Physical Geography of Sub-Sahara Africa

Sub-Sahara refers to Africa SOUTH of the Sahara desert.

Includes almost 50 countries. One-third of all the countries on the earth.

Extremely diverse landscape.

2nd largest continent has 9 million square miles of huge plateaus, mountains, and valleys south of the Sahara.

Main IdeaMain Idea

Continent of PlateausContinent of Plateaus “One big Plateau” Coastal plains go 20 miles

inland. Plateau after plateau & in

between there are escarpments.

Escarpments- steep cliffs or slopes.

South & East hold steepest escarpments.

B/C of plateau Africa has the highest overall elevation

MountainsMountains Atlas in Northwest. Most mts. east side. Drakensberg,

Ruwenzori. Volcanoes= Mount

Kenya, Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak (19,340 feet)

Great Rift ValleyGreat Rift Valley Stretches from

Jordan river to Zambezi River in Mozambique.

Occurred when pangaea ripped apart creating mountains.

Water SystemsWater Systems

Largest lakes cut into Largest lakes cut into Great Rift Valley.Great Rift Valley.

Longest rivers all rise Longest rivers all rise in plateaus.in plateaus.

Due to high Due to high escarpments, rapids escarpments, rapids and waterfalls are and waterfalls are common on the edge common on the edge of the continent.of the continent.

LakesLakes Lake Victoria in GRV, 2nd Lake Victoria in GRV, 2nd

largest freshwater lake in largest freshwater lake in the world, source of the world, source of White Nile. White Nile.

Lake Tanganyika (420 Lake Tanganyika (420 miles) 1st largest lake in miles) 1st largest lake in world. world.

Lake Malawi in GRVLake Malawi in GRV Outside GRV: Lake Volta, Outside GRV: Lake Volta,

Lake Chad (no natural Lake Chad (no natural outlet-loses water through outlet-loses water through evaporation.evaporation.

RiversRivers

4 great rivers slice 4 great rivers slice through Africa:through Africa: NileNile Congo (largest river Congo (largest river

system sub-Sahara)system sub-Sahara) NigerNiger Zambezi (plunges Zambezi (plunges

down a huge chasm down a huge chasm known as Victoria known as Victoria Falls, which is twice Falls, which is twice the size of Niagara the size of Niagara falls)falls)

Natural Resources

Diamonds form the Diamonds form the D.R.O.T. Congo.D.R.O.T. Congo.

Gold from South Gold from South Africa & GRV.Africa & GRV.

Nigeria 3 % of Nigeria 3 % of world’s known oil.world’s known oil.

Uranium, Uranium, manganese, cobalt, manganese, cobalt, zinc, copper.zinc, copper.

Climate & Vegetation

Three tropical latitudes cross sub-Sahara Africa.

T of Cancer crosses south of Sahara Desert

T of Capricorn extends through southern tip.

Equator runs through center. (All Africa within 35 degrees of equator)

B/C sub-Sahara is all in the tropics makes for diverse climate and vegetation.

Deserts

Deserts cover a larger percentage of Africa than any other continent.

Sahara covers north. Namib desert, coast of

Namibia. Kalahari desert most of

Botswana.

The Sahel

Sahel means “border.” Lies between the desert and

fertile grassland to the south. Long, dry seasons & wet seasons. Drought has brought famine,

misery, & hardship. Countries: Senegal, Mauritania,

Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, Chad, Sudan, and the

“Horn.” “Desertification” happening in

the Sahel. Sahara taking over.

Lookingsouth

Lookingnorth

Tropical Savanna & Tropical Rain Forests

T.S. more rain than Sahel, supports livestock and game.

T.S. Holds the Serengeti plains and Nairobi national park.

T.R.F. covers only 8% of Africa, on the equator.

T.R.F. faces destruction from logging companies.

T.R.F. make poor farmland. T.R.F. cocoa, rubber, palm-oil.