the shape of the land a vast continent what does “vast” mean? how big is africa?
TRANSCRIPT
The Shape of the Land
A Vast Continent
What does “vast” mean?
How big is Africa?
Location: Straddles the equator (almost cutting it in half) making much of it in the tropics; two major oceans; center of trade (changed due to Suez Canal)
Regions: book says north, west, east, central and south:
• North Africa – most closely associated
with Middle East
• Sub-Sahara – south of the Sahara,
HIV/AIDS a huge problem
• West Africa
Landforms
Plateaus: most of the continent is a series of these; 367 ft vs. 7,000 ft (p. 62)
• escarpments (steep cliffs) formed by rivers cutting through;
Great Rift Valley: giant fault in eastern part of the continent p. 61
Rivers
Hydroelectric Power – energy created by moving water; important resource
The Nile: 4,000 miles making it longest in the world; earliest civilizations; Aswan Dam created Lake Nasser to help with flood issues and power.• •Other Key Rivers: Congo, Niger, Zambezi
Natural Resources
• Mineral Exports: diamonds –where?, copper, oil in the Sahara, etc.
• Uneven Distribution: some have much, some have little
AFRICA!AFRICA!
Equator – connect the lines
Atlas Mountains
Drakensberg Mountainsduring our Winter
Drakensberg Mountains Winter (which is our Summer )
1
2
Mt. Kenya
Mt.Kilimanjaro
34
The Great Rift Valley
5
Nile River Egypt
Nile River in Uganda
Lake Nasser
Niger River
Zambezi River
Zambezi at Victoria Falls
Congo River
8
6
10
9
Lake Chad
2007 Lake Chad “shows slight recovery”
Lake Victoria
Lake Tanganyika
7
12
13
11
Sahara Desert
Kalahari Desert
Namib Desert
14
1516
Suez CanalSuez Canal
SUEZ CanalSUEZ Canal
