AFRICA
Human and Physical Environment
PHYSICAL FEATURES AND CLIMATE
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Visualize the continent of Africa with all of its different physical features:
mountains, plateaus, rivers, forests, grasslands, and deserts
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Now visualize the people living and working in all of those different places
• Physical Features and Climate:
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Look at the climate map. Find the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn. Much of
Africa lies between these two lines of latitude, which means that most of Africa is I
a tropical climate region.
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The Equator runs through this midsection of the continent, these regions are
usually hot.
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Location near the Equator is not only influence on climate. The climate of a place
may depend on how close it is to large bodies of water.
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Major landforms and elevation also affect climate
LIVING NEAR THE EQUATOR
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A place’s location in relation to the Equator influences the seasons, North of the Equator,
Winter and summer occur at the same time as in the United State, South of the Equator,
the seasons are reversed, with winter beginning in June
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Climate and farming
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Elevation, or height above the sea level, also affects climate. The higher the elevation,
the cooler a place tends to be
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The countries of Ethiopia and Somalia are about the same distance from the Equator, yet
they have different climates. Ethiopia is on a very high plateau and has mild
temperatures and much rain. Farmers can grow a wide range of crops-including bananas,
coffee, dates, and oats. Because Ethiopia usually gets plenty of rain, many farmers there
do not irrigate, or artificially water their crops
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Somalia, at a much lower elevation than Ethiopia, is hot and dry. Farming is possible
only in or near oasis, where crops can be irrigated. An oasis is a place where springs and
fresh underground water make it possible to support life in a region that gets little rain.
ADAPTING TO THE LAND
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The land in Africa’s different regions is varied. People in these different regions
understand how to adapt to the seasons and to the land in order to make a living
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Tropical rain forests
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Tropical rain forests are regions where it rain nearly all the time. The moisture
supports a rich environment of trees, plants and animals. This region used to be
much larger. It covered much of Central Africa. Through the years people cut trees
from the forest for wood or to clear land for farming. Once the trees were cut, heavy
rains washed away the nutrients that make soil fertile
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Tropical Savannas
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Much of Africa north and south of the rain forest is tropical savanna. The savanna is
a region of tall grasses. The climate of savanna is tropical wet and dry. The savanna
has two seasons: dry and wet. During the dry season, farming is impossible. People
trade, build houses, and visit friends. In the wet season, the turns green and
farmers plant their crops
DESERTS IN AFRICA
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Beyond the savanna lie the deserts. In the south the Kalahari and the Namib.
The immense Sahara extends across most of North Africa. Nomads make their
living in the Sahara, Nomads move to various places to make a living
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The southern edge of Sahara meets the savanna in a region called the Sahel,
which is the Arab word for shore. The Sahel is very hot and dry . It receives
only 4 to 8 inches (10 cm) of rain per year. Small shrubs, grass, and some trees
grow there