africa unit pre-ap geography november 17 th – 25th

Africa UnitPRE-AP GEOGRAPHY

NOVEMBER 17TH – 25TH

Chapter 20 North Africa– Physical Geography

PHYSICAL FEATURES

The Nile River

It is the longest river in the world. Flows more than 4,000 miles northward through the desert

Formed by the union of two rivers, the Blue Nile and the White Nile and empties into the Mediterranean Sea

The land along the Nile is very fertile. Floods on the river deposit silt - finely ground fertile soil, all along the river. Before it reaches the sea, the Nile fans out into a huge fertile delta.

The Aswan High Dam controls flooding on the Nile.

Because of the lack of silt, farmers need to use fertilizer to grow crops.

Sinai and Suez Canal

The Sinai Peninsula is east of the Nile. It is mostly rocky and barren.

The Suez Canal separates the Sinai peninsula from the rest of Egypt. Ships carry oil and goods from the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea through the canal.

Mountains

Several mountain ranges can be found in the Sahara.

The highest mountains are the Atlas Mountains in the northwest, near the Mediterranean Sea. They rise to 13,600 feet (4,160 m) above sea level.

The Sahara

Largest desert in the world, covering most of North Africa

Very dry, so very few people live there

Nearly every settlement in the Sahara is located near an oasis - a wet and fertile area in a desert where a spring or well provides water.

Common features in the Sahara include broad gravel plains, tall sand dunes, and dry streambeds.

Chapter 20 North Africa – Physical Geography

CLIMATE

Three main climates:

Desert: very dry, with temperatures ranging from mild to very hot

Mediterranean: found along the coast; mild winters and warm summers

Steppe: found between the coast and the desert

RESOURCES

Because rain is rare, water is a valuable resource.

Oil and gas are found in Libya, Algeria, and Egypt.

Morocco has iron ore.

Coal, oil, and natural gas are found in the Sahara.

Chapter 20 North Africa – Physical Geography

ANCIENT HISTORY

Egyptian civilization began after 3200 BC. The Egyptians are most famous for building huge stone monuments, especially pyramids. The pyramids were built as tombs for pharaohs, or Egyptian kings.

The largest pyramid is called the Great Pyramid. It is still standing today.

The Egyptians also developed a writing system called hieroglyphics. Used pictures to represent words or ideas. Often carved on monuments to record pharaohs’ deeds.

MODERN HISTORY

Greeks & Arab Influence

The Greeks under Alexander the Great invaded Egypt.

They built a city, Alexandria, that became a center of trade and culture.

In the 600s the Arabs conquered much of North Africa.

They brought the Arabic language and Islam to the region.

Chapter 20 North Africa – History & Culture

European Influence

By 1912 European countries such as Britain, Spain, France, and Italy had taken over North Africa.

North Africa regained independence beginning in the 1920s. The last country to become free was Algeria in 1962.

Modern North Africa

Since independence the countries of North Africa have tried to build stronger ties with other Arab countries.

CULTURE

People, Language & Religion

Egyptians, Berbers, Bedouins, and people of mixed ancestry live in North Africa.

The majority of people in the region speak Arabic.

Most North Africans are Muslims, people who practice Islam.

Islam influences many aspects of life in North Africa.

A small percentage of people in the region practice Christianity or other non-Islamic religions.

Chapter 20 North Africa – Culture & History

Foods Grains, fruits, vegetables, and nuts are common. Couscous—dish made from wheat served with meat or vegetables Fuul—Egyptian dish made from fava beans, olive oil, garlic, and lemons

Holidays and Customs Most holidays are religious. Cafes are gathering places. People greet each other by shaking hands and touching their hearts. Traditional clothes are long and loose.

The Arts & Literature Traditional arts include wood carving and weaving. Egypt has a movie industry. Music is very popular. Egyptian author Naguib Mahfouz won the Nobel Prize in 1988.

Chapter 20 North Africa – Culture & History

EGYPT

Government & Society

The most populous country in North Africa with more than 75 million people. Most of them are poor farmers.

Egypt is a republic, though its government is influenced by Islamic law. People are torn over how much influence Islam should have and how much the government should participate in foreign affairs.

Most people are very poor and do not have clean water.

Disease is common.

About half of all Egyptians cannot read or write.

The Egyptian government has made great progress in improving people’s lives.

