AFRICAAFRICAGeographyGeography

Atlantic Ocean

Moz

ambi

que

Chan

nel

Strait of Gibraltar Mediterranean Sea

Red Sea

Gulf of A

den

Indian Ocean

Gulf of Guinea

CoastlineCoastline Africa has a regular

coastline – Smooth– Few natural ports and

harbors – Limits trade

Coastline leads directly to desert or jungle– Limited exploration by

the Europeans– Helps to isolate Africa

Lake Lake VictoriaVictoria

Lake Lake TanganyikaTanganyika

Lake Lake MalawiMalawi

Bodies of Water

Great Rift ValleyGreat Rift Valley 4,000 mile canyon in East

Africa Natural barrier Site of many

archeological discoveries, including “Lucy” or Homo Habilis, by Mary & Louis Leakey.

Great Rift Valley cont’d Great Rift Valley cont’d

Great Rift Valley

It is believed that Ancient man originated here

Skeleton of “Lucy”- Remains of Ancient Female found in GRV

SavannasSavannas Tall, mostly treeless

grasslands that has both a dry and a wet season.

Covers approximately 45% of Africa

The majority of people & wildlife live in the savanna region.

DesertsDeserts

Cover about Cover about 40% of Africa40% of Africa

SaharaSahara KalahariKalahari NamibNamib NubianNubian

MountainsMountains

Atlas Mts.Atlas Mts. Drakensburg Drakensburg

Mts.Mts. Mt. KilamanjaroMt. Kilamanjaro Highest Highest

mountains are mountains are located in located in eastern Africa.eastern Africa.

Climate Climate ZonesZones

Africa has very diverse climate regions.

Desert Steppe Savanna Rainforest Mediterranean

Sahara Desert Located in Northern

Africa Larger than the United

States Occupies 1/3 of Africa Not a sandy desert:

most of the desert is rock and gravel

Causes geographic isolation

Serves as a natural barrier separating the people of the Sahara and Southern Africa

Desertification the process of fertile land

becoming desert.

Causes:– Overuse/over farming,

overgrazing and over cutting of trees for firewood.

– Trees and grasses have root systems that hold topsoil in place, without them erosion blows or washes it away, and the land becomes desert.

Desertification con’tDesertification con’t

Solutions:– Crop rotation: moving one type of

crop to a different field each year.Prevents the soil nutrients from being

depleted year after year.

– Planting tree belts also stops wind erosion

Rivers

Nile River Niger R. White Nile Benue R. Blue Nile Congo R. Zambezi R. Victoria Falls

Nile RiverNile River The longest river in

the world at 4,180 miles long.

It flows NORTH from the mountainous region of Lake Victoria to the coastal plains of the Mediterranean Sea.

Cataracts- places where the river becomes shallow, rocks, rapids and waterfalls prevent navigation

Trade/transportation hindered- slowed, prevented by cataracts

““Gift of the Nile”Gift of the Nile” It is an annual,

predictable flood that provides nutrient rich soil for crops to grow surrounded by desert.

Rich soil= silt The Nile River valley

was home to one of the world’s first civilizations: Egyptian civilization– The Egyptians created

their calendar based off the annual overflow of the nile