Africa

Chapter 3Geography and Early

History of Africa

LEQ’s

What is Africa’s relative location in the world?

How have landforms influenced movement across Africa?

What natural resources are important to African nations?

Vocabulary: Escarpment, cataract, hydroelectric power

Section 1- The shape of the land

Describe the relative location of Africa using the map on the following slide.

Centrally located on Earth’s surface

Straddles the equator To the West is the Atlantic Ocean and to the

East is the Indian Ocean. To the North is the Mediterranean Sea and to the Northeast is the Red Sea.

Relative location of Africa

Regions of Africa

http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/afnewlnd.gif

Most of Africa is vast plateaus with escarpments and cataracts http://

image.shutterstock.com/display_pic_with_logo/154792/107629448/stock-photo-nieuwoudtville-waterfall-on-the-bokkeveld-plateau-in-south-africa-107629448.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/Bandiagara_Escarpment_Mali.jpg

Great Rift Valley: http://www.thecuttingedgenews.com/uploads/cmimg_72656.jpg

Contains some of Africans most fertile farmland

Rich in minerals and metals Mining and transportation are difficult due to

steep cliffs , high mountains and deep valleys- makes building roads and railroads dangerous and costly.

Landforms

Provide:

Fish Water for irrigation Means of transportation Source of hydroelectricity

Nile River http://www.globalresearch.ca/articlePictures/nile%20river%20basin.jpg http://knowledgegeekss.files.wordpress.com/2013/07/nile.jpg http://

ssrsbstaff.ednet.ns.ca/egypt/The%20Nile%20River%20Gift%20from%20the%20Gods_files/image002.jpg

Aswan Dam http://media-1.web.britannica.com/eb-media/34/76234-004-2A9B844D.jpg

Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam http://www.ethiogermany.de/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Nile_Basin_Countries.jpg

Major rivers map http://exploringafrica.matrix.msu.edu/images/africahydrology.jpg

Rivers

Rivers are a major source of precious metals

Diamonds and gold Major reason for Europe's interest in Africa

Mineral exports Copper, platinum, cobalt, oil. Most profit from natural resources flow out of

Africa due to foreign companies investing in mining.

Uneven distribution Few African nations have oil to export so most

countries rely on expensive imported oil. Much of Africa is not fertile and uncertain

rainfall makes farming difficult. https://www.schoology.com/page/74753779

Natural Resources

LEQ’s How do climates differ across Africa? What way of life did Africans

develop? How do Africa’s language reflect its

cultural diversity? Vocabulary: tropics, drought,

leaching, desertification

Section 2- Climate and Diversity

Climate Regions

80% of continent is tropics because the

equator runs through the middle so the area between the Tropic of Capricorn and Cancer is generally warm all year.

Coolest parts of the region are found in the highlands because of increased elevation.

Role of Latitude and Elevation

http://

education.randmcnally.com/pdf/edpub/Africa_Precipitation.pdf

Rainfall

Tropical wet(rainforest) Tropical wet and dry(Savanna) Deserts Mediterranean

Four major climate zones

Narrow belt along the equator (8% of Africa) Hot and humid all year around Average temp 80 60-120 inches of rain per year Plentiful plant and animal life Poor soil due to leaching Poor place to live due to :

Disease carrying insects breed in standing pools of water

Termites attack wood buildings and furniture Dampness causes mold and rotting in everyday

items.

Tropical Wet(Rainforest)

Largest climate zone that covers almost half the continent.

Warm all year Summer(rainy season)- hot and wet Winter(dry season)- warm with little or no rainfall

20-80 inches of rainfall per year (depends on distance from the equator)

Close to the equator – wetter part and supports many trees and grasses

Outer edge- semi-arid(very dry) with short rainy season; scattered grass and small trees.

Tropical Wet and Dry(Savanna)

Unpredictable rainfall

Rain may be heavy or light Come weeks early or weeks late Drought Heavy downpours wash away the soil

and cause flooding http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/photos/savannah/#/acacia-tree-africa_4

1_600x450.jpg

Desertification- explain:

Tropical Wet and Dry(Savanna) Continued

Cover 40% of Africa Sahara http://

www.slideshare.net/Socialesdigital/sahara-7422704?utm_source=slideshow02&utm_medium=ssemail&utm_campaign=share_slideshow

http://www.slideshare.net/pacific2000/sahara-desert-north-africa?utm_source=slideshow02&utm_medium=ssemail&utm_campaign=share_slideshow

Larger than the US Temps reach as high as 130 Can go for 10 years without rainfall 10 inches average rainfall per year Few grassy areas that can support

grazing animals

Deserts

Kalahari

Not as dry as Sahara and supports grasses and wild melons and antelopes graze here.

Namib

Driest places on earth; small trees get mist from nearby Atlantic Ocean

Deserts Continued

Summers are hot and dry; winters are cooler and moist Mild climates and fertile soil support many crops and

herding

Mediterranean

Population: 1.033 Billion (2013) http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-

lOifKKWLVgM/UF6_nw11znI/AAAAAAAACYg/OojmZVuP3kY/s1600/africa_population_density.jpg

Most populous countries in Africa: Nigeria: 173,611,131 Ethiopia: 95,045,679 Egypt: 82,196,587 Democratic Republic of the Congo: 67,363,365 South Africa: 52,914,243

What influences where the people live?

Population

Very diverse cultures that have different histories, religious beliefs, values and traditions.

Basic societies in Africa Herding Fishing Hunting- very few societies remain Food gathering- very few societies remain Urban

Majority of Africans live in the Savanna Cities flourish along the Mediterranean coast, the

Savanna of West Africa and the coast of East Africa.

Adapting to the land

Estimated that 2,000-3,000 different

languages are spoken in Africa. With as many as 8,000 different dialects Official Languages of Africa.docx

How does having so many languages and dialects affect the people?

Languages

maps\religions.docx

Christianity- European Christian missionaries spread their religion to replace traditional African religion.

Islam- Muslim traders spread the teachings of Islam.

Traditional African Beliefs- read traditional beliefs section on page 91 in text and write a summary of there beliefs.

Religion

Research a traditional African religion and

present the beliefs to the class.

Social OrganizationFamily