Chapter 20 North Africa – Today’s North Africa

Resources and Economy Limited resources Nearly all farming takes place along the Nile. The land is very fertile and good for growing

cotton. Shipping through the Suez Canal brings money to Egypt. Petroleum exports and tourism also make money. Many Egyptian families depend on money sent by relatives in other countries.

Cities and Rural Life Close to 99 percent of Egypt’s population lives in the Nile Valley and Delta. Cairo is the largest city and capital. It has a mixture of modern buildings, historic mosques,

and mud houses. The city is very crowded. Alexandria, the second-largest city, is also poor and crowded. More than half of all Egyptians live in villages and rural areas.


MAGHREB

Together, western Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco are called the Maghreb, from the Arabic for “west.”

Governments in these countries have internal struggles in regards to how much Islam should influence the day to day lives of citizens.

LIBYA

Ruled since 1969 by General Mu’ammar al-Gadhafi, a dictator, or ruler with complete power

Gadhafi supported violence against Israel, so many other countries limit their relations with Libya.

Oil is the most important resource in Libya. Money from oil pays for schools, health care, and military equipment.

ALGERIA

In the 1990s violence broke out between the government and Islamic groups.

Today Algeria is working to recover from the violence and strengthen its economy.

Oil is the most important resource in Algeria. Money from oil pays for schools, health care, and military equipment.


TUNISIA

Close economic relations with many European countries

Tunisian women have more rights than others in the region.

MOROCCO

Only country in North Africa with little oil

Important producer and exporter of fertilizer

NORTH AFRICAN CITIES

Many North African cities have large marketplaces called souks.

Merchants in souks sell goods like spices, carpets, and copper products.

A souk is often located in the old section of a city called the Casbah.

Cities in Libya and Tunisia are mostly on the coast. The largest cities are Benghazi and Tripoli, Libya, and Tunis, Tunisia.

Morocco’s largest cities are Casablanca and Tangier. Both are tourist attractions, and Tangier is a free port, a city in which goods are not heavily taxed.


West African Geography

PHYSICAL FEATURES

Plains & Highlands

Plains cover most of the region. Most cities are on coastal plains.

A few areas of highlands are scattered around the region. The only high mountains are the Tibesti Mountains.

The Niger River

The Niger River is the largest river in West Africa.

The Niger provides fish, water for farming, and an easy transportation route for people in the region.

In Mali, the Niger breaks into a network of channels, marshes, and lakes called the inland delta.

The Sahara

The northern part of the region lies in the Sahara, the world’s largest desert.

Chapter 21 West Africa – Physical Geography

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CLIMATE

Sahara West Africa’s climates are zonal, or organized by zone. Almost no vegetation grows there. Dry, so few people live in many areas

Sahel The semiarid Sahel is south of the Sahara. The area has a steppe climate, and rainfall varies from year to year. It has enough vegetation to support

livestock. Desertification, the spread of desert like conditions, is making the Sahel more like the Sahara every year.

Savanna Lies south of the Sahel The savanna is an area of tall grasses and scattered trees and shrubs. When rain falls regularly, farmers can

grow many crops.

Humid Tropical Lies along the coasts of the Atlantic and the Gulf of Guinea Plentiful rain supports tropical forests. Many trees have been cut down to make room for people.


RESOURCES

The climate in part of the region is good for agriculture.

Ghana is the world’s largest producer of cacao, which is used to make chocolate.

Coffee, coconuts, and peanuts are also grown in the region.

Oil is the most valuable resource in the region.

Found off the coast of Nigeria

Other mineral resources include diamonds, gold, iron ore, and bauxite, the main source of aluminum.


ANCIENT HISTORY

One of the earliest kingdoms in West Africa was Ghana. It grew rich from the Sahara trade in salt and gold.

The empire of Mali later replaced Ghana and took control of the salt and gold trade routes. King Mansa Musa used Mali’s wealth from trade to support artists and scholars. Ghana

The kingdom of Songhai came to power as Mali declined. The Songhai city of Timbuktu was a cultural center with more than 100 schools. Songhai

West African trade cities declined as Europeans began to sail along Africa’s west coast. Europeans could trade for gold on the coast rather than paying traders to bring it across the desert.

MODERN HISTORY

The Slave Trade

In the 1500s the demand for labor in Europe’s American colonies led to the creation of the slave trade.

The slave trade was profitable for traders.

The slave trade devastated West Africa. Families were broken up when members were enslaved.

Many Africans died on the voyage to America.

