Geography of Africa
An Introduction
Note for Midterm
• Make sure you are taking comprehensive notes
on the geographic features of Africa and their
impact on the continent.
• Both the positive and negative effects for each
geographic feature need to be identified with
historical evidence.
• This material will be the basis for the short
answer on the midterm.
Africa’s Location and Size
AFRICA: LOCATION AND SIZE
• Africa is positioned astride the Equator, reaching as far
north as the latitude of Richmond, Virginia, and as far
south as Buenos Aires, Argentina.
• The continent has no Pacific coastline and is located at
the heart of the land hemisphere.
• Africa has an area of 30,186,000 square kilometers
(11,698,111 square miles) which represents about 20
percent of the total planetary surface (world total land is
149,961,000 square kilometers or 57,900,000 square
miles).
• Africa had a population of 861,000,000 people in 2003,
which accounts for 13.6 percent of the world total
population.
Africa’s Size
4600
MILES
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# Second largest continent  11,700,000 sq. mi.
# 10% of the world’s population.
# 2 ½ times the size of the U. S.
Africa’s Population Growth
Trends
• 1950: 64 million
• 2000: 250 million
• 2050: 779 million
In 100 years Africa:
• Population grew 10x
• Second most populous
region in the world
In 2050:
•1 of 4 humans live in Africa
•1 of 3 Africans live in East
Africa
Africa’s Geography: People
• In 2007 Africa was home to
more than 965 million people
• More than 60% of Africa’s
population was still living in
rural areas in 2005
• Africa now has the fastest urban
growth rate in the world
• 2.7% of Africa’s population lives
within 100 km of the coast
• 56.6% of African labour force is
engaged in agriculture
Africa’s Changing Population
Africa’s population grew 2.32%
annually between 2000 and 2005—
nearly double the global rate of 1.24%
per year
Africa’s “Shrinking” Land Base
Increased population increases
pressures on the land and its
resources. In a hypothetical
situation whereby land is
shared equally among its
population, each individual’s
share of land would decrease
with the increase in population
as time passes, putting more
pressