geography of africa an introduction. standards sswh6 the student will describe the diverse...
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Geography of Africa
An Introduction
Standards• SSWH6 The student will describe the diverse
characteristics of early African societies before 1800 CE. • e. Analyze the role of geography and the distribution of
resources played in the development of trans-Saharan trading networks.
Physical Geography
• PHYSICAL FEATURES• Sahara Desert
• smooth coastline
• lack of navigable rivers
• Great Rift Valley
• high plateau
• Fertile soil along the Nile River encouraged the rise of great civilizations (ex. Egypt)
Physical Geography• RESULT• Groups are kept separate• 800 different languages are
spoken in modern Africa• Many geographic features
in Africa have prevented contact, trade & unity among peoples
• Many of these same features limit European knowledge of Africa “the Dark Continent”
True desert spreads into semi-arid regions
P rob lem : D esertifica tion
m aln u trit ion s ta rva tion p overty
S ah e l D esert(sou th S ah ara)
Topography• Deserts
– 40% of the land surface of Africa
– slows cultural diffusion - does not totally prevent it
• Sahara -- North Africa– Size of the U.S.– majority is rock and
gravel• Kalahari--Southwest Africa
Sahara Desert
Desertification - Causes• Farmers use semi-arid
land next to desert - yields poor crop
• Overgrazing by cattle and goats
• Overcutting of trees for firewood
• With no grass or tree roots, the topsoil blows away, the desert advances
Somalia
Solutions• Crop rotation• Terracing to
prevent soil from washing away
• Tree belts to stop erosion and hold soil in place
Rivers• Congo - 3000 miles
long• Niger - ancient
civilizations flourished here
• Zambezi - Victoria Falls, used for hydro-electric power
• Therefore, the interior of Africa remained largely unexplored
Zambezi Gorge
The Nile• 4,180 miles long
(world’s longest!!)• flows NORTH• Source - - Lake
Victoria• Delta - - Egypt• Floods annually
– One of the most densely populated region in Africa
Coastline
• Smooth• Few
natural harbors - hard to land ships
Skeleton Coast, Namibia
Climate - determined by rainfall, latitude and elevation
• Savanna - 40%, safari!!• Tropical Rainforest -
8%, • Desert - 40%• Mediterranean - 12%,
good farm land
• About 85% of the land is not suited to farming
Natural Resources
• Farming– peanuts, cotton,
cocoa, coffee
• Minerals– diamonds, gold,
copper, cobalt
• Water– hydroelectric power
A Satellite View
A Satellite View of Africa
Rift Valley, Kenya
SavannahSavannah
Deserts
Sahara Desert
Sahel
Kalahari Desert
The Sahel
Bodies
Of
Water
Nile River
Congo River
Zambezi River
Niger River
Orange River
Limpopo River
Mediterranean Sea
Atlantic Ocean
Pacific Ocean
Indian Ocean
Red Sea
L. Victoria
L. Albert-->
L. Chad-->
L. Tanganyika->
<--Gu
lf of A
den
Draje
nsburg
Mts
.
Ruwenzori M
ts.
Δ Mt. KenyaΔ Mt. Kilimanjaro
Mountains
&
Peaks
Atlas Mts.
Vegetation Zones
The
Complete
Topography
Of
AFRICA
Nile River
Congo River
Zambezi River
Niger River
Orange River
Limpopo River
Mediterranean Sea
Atlantic Ocean
Pacific Ocean
Indian Ocean
Red Sea
L. Victoria
L. Albert-->
L. Chad-->
L. Tanganyika->
<--Gu
lf of A
den
Drajensburg Mts.
Ruw
enzori Mts.
Δ Mt. Kenya
Δ Mt. Kilimanjaro
Sahara Desert
Sahel
Kalahari
Desert
Nam
ib D
esert
Libyan Desert
Gre
at R
ift
Val
ley
Atlas Mts.
Tropic of Cancer 20° N
Tropic of Capricorn20° S
Equator 0°
Standards• SSWH6 The student will describe the diverse
characteristics of early African societies before 1800 CE. • e. Analyze the role of geography and the distribution of
resources played in the development of trans-Saharan trading networks.
• List 5 facts which will help you remember this lesson:• • • • •