Chapter 21 West Africa – History & Culture

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADOSXAUS8us

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9W67Od8oVgc

Colonial Era and Independence

France, Britain, Germany, and Portugal claimed colonies in West Africa in the 1800s.

Some Europeans moved to West Africa to run colonies.

They built schools, roads, and railroads.

Europeans created many economic problems in the colonies.

After World War II, Africans worked for and gained independence.

CULTURE

People

Hundreds of ethnic groups

Some groups live in traditional villages. Others live in cities and mix with other groups.

Country boundaries do not match ethnic group boundaries. Many people are more loyal to their group than to their country.


Languages

Hundreds of languages - Colonial languages like French, English, and Portuguese help groups communicate.

Many people speak West African languages.

Religion

Traditional religions are forms of animism, the belief that natural objects have spirits.

The two most common religions in the region are Christianity and Islam.

Clothing

Mix of modern and traditional clothes. Western-style clothes are common in cities.

Traditional clothes includes robes, pants, blouses, skirts, and wrapped headdresses.

Families and Shelter

Rural houses are small and simple.

Extended families, or large groups of relatives, often live together in one house. In urban areas, many people live in apartments.


NIGERIA

Many different ethnic groups. One group, the Igbo, tried to secede, or break away, in the 1960s, which began a civil war. Ethnic and regional conflicts are still a problem.

− The capital, Abuja, was chosen because it was in an area with a low population density, so there were few people to cause problems. The government is now a democracy.

Oil is the country’s major export. The oil industry is based around Lagos.

Most Nigerians are poor because of a high birthrate, lack of food, and poor government.

SENEGAL & GAMBIA

Senegal wraps around Gambia and is larger and richer. Peanut farming and tourism are major economic activities.

Many people speak a language called Wolof.

GUINEA, GUINEA-BISSAU, & CAPE VERDE

Small, poor countries

Guinea has bauxite resources. Guinea-Bissau has many undeveloped resources.

Cape Verde is a chain of islands with a democratic government. Tourism is central to the economy.

Chapter 21 West Africa – Today’s West Africa

LIBERIA & SIERRA LEONE

Liberia is Africa’s oldest republic, founded by Americans in the 1820s as a home for freed slaves.

Sierra Leone experienced violent civil war from 1991 to 2002, which killed thousands and left millions homeless.

Both countries are working to rebuild.

GHANA & CÔTE D’IVOIRE

Rich natural resources

Ghana has gold, timber, and cacoa. Côte d’Ivoire produces cacao and coffee.

TOGO & BENIN

Unstable governments. Both countries are poor. People mostly farm and herd.

MAURITANIA

Most people were once nomadic herders, but many have moved to cities. Most people are poor.

Only the far south is good for farming. Corruption and ethnic tensions have caused problems.


NIGER Very little good farmland. Farmers grow grains on the little farmland that exists. In the early 2000s locusts and drought caused famine, or an extreme shortage of food.

Lake Chad

CHAD Better farmland than other Sahel countries In the past, Lake Chad supported fishing, but the lake has largely dried up. The end of a civil war and the discovery of oil hold promise for Chad’s future.

MALI About 40 percent of the land is desert. Because so little land is available for farming, Mali is one of the

world’s poorest countries. Cotton and gold are its main exports. A stable democratic government has begun economic reforms. Tourists visit ancient cities such as Timbuktu

and Gao.

BURKINA FASO Poor country. Thin soil and few mineral resources Ouagadougou is the capital. Jobs there are scarce. Many people try to find work in other countries. When other countries have political or economic problems, Burkina Faso also suffers.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyBYYnAtGEc

PHYSICAL FEATURES

The Rift Valleys

Rift valleys are places where Earth’s crust stretches until it breaks. A series of rift valleys stretches from north to south across the center of East Africa.

The Great Rift Valley of East Africa is the largest rift valley in the world.

Mountains & Highlands

East Africa has many high, snowcapped volcanic mountains, including Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa. The Ethiopian Highlands are very rugged and cut by deep river valleys.

Plains

Tanzania and Kenya have wide plains areas.

The Serengeti Plain in Tanzania is famous for its wildlife, such as elephants, giraffes, lions, and zebras. The government has made the plain a national park.

Rivers & Lakes

The Nile, the world’s longest river, begins in East Africa. It is formed by the joining of two rivers, the White Nile and the Blue Nile.

The White Nile flows out of Lake Victoria, Africa’s largest lake. Lakes have formed along both the eastern and western rift valleys.

