ofHormuz

Suez Canal

AtlanticOcean

Gulf ofOman

Caspian Sea

ArabianDesert

NegevDesert

SinaiDesert

Rubal-Khali

Atlas Mts.

Elburz

Mts.

Taurus Mts.

Zagros Mts.

Iranian Plateau

AnatolianPlateau

Caucasus Mts.

Hejaz Mts.Sahara Desert

Libyan Desert