THE PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY OF

AFRICA

Regions of Africa Traditionally there are five main regions:

NORTHERN SOUTHERN EASTERN WESTERN CENTRAL OR MIDDLE

Regions of Africa Fertile land lies along the Mediterranean

Coast in the North and at the tip of southern Africa.

There are many mineral resources including:

salt, gold, copper, diamonds, oil

Regions of AfricaSavannah – largest and most populated

grassy plaingood soil but irregular rainfalllong droughtstsetse fly infects cattle and humans

Tsetse fly

Regions of AfricaBelow the savanna are dry steppes and then two major deserts: The Sahara (world’s largest desert) and the Kalahari (along with the smaller Namib) in the south.

Bantu and other Migrations

The Sahara was originally an area of neolithic farming villages.

Desertification and Migration

The Sahara area dries out due to climate change; process known as desertification which continues to the present day. (Yes the desert is growing!)

Cropland and pastureland disappears People must find new areas to live

WHAT EFFECTS WILL THESE SITUATIONS HAVE ON THE ECONOMIES OF THE VARIOUS NATIONS?

Sahara, Savanna , Sahel

Migration and Trade Movement in Africa has been difficult due

to geographic barriers:

A. deserts B. Long coast line but few natural harbors C. Interior is a high plateau D. Rivers turn into cataracts/waterfalls at the

coasts hinders travel between coast and interior

Bantu Migrations Bantu Area 3-phase

migration

Bantu Migrations Traced by studying language patterns West African farmers and herders

migrated to the south and east between 1,000BC and 1,000AD.

Common root language was the Bantu family of languages.

This is how the migration was traced.

Results of Migration People adapted to the varying climates

Developed Diversity of Cultures Nomadic cattle herders Farmers (grain and root crops) Several large farming empires developed