Chapter 22 East Africa – Physical Geography

CLIMATE

East Africa’s location on the equator and its varied elevations influence the climates found there.

Areas near the equator receive the most rain, while areas away from the equator experience occasional droughts, or periods when little rain falls.

Several droughts have affected East Africa in recent years.

South of the Equator

The climate changes to tropical savanna. Tall grasses and scattered trees. Rift floors are dry with grasslands and thorn shrubs

North of the Equator

Plateaus and mountains have a highland climate and dense forests.

Temperatures are much cooler than on the savanna. Heavy rains make farming possible.

Because of the rain and farming, most people in the region live in the highlands

East of the Highlands and on the Coast

The land is much lower. Desert and steppe climates. Only shrubs and hardy grasses can grow.

Chapter 22 East Africa – Physical Geography

HISTORY

Christianity

Missionaries brought Christianity to Ethiopia in the AD 300s. It moved into Nubia, now part of Egypt and Sudan, later.

In the 1200s an emperor named Lalibela had 11 rock churches carved out of the rocky ground.

Islam

Islam was a major religion in North Africa by 700. Islam gradually spread from Egypt south into East Africa.

Muslims also moved into East Africa from the Indian Ocean. Cities like Mogadishu and Mombasa became Muslim centers.

Slave Trade

The Indian Ocean slave trade began more than 1,000 years ago.

East Africans, Arabs, and Europeans kidnapped Africans, enslaved them, and shipped them to ports throughout Africa and Southwest Asia.

Most slaves went to Islamic countries. The Portuguese built forts and settlements to support the slave trade.

1700s Zanzibar became an international slave-trading center. Most European countries ended slavery in the 1800s.

Chapter 22 East Africa – History & Culture

European Influence and Conflict

Europeans wanted goods like gold, ivory, and rubber that came from Africa.

To get these goods, Europeans thought they needed to dominate the regions of Africa that they came from.

European countries formed colonies in Africa. Only Ethiopia was not colonized.

In the 1880s Britain and other countries divided Africa among them. To maintain power in Africa, they used imperialism, a practice that tries to dominate another country’s government, trade, and culture.

In the 1960s most East African countries gained independence.

Some newly independent countries were faced with ethnic conflicts.


CULTURE

Language

Many countries speak languages introduced by European imperialists:

French is an official language in Rwanda, Burundi, and Djibouti

English is common in Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania

Swahili is the most widely spoken African language. Ethiopians speak Amharic. Somalians speak Somali.

Religion

Most religions emphasize honoring ancestors.

Many East Africans are animists. They believe that the natural world contains spirits.

Most Christians in East Africa live in Ethiopia.

Islam is also common. Sudan and Somalia are mostly Muslim.


TANZANIA & KENYA

Both Tanzania and Kenya have large, vibrant modern cities.

Tanzania’s capital is Dodoma.

The government began moving the capital there from Dar es Salaam in the mid-1970s.

Dar es Salaam is Tanzania’s business center.

Kenya’s capital is Nairobi, an industrial center. Connected to the rest of East Africa by railways

Both Dar es Salaam and Nairobi have been the site of terrorist attacks. The U.S. embassies in both cities were attacked by the al Qaeda terrorist group in 1998.

Chapter 22 East Africa – Today’s East Africa

RWANDA & BURUNDI

Rwanda and Burundi are populated by two main groups—the Hutu and the Tutsi.

Since they gained independence, Rwanda and Burundi have seen violent conflict between the two groups.

The borders drawn by Europeans often lumped members of the two groups together in the same areas

In Rwanda in the 1990s ethnic conflict led to genocide, the intentional destruction of a people.The Hutu tried to completely wipe out the Tutsi.

Both Rwanda and Burundi today are very densely populated.

Neither country has many resources, and both depend on coffee and tea exports to survive.

SUDAN

Africa’s largest country, mainly agricultural. For years, Muslims and Christians have fought.

Recently, a genocide occurred in a region called Darfur. As a result, millions of people have fled Sudan as refugees.


UGANDA

Recovering from decades of military dictatorship. Democratic since 1986

About 80 percent of the workforce is employed in agriculture. Coffee is the major export.

ETHIOPIA

Has never been under foreign rule. Rich soil in the highlands allows a profitable agricultural industry.

Droughts in the 1980s caused the loss of crops. The country has received plenty of rain recently.

Most people in the highlands are Christian. Most in the lowlands are Muslim.

