Lecture  #1:  Geography,  Language  and  Culture

Africa’s  Geog.

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➡  Second  largest  continent  at  11,700,000  sq.  mi.  

➡22%  of  Earth’s  total  land  area  

➡  16%  of  the  world’s  population.  

➡  2  ½  times  the  size  of  the  U.S.  

➡Shortest  coastline  of  the  major  continents  -­‐  due  to  few  jutting  edges  and  bays

African Population Demographics

➡54 Independent nations in Africa

➡Population of Africa nearly 1 billion people

➡Rapid population growth (last 40 years) and disease have resulted in a young population. (over 50% is under 25)

➡Nigeria is most populous country with an estimated 150 million people

➡Most populated city in Africa is Cairo 17 million

Africa  :                                              ::                  America  :  Ethnic  Group?  Tribe

African Population Demographics

➡Tribal lifestyle is the backbone to African culture.

➡Diverse tribes in Africa make it difficult to unify.

➡Tribal loyalty is more important than loyalty to country/nation

Problems  of  Tribalism  Today

1.    The  tribe  is  more  important  than  the  nation.

2.    Communication  problems.

3.    Inter-­‐tribal  warfare  leads  to  civil  wars.

4.    Tribal  favorites  for  government  jobs:    Nepotism    

Urbanization:Breaks  down  tribal  traditions.

Tribal  intermingling  on   the  job.

Languages➡1000 different languages in Africa

➡population experts estimate that there are at least 3,000 distinctive tribes in Africa.

➡Nigeria alone is home to more than 370 recognized tribes within its borders.

➡Arabic is the most common language with over 170 million speakers (mostly in Northern Africa)

➡Islam is also the most common religion as 25% of pop. is a Muslim

The Mighty Nile River: “Longest River in the World”

•Major source of fresh water throughout N. Africa

•4,132 miles long (longest in the world)

•Drains by flowing away from equator into Mediterranean Sea

•Nile River Valley site of early African Civ.

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  thecontinent.  

• Extends  over  9 countries.  

• 2,720  miles  long.  

• 99%  of  the  country of  DRC  is  in  theCongo  River  basin.

The  Niger  River  Basin

•  Covers  7.5%  of  the  continent.  

•  Extends  over  10  countries.  

•  2,600  miles  long.

Deserti^ication •The  turning  of  semiarid  land  into  desert  through  climate  change  and  human  actions  

•Africa  contains  the  worlds  largest  desert,  the  Sahara.  

•The  Sahara  makes  up  an  area  greater  in  size  than  the  entire  continental  US  

•Major  Deserts  

•Sahara  

•Sahel  

•Kalahari  

Africa:

The “Tropical” Continent

Tropic of Cancer 20° N

Tropic of Capricorn

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