AFRICA
Africa is a giant! More than three times bigger than the United States,
Africa covers close to 11,700,000 square miles. (That is about 1/5 of all the land
in the world.) Africa is the only continent in the world that is located in all four
hemispheres.
REGIONS
Africa can be divided into five regions. Each region contains many different
climates and physical features.
 North Africa is marked by rocky mountains and the world’s largest desert,
the Sahara. The Sahara is almost the size of the United States. It covers
about 3.5 million square miles, yet has a population of less than 2 million
people. (Q: What are some of the difficulties people might face living in the
Sahara?)
 West Africa, the continent’s most populated region, consists mostly of
grasslands. The soil is the grasslands is good for farming.
 East Africa contains many mountains and plateaus, which are large, raised
areas of mostly flat land. The East also has large areas of grasslands and
hills.
 Central Africa is mostly flat and contains thick rain forests, mountains, and
swamps.
 Southern Africa is flat, with rolling grasslands. The Namib Desert (in
Namibia) and the Kalahari Desert (in Botswana) are also in this region.
LANDFORMS
 Africa is often called the “plateau continent” because the elevation (height
of land above sea level) is quite high. Much of the African continent is a
plateau that drops off sharply near the sea. Each of Africa’s regions has
mountains, but the highest are in East Africa. Mount Kilimanjaro is Africa’s
tallest mountain, rising to more than 19,000 feet above sea level.
 Along much of Africa’s coast is a strip of coastal plain. This strip of land is
dry and sandy at some points, and marshy and moist in other places. In the
Accra, Ghana, the coastal strip is only 16 miles wide. It ends at a long
escarpment, or steep cliff, that is about as high as a 100-story skyscraper.
 Mount Kilimanjaro is located on the edge of the Great Rift Valley in East
Africa. The Great Rift Valley was formed millions of years ago when the
continents pulled apart. A rift is a deep trench. The rift that cuts through
East Africa is more than 4,000 miles long. The Great Rift Valley is so large
that more than 30 Grand Canyons would fit inside it! Some of Africa’s most
spectacular mountains, volcanoes, lakes, and waterfalls are located in or
near the Great Rift Valley.
RIVERS OF AFRICA - I
Four large rivers carry water from the mountains of Africa’s plateaus to the
sea. The rivers are useful for traveling, but they are broken in places by
cataracts, or rock-filled rapids. These cataracts act as transportation barriers
because they make it impossible for ships to sail from Africa’s interior to the
sea. Transportation barriers are physical features that make it difficult to travel
or transport goods from one region to another.
 The NILE RIVER is the longest river in the world. It is more than 4,000 miles
long. The sources of the Nile are the While Nile in the country of Uganda
and the Blue Nile in the highlands of Ethiopia. From these two sources, the
river flows north and spills into the Mediterranean Sea. (Q: Why is it
unusual that the Nile River flows north? Why does it do so?)
People have farmed the land around the Nile for thousands of years.
At one time the Nile flooded its banks regularly. Farmers planted their
crops to match the flood cycle of the river. The floods provided water for
the crops and left behind a layer of silt, which is the tiny bits of rock and
dirt that build up on the bottoms of rivers and lakes. Silt helps make the
soil fertile, containing substances that plants need in order to grow well.
In 1960, Egypt’s government began building the Aswan High Dam to
control the flooding of the Nile. As the water backed up behind the dam, it
created Lake Nasser. Lake waters are channeled to water crops that grow
in the desert, while water rushing through the dam makes electricity.
RIVERS OF AFRICA - II
 The CONGO RIVER flows through the rain forests of Central Africa. At 2,900
miles, the Congo River is Africa’s second-longest river. It is fed by hundreds
of tributaries (small rivers and streams that flow into larger rivers). People
in this area grow grains and cassava, a starchy plant similar to a potato.
They also catch fish in the Congo with basket traps.
The Congo River’s current is so strong, that the river does not empty
into the ocean at ground level, or delta. Instead, the river has cut a deep,
wide canyon beneath the sea for more than 125 miles!)
 Africa’s third-longest river is the NIGER RIVER. The Niger River begins its
journey in the West African nation of Guinea. The river flows north and
then bends south for 2,600 miles. The Niger River provides water for farms
in the river valley, as well as fish for the people living along the river.
 The fourth-longest of Africa’s rivers, the ZAMBEZI RIVER, is in Southern
Africa. It runs through or forms the borders of six countries: Angola,
Zambia, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique. The Zambezi
River is 2,200 miles long. People have used the Zambezi’s strong current to
make electricity. About halfway to its outlet in the Indian Ocean, the
Zambezi River plunges into a canyon, creating Victoria Falls. The African
name for Victoria Falls is “the smoke that thunders.” People can see the
mist and spray from the waterfall from 40 miles away.
CLIMATES
Find the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn on the map above.
Much of Africa lies between these two lines of latitude, which means that most
of Africa is in a tropical climate region. The Equator runs through the
midsection of the continent, so these regions are generally hot.
Location near the equator is not the only influence on climate. The climate
of a place may depend on how close it is to large bodies of water. Major
landforms (mountains) and elevation (height above sea level) can also affect
climate.
 Location. A place’s location in relationship to the Equator influences the
seasons. The farther one goes away from the Equator, the cooler the
climate becomes. North of the Equator, winter and summer occur at the
same times as in the United States; south of the Equator the seasons are
reversed from those in the United States.
