A Satellite View

Bodies

Of

Water Nile River

Zambezi River

Orange River

Limpopo River

Mediterranean Sea

Atlantic Ocean

Pacific Ocean

Indian Ocean

L. Victoria

L. Albert-->

L. Chad-->

L. Tanganyika->

• Most of the rivers in

Africa south of the

Sahara are hard to

navigate from source to

mouth.

• Droughts and a dry

climate have contributed

to the shrinking size of

Lake Chad.

• Lake Victoria the largest

lake in Africa, is located

between the eastern and

western branches of the

Great Rift Valley.

Bodies

Of

Water Nile River

Zambezi River

Orange River

Limpopo River

Mediterranean Sea

Atlantic Ocean

Pacific Ocean

Indian Ocean

L. Victoria

L. Albert-->

L. Chad-->

L. Tanganyika->

• The course of the

Zambezi River to the

sea is interrupted by

Victoria Falls on the

border of Zambia and

Zimbabwe.

• Does Africa have plenty

of water?

Soil and water

• Why are soils in the

tropical wet areas of

Africa not very

fertile?

• Heavy rains leach, or

dissolve and carry

away, nutrients from the

soil.

African Rain Forest

# Annual rainfall of up to 17 ft.

# Rapid decomposition (very humid).

# Covers 37 countries.

# 15% of the land surface of Africa.

The Congo River Basin

# Covers 12% of the continent.

# Extends over 9 countries.

# 2,720 miles long.

# 99% of the country of Zaire is in the Congo River basin.

# @Realsworth

The Niger River Basin

# Covers 7.5% of the continent.

# Extends over 10 countries.

# 2,600 miles long.

Hydroelectric Power

Δ Mt. Kenya

Δ Mt. Kilimanjaro

Mountains

&

Peaks

• Highest point in Africa

is Mt. Kiliminjaro.

• Lake Assal is a saline

lake which lies 155 m

(509 ft) below sea level

is the lowest point on

land in Africa and the

third lowest land

depression

on Earth after the Dead

Sea and Sea of Galilee.

Deserts

Sahara Desert

Sahel

Libyan Desert

• Botswana Holds

most of The Kalahari

Desert

• The steppe region

south of the Sahara

is called the Sahel.

• The factor that has

the greatest

influence on climate

in Africa south of the

Sahara is?

• rainfall

The Sahara Desert

Urbanization in Africa

south of the Sahara is

growing faster than any

other region on earth!

What does that mean?

The Sahel

What are the most abundant natural resources in Africa south of the Sahara?

Minerals and water

Desertification

• The expansion

of agricultural

lands in Africa

south of the

Sahara poses a

serious threat to

rain forests.

Valleys

&

Plains

The Great Rift Valley was

formed, in part, by

shifting tectonic plates.

Great Rift Valley

3,000 miles long

Seismic Activity in Africa

Africa:

The “Tropical” Continent

Tropic of Cancer

20° N

Tropic of Capricorn

20° S

Equator 0° • The tropical wet climate

zone in Africa south of

the Sahara can receive

more than 60in of rain

a year.

• Where are tropical rain

forests located in Africa

south of the Sahara?

• Equator

West Africa: Home of our Hurricanes

Vegetation Zones

• Tropical grasslands are also

referred to as savannas.

• Desertification occurs when long

periods of drought and land use

destroy the vegetation.

• Increasing desertification and

deforestation in the Sahel have

forced people to migrate to cities

such as Dakar and Miamey, and

Bamako.

The African Savannah: 13 million sq. mi.

Mt. Kilimanjaro: Snow on the Equator?

The

Complete

Topography

Of

AFRICA

Nile River

Zambezi River

Orange River

Limpopo River

Mediterranean Sea

Atlantic Ocean

Pacific Ocean

Indian

Ocean

L. Victoria

L. Albert-->

L. Chad-->

L. Tanganyika->

Δ Mt. Kenya

Δ Mt. Kilimanjaro

Sahara Desert

Sahel

Libyan Desert Tropic of Cancer

20° N

Tropic of Capricorn

20° S

Equator 0°

THE END