ERITREA

Eritrea was an Italian colony in the 1800s and an Ethiopian one in the 1960s.

Eritrea broke away from Ethiopia in 1993. Since then the country has worked to improve.

Tourists are drawn to the coasts.

Most people are farmers or herders. Cotton is the main export.


SOMALIA

Mostly covered with deserts and dry savannas

Too dry for farming, so most people are herders

Most people are ethnic Somali, practice Islam, and speak Somali.

Clans within Somalia have fought over rights to lands and cities such as Mogadishu, the capital.

In the 1990s drought and civil war caused much hardship in Somalia.

DJIBOUTI

Small, desert country on the Bab al-Mandab, the strait that connects the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean.

Was a French colony until 1977 so French is an official language

The capital and major seaport is also called Djibouti. It serves as the main port for Ethiopia, which is landlocked.

Two major ethnic groups fought for many years.


PHYSICAL FEATURES

Landforms

The Congo Basin is in the center of the region. A basin is a flat region surrounded by higher land.

Plateaus and low hills surround the Congo Basin.High mountains lie to east.

Rivers

The Congo River is the main river of the region. Rapids and waterfalls along its route keep ships from sailing to the sea from Central Africa’s interior.

The Zambezi River lies farther south. Victoria Falls are one of the many waterfalls on the river.

CLIMATE

Humid tropical climate, since most of the region lies along the equator. Warm temperatures all year with plenty of rainfall

North and south of the Congo Basin are tropical savannas. Warm all year, but distinct wet and dry seasons

Grasslands with scattered trees and shrubs. Mountains in the east have highland climates.

Steppe and desert climates can be found in the far south.

Chapter 23 Central Africa – Physical Geography

Vegetation

Large, dense tropical forest. Tall trees in the forest form a complete canopy.

Canopy leaves block sunlight from reaching the ground.

Animals

Gorillas, boars, elephants, and okapis live in the forest.

Because of the lack of sunlight, few animals live on the forest floor.

Birds, monkeys, bats, and snakes live in the canopy.

Challenges

Central Africa’s animals and forests are in danger.

Forests are being cleared for farming and logging.

Animals are hunted for food.

Governments have set up national parks to protect forests and other natural environments.


RESOURCES

Most people in the region are subsistence farmers. Some people have begun to grow crops to sell in periodic markets, open-air trading markets that are set up once or twice a week.

Tropical forests provide timber.

Rivers produce hydroelectricity.

Copper is the most important mineral in the region. Much of it is found in a copper belt that stretches through northern Zambia and Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Other resources include oil, natural gas, coal, uranium, tin, zinc, diamonds, gold, and cobalt.


ANCIENT HISTORY

The Kongo Kingdom was formed in the 1300s near the mouth of the Congo River. The Kongo grew rich from trade.

Europeans arrived in the region in the 1400s. They wanted products like timber, ivory, and slaves for their colonies.

In the 1800s European countries like France, Belgium, Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal divided Central Africa into colonies.

Boundaries drawn by the Europeans ignored the homelands of different ethnic groups. As a result, people from different groups were forced to live together, and conflict resulted.

MODERN HISTORY

Central African countries gained their independence after World War II. Some countries had to fight bloody wars for their freedom.

The last country to become free was Angola, which broke away from Portugal in 1975.

Independence did not bring peace. Ethnic groups continued to fight each other within many countries.

The United States and the Soviet Union supported different allies in Central Africa throughout the Cold War.

Chapter 23 Central Africa – History & Culture

CULTURE

People

About 100 million people live in Central Africa. They belong to many ethnic groups.

Languages

Most ethnic groups have their own languages or dialects, regional varieties of a language.

Most people speak African languages in their daily lives.

The official languages of most countries are European because of the influence of the colonial powers. For example, Portuguese is the official language of Angola.

Religion

Europeans introduced Christianity to the region. Many people in former French, Spanish, and Portuguese colonies are Catholic.

People in former British colonies are Protestant. Muslims and Hindus also live in the region.

The Arts

Famous for sculpture, carved wooden masks, and cotton gowns. Central African music is also popular.

The likembe, or thumb piano, was invented in the Congo area. A type of dance music called makossa was created there.

Chapter 23 Central Africa – History & Culture

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO

Belgian colony until 1960. A dictator named Joseph Mobotu came to power in 1965. He changed the country’s name to Zaire.

Mobotu was corrupt and used his position to make himself rich.