 Elevation. The height above sea level also affects climate. The higher the
elevation, the cooler a places tends to be. The countries of Ethiopia and
Somalia are almost 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.
Somalia, at a much lower elevation than Ethiopia, is hot and dry.
Farming is possible only in or near an oasis, where crops can be irrigated.
An oasis is a place where springs and fresh underground water make is
possible to support life in a region that gets little rain.
ADAPTING TO THE LAND
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.
 TROPICAL RAIN FORESTS. Tropical rain forests are regions in where it rains
nearly all the time. The moisture supports a rich environment of trees,
plants, and animals. In Africa, 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.
 TROPICAL SAVANNAS. Much of Africa north and south of the rain forest is
tropical savannas. The savanna is a region of tall grasses. The climate of
the savanna is tropical wet and dry. The savanna has two season – dry and
wt. During the dry season, farming is impossible. People trade, build
houses, and prepare for the wet season. In the wet season, the land turns
green and farmers plant their crops.
 DESSERTS. Beyond the savanna lie the deserts. In the south like the
Kalahari and Namib Deserts. The immense Sahara Desert extends across
most of North Africa. Nomads make their living in the Sahara Desert.
Nomads move from place to place to make a living. Some nomads are
traders, and others hunt game and gather food. Most nomads are herders.
They travel to where they can get water and food for their goats, camels,
and sheep.
(Question: Most of North Africa’s population lives north of the Sahara
Desert near the Mediterranean Sea. If the Sahara were a grassland region
with rivers and forests, would this changes where people in the North
African countries lived? Why?
The southern edge of the Sahara Desert meets the savanna in a region
called the Sabel (SAH bel), which is the Arab word for shore or border. The
Sabel is very hot and dry; it receives on four to eight (4-8) inches of rain per
year. Small shrubs, grass, and some trees grow there.
The Sabel is a perfect name for this area, as it is a border between the
two cultural regions of Africa – Saharan Africa, which is primarily Islamic
and Arabic, and Sub-Saharan Africa, whose people primarily have tribal
religions and are Bantu speakers.
AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES
 SUBSISTENCE FARMING. Most of Africa’s land is used for subsistence
farming. Subsistence farmers raise only enough crops to support their
family – they have none/little to sell or trade. In northern Africa countries
like Morocco farmers raise barley and wheat. Farmers at Saharan oases in
Egypt produce dates and small crop of barley and wheat. In the dry,
tropical savannas subsistence farmers grains. In regions with more rainfall,
farmers also grow vegetables, fruits and roots (yams and cassava). In West
Africa, corn and rice are important crops.
Even though the majority of the land is used for subsistence farming
and the majority of the population is involved with farming, Africa is the
only continent where farmers cannot grow enough food to feed Africa’s
growing population.
 CASH CROPS. In all regions of Africa, some farmers raise crops to sell.
These are called cash crops. Farmers in Cote de Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Ghana,
and Cameroon grow cash crops of coffee and cacao (used to make
chocolate). Farmers in Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zimbabwe, and
Mozambique grow tea as a cash crop.
In recent years, more and more famers have planted cash crops. As
more land is used for cash crops, less land is planted with crops to feed
families. In some regions, this has led to food shortages when cash crops
have failed.
MINERAL & ENERGY
RESOURCES
An economy is a system for producing, distributing, consuming and
owning goods, services, and wealth. Farming is the major part of Africa’s
economy. Mining is also important to Africa’s economy
Part of Africa are rich in mineral resources. Many nations in North
Africa, such as Libya and Algeria, have large amounts of petroleum, which
is used to make oil and gas. Nigeria in West Africa is also a major oil
producer. Ghana was once called the Gold Coast because it was a leading
exporter of African gold. Other mineral resources from Africa include
copper, silver, uranium, and diamonds.
AFRICA’S ECONOMIC FUTURE
Most of Africa’s workers are famers, yet most of Africa’s exports (what
they sell to countries around the world) are produced by miners. When a
nation’s economy is dependent on one kind of industry, such as farming, it is
called a specialized economy. In Africa, specializing in just farming make the
economy sensitive to rainfall and the price of crops. For this reason, African
countries are not trying to diversify (add variety) their economies. These
countries are working to produce a variety of crops, raw materials, and
manufactured goods. A country with a diverse economy will not be as hurt as
much if a major cash crop fails or if world prices for one of its major mineral
exports suddenly drops.
Mining requires many workers and costly equipment. Throughout much of
Africa foreign company mine African resources and take the profits. This
system does little to help African economies. In addition, Africa has few
factories to make products from its own raw materials. Therefore, many
African countries want to diversity their economies to include manufacturing.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY: South Africa is the world’s leading supplier of gold,
providing about 500 metric tons a year – more than half of the world’s supply.
A gold miner in South Africa works more than two miles underground in a huge
mine, which operates both day and night. The fold from these mines is used to
make jewelry, coins, and even teeth for people around the world.
A modern underground mine uses vehicles, railroad cars, elevators that
hold dozens of workers at a time, a power supply, and a ventilation shaft which
pumps clean air into the mine. Safety is an important issue in the mining
process, and most mines try hard to protect workers and their equipment.
(Compare working in a mine and working on a cash crop farm. Which would
you prefer? Why?)