Characteristics of Africa:Where people live, work, and

how they travel

SS7G3: Students will explain the impact of location, climate, and

physical characteristics on population distribution in Africa.

The Sahara

• Largest desert on Earth• Nomads- one who wanders from place to place

to find food and water• Gold and salt were traded across the Sahara by

camel caravan• For centuries the most reliable way to cross the

Sahara is by camel• Oasis- a desert area that gets some rainfall or

where there is a spring• Few people can live in the Sahara however if

they try they most likely settle near an oasis

Hottest Desert in the World Sandstorm in the Sahara

A camel caravan is how I roll An Oasis can provide some relief

The Sahel• The area that borders the Sahara Desert

and extends from the Red Sea to the Atlantic Ocean

• Farming in the Sahel can be difficult because rainfall varies widely from year to year (sporadic)

• The most common way people make a living is by herding animals and subsistence farming

• Desertification is a problem as the people who live there cut down trees for fuel and shelter.

Landscapes of the Sahel

Soil erosion can be a problem

“What a beautiful day in the Sahel of Africa,

you have such a lovely home!”

The Savanna

• Grasslands making up half of the African continent

• A wide variety of animals can be found in this area (lions, elephants, giraffes, etc.)

• The greatest danger for the African savanna today is the activities of people (farming, ranching, building roads, and animal poaching)

• Some countries like Kenya and Tanzania are setting aside large areas of land in the savannas for national parks and game preserves.

King of the Jungle, Mufasa?

Mt. Kilimanjaro in the backgroundIs that kitty looking for us? Hope not!

Grassy lands of the Savanna plain

The Rainforest• The world’s second largest area of rainforest • Humid, thick vegetation found mostly in the

Congo River basin• In the 1800s, Europeans cleared large areas of

the rainforest for great plantations when they discovered the riches in rainforest such as rubber

• The destruction of the rainforest also led to unique plants and animals becoming extinct

• The main factor in the destruction of the rain forest is human activity or growing populations in Africa

Got Oxygen?

I didn’t know you guys hung out in the rainforest! JK

What a shame! All that oxygen gone!