After a civil war in 1997 a new government took over and renamed the country the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The country is full of minerals, but bad government has scared investors away. As a result the resources are not used. Most people are poor. Many are moving to Kinshasa.

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC & CAMEROON

Central African Republic is landlocked. It has faced many problems since independence: Military coups, Corrupt leaders, Improper elections, Weak economy

Cameroon has a stable government and economy.

Elected president & Higher standard of living

Chapter 23 Central Africa – Today’s Central Africa

EQUATORIAL GUINEA & SÃO TOMÉ AND PRÍNCIPE

Equatorial Guinea is a republic, but some think its elections are flawed. Most people live in poverty.

São Tomé and Príncipe is an island country. Struggled with political instability, and poverty

GABON & REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO

Gabon has the highest standard of living in the region because of oil money.

Republic of the Congo has oil, but civil war hurt it in the 1990s. The country is mostly urban. The largest city is Brazzaville.

ANGOLA

After years of civil war, Angola is now a republic. The economy is struggling. Most people are subsistence farmers.

Inflation, a rise in prices, is a big problem. Angola has oil and diamonds.

ZAMBIA & MALAWI

A huge majority of Zambia’s workers are farmers. The country has copper, but it is developing slowly.

Most people in Malawi are farmers. It depends heavily on foreign aid.


CHALLENGES

A mix of ethnic groups and the desire for power has led to civil war in many countries.

Thousands of people have died in these wars. Wars have also hurt the region’s economies.

People who are killed or injured in the fighting can no longer work. In addition, fighting destroys land and other resources.

Health

Diseases like malaria kill many people in Central Africa each year. Malaria is a disease spread by mosquitoes that causes fever and pain. International health organizations and governments are working to prevent the spread of malaria, but the preventative measures are expensive.

Malaria is not the only disease that causes problems in Central Africa. AIDS also kills hundreds of thousands of people each year.

Partly because so many people die from disease, Central Africa has a very young work force. As a result, productivity suffers.


Central African countries need to develop their natural resources more effectively.

Agricultural production has declined in many areas.

As a result malnutrition—the condition of not getting enough nutrients from food—has increased.

Current policies regarding resources are also leading to environmental problems.

Forests are being cut down for timber.

Mining destroys the landscape.

Organizations around the world are working to find ways to help Central Africans improve their use of resources and protect their environment at the same time.


PHYSICAL FEATURES

Plateaus and Mountains

Most of Southern Africa lies on a large plateau.

An escarpment, the steep face at the edge of a plateau, runs along this plateau.

In the east, part of the escarpment is made up of the Drakensberg Mountains.

Other mountains can be found in the northeast and the southwest.

Plains

Grassy plains run along the coast and cover the plateau.

The plains are home to lions, leopards, elephants, baboons, and antelope.

Rivers

The Okavango River flows out of Angola to form a swampy delta in Botswana that is home to many animals.

The Orange River in South Africa flows over many waterfalls before it reaches the Atlantic.

The Limpopo River flows to the Indian Ocean. Waterfalls and other obstacles prevent ships from sailing up the river.

Chapter 24 Southern Africa – Physical Geography

CLIMATE

Savanna and Desert

Open grasslands cover much of the region. In South Africa, they are called the veld.

The Namib Desert is the driest place in the region. It receives as little as one half inch of rain each year.

The Kalahari Desert of Botswana features sandy plains and pans, or low, flat areas.

Tropical Forests

Found in Madagascar, which is known for its lush vegetation

Contains animals not found anywhere else in the world, such as lemurs

RESOURCES

Madagascar has timber.

Rivers provide hydroelectricity. Farmers grow a variety of crops.

South Africa produces most of the world’s gold. South Africa, Botswana, and Namibia produce diamonds.

Other minerals include coal, platinum, copper, uranium, and iron ore.

Mining is very important to the economy, but it can be very damaging to the environment

Chapter 24 Southern Africa – Physical Geography

HISTORY

Ancient History

The Khoisan were among the earliest people in Southern Africa. They were hunter-gatherers and herders.

The Shona, a Bantu group, built an empire in the 1400s. The Shona farmed, raised cattle, and traded gold. They also built Great Zimbabwe, a stone-walled town that was their capital.

Great Zimbabwe was the center of a great trading network. Trade made the city’s rulers rich and powerful.

The Shona traded with people as far away as China and the East Coast of Africa.

