Africa – Physical Geography
Landforms and Resources Angola diamonds = weapons = 500,000
dead and 4,000,000 homeless Present day Africa moved very little as
Pangaea split up Most of Africa is a plateau 1,000 feet
above sea level
Landforms and Resources Huge basins – depressions – 625 miles x
5,000 feet deep Nile River – 4,000 miles long, 95% of
Egyptian life Google earth Many waterfalls, rapids and gorges
make river travel difficult
Landforms and Resources Rift valleys – long thin valleys in East Africa
over 4,000 mile long Long deep lakes
Lake Tanganyika – 420 miles long and 4,700’ deep
Lake Victoria Mountains – mostly volcanic mountains
Mount Kilimanjaro – Great Escarpment – steep slope with a flat
plateau – S. Africa
Landforms and Resources Many minerals on continent and oil
Economic activity map on page 419
Many diverse resources Oil #1, coffee #2, lumber, sugar, cocoa
beans, palm oil 66% make living in agriculture
Climate and Vegetation Warm tropical temperatures Deserts – Sahara Aquifers – oasis Variations in rainfall from one extreme
to the other 120” to less than 20” N. and S Africa have Mediterranean
climates – can be cooler
Climate and Vegetation Grasslands – tropical grassland cover
most of continent – Serengeti Plain – dry with hard soil – supports grazing animals
Rainforests – leave 6 weeks vs. year in Europe to decompose
Canopy – uppermost layer of branches in rainforest 150’ in the air
Slash and burn agriculture – 90% of Madagascar and ½ of African rainforests
Climate and Vegetation
Climate and Vegetation
Climate and Vegetation
Climate and Vegetation
Human-Environment Interaction 300 dead in Nigeria from pipeline
explosion 1000s of lives and a lot of
environmental disaster Desertification – change of moist areas
to desert – human activity is speeding up the process (farming, grazing and population)
Rain forest is disappearing
Human-Environment Interaction Nigeria – 6th largest oil producer – 2M
BBL per day – 80% to 90% of income Mismanagement, corruption, poor
planning and dropping prices hurt Nigeria
4,000 oil spills, soot and air pollution, fires and explosions
Oil stolen and resold
Human-Environment Interaction Nile – Aswan High Dam – Lake Nasser 300
miles and was built in 1970 Controls flooding and irrigation water Increased farmland by 50% People were relocated and artifacts were
covered in water Decreased fertility and lessened silt
deposits while increasing salt in soil Malaria and water evaporation
Human Geography East Africa
Cradle of humanity Ethiopia = trading center 19th century Africa colonized for resources
Berlin Conference 1884-1885 divides Africa among 14 nations to avoid war – no Africans invited
Liberia and Ethiopia remain free Divided with no respect to language or culture Groups put together that hated each other Conflicts today in Africa took root during
colonization
Human Geography East Africa
Gained independence by 1970 Many internal disputes and civil wars Cultural divisions cause internal conflicts Farming and tourism Coffee, tea and sugar Many moving to cities Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania have wildlife
parks that people want to farm
Human Geography East Africa
160 different ethnic groups Health care is bad AIDS pandemic – uncontrollable outbreak
of disease Famine in Somalia- drought and political
violence http://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y53Kx9z0Qak
Human Geography
Human Geography
Human Geography North Africa
Carthage in Tunisia is a trading post Egypt Invaded throughout history Islam dominates – monotheistic based on
teachings of Muhammad Quran, Sunni, Shia, god, women, jihad,
marriage, Jesus Testimony, prayer, giving, fasting, &
pilgrimmage
Human Geography North Africa
Black gold, 99% of Libyan exports Many unemployed especially young Souk = marketplace Women – few women work, eat
separately, moving towards one wife, less abuse, preteen arranged marriages lessened, women in cities getting jobs
Human Geography West Africa
300 years over 20 million slaves exported 20% died on voyage Effects still felt today Gold and salt were early products Many cultures and peoples Stateless societies governed by families
Human Geography West Africa
Ghana $1900 – minerals Sierra Leone – 800 miles of road and 30%
literacy Carving, weaving, art and music
Human Geography Central Africa
Bantu are the largest group and culture Slave trade was assisted by African rulers King Leopold II of Belgium in 1870s wanted
to develop trade in the Congo Borders during colonialism hurt systems of
trade and government By 1960s most areas were free Inexperienced and corrupt leaders
Human Geography Central Africa
Little money for roads, airports or education Lack stable political systems Art and sculpture Education in short supply
Less than half of 16-20 year olds attend school Few teachers, school buildings and high
dropout rate Over 700 languages – most education in French Few universities
Human Geography South Africa
Blacks greatly outnumber whites but own little land
Gold trade Zimbabwe was a gold trading empire from
1200s to 1400s then ended suddenly?? British defeat the Zulus in late 1800s to
control S. Africa British fought Dutch in Boer War
Human Geography South Africa
1948 apartheid – complete separation of races
No social contact with segregated schools, hospitals and neighborhoods
25% white Nelson Mandela ANC Apartheid ends 1994
Human Geography
Human Geography South Africa
Economies are advanced for Africa, but black poverty is a big problem
Many young uneducated people Unequal land distribution and severe
housing shortages Botswana has mineral wealth, but an
uneven distribution of money
Human Geography South Africa
Rich buy land for cattle which cause food shortages
Dance is important Johannesburg has 6M people with rich in
N and poor in S
African Issues Poor government Poor economies Poor education Few trading relationships
African Issues Little manufacturing – raw materials Debt Many educated Africans leave Health care is limited – Aids, cholera,
malaria and tuberculosis
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