In the 1400s the gold trade declined. By 1500 Great Zimbabwe was no longer a major trading center.

Chapter 24 Southern Africa – History & Culture

MODERN HISTORY

Dutch

The Portuguese were the first to explore Southern Africa.

The Dutch were the first to actually settle in the area. They set up a trade station near the Cape of Good Hope.

Afrikaners and Boers

Afrikaners were descendants of Dutch, French, and German settlers in South Africa. They developed a language called Afrikaans.

The Boers were Afrikaner farmers who were forced north by the British.

British

As the British forced the Boers to move, they came into conflict with a Bantu group called the Zulu.

The British defeated the Zulu in a long series of battles.

The slave trade ended in the 1830s.


Apartheid

In the early 1900s South Africa’s government became increasingly racist. Nearly all officials were white.

The government set up a policy of separation called apartheid.

Apartheid placed restrictions on how people could live. For example, black South Africans were made to live in tiny clusters of homes called townships.

Independence

Beginning in the 1960s many former colonies gained independence.

Some countries won their freedom peacefully. Others had to fight for it.

Namibia remained under the control of South Africa until 1990.


CULTURE

People

Hundreds of ethnic groups. Some ethnic groups, such as the Zulu and the Tswana, are very large.

Other groups are small and not native to Africa.

Languages

Most languages belong to either the Khoisan or Bantu language families.

Khoisan languages are known for the click sounds they include.

More than 200 Bantu languages are spoken today. English is also common.

Religion

Europeans introduced Christianity to the region, and many people today are Christian.

Most non-Christians in the region practice traditional religions.


Celebrations and Arts

South Africans celebrate many holidays:

Heritage Day celebrates the country’s diversity.

Christian holidays such as Christmas

The region’s art reflects its many cultures.

South African artists paint ethnic designs.

Artists in Lesotho make tapestries.

Artists in Zimbabwe make stone statues.

Artists in Botswana make ostrich eggshell beadwork.


SOUTH AFRICA

Other countries put sanctions, or economic and political penalties, on South Africa to convince the government to end apartheid. People within South Africa also protested against apartheid

In the 1980s the government began to move away from its apartheid system. It released political prisoners, including Nelson Mandela, who was elected president in 1994.

Today all races have equal rights in South Africa. Everyone is free to attend any school or university. However, not everyone is equal economically yet. White South Africans are still generally wealthier than black South Africans.

Republic with an elected president. Many officials are working to guarantee both political and economic equality for all races in South Africa.

South Africa has more resources and industry than most African countries.

World’s largest producer of several valuable minerals—gold, platinum, and chromium

Large cities also contribute to the economy: Johannesburg has Africa’s largest industrial area.

Cape Town attracts many tourists.

Chapter 24 Southern Africa – Today’s Southern Africa

LESOTHO & SWAZILAND

Enclaves, small territories surrounded by foreign land

Lesotho has few resources, so it is a poor country.

Swaziland has mineral resources and cattle.

NAMBIA

Gained independence from South Africa in 1990

Now a republic with its capital at Windhoek

Some of Africa’s richest mineral deposits are in Namibia’s deserts. Despite these resources, most people are poor.

BOTSWANA

Mineral resources (especially diamonds), stable government, cattle ranching, and tourism have led to economic success.

One of the world’s fastest growing economies. Unemployment remains high.


ZIMBABWE

Zimbabwe has resources, but inflation and war have severely hurt the economy.

Whites make up less than 1 percent of the population, but own most of the land. The government is working to fix this problem by taking land from white farmers and giving it to black residents.

MOZAMBIQUE

One of the world’s poorest countries due to years of civil war. Industries include shipping and agriculture

MADAGASCAR

Was ruled for more than 20 years by a socialist dictator. Now has an elected president who wants to improve the economy

Most of the country’s income comes from exporting coffee, vanilla, sugar, and from tourism.

COMOROS

Four tiny islands with few resources. Struggling to improve education and promote tourism


CHALLENGES

One of the most serious challenges facing the region is poverty. Droughts often destroy food crops. In addition, many people are unemployed, so they have no way to escape poverty.

Disease is also a problem. Many people in the region are infected with HIV. Governments are working to stop the spread of this disease.

Many countries also face environmental challenges. For example, deforestation is a major problem in Madagascar.

Countries are working to solve these problems. Namibia was the first country in the world to include environmental protection in its constitution.


africa unit pre-ap geography november 17 th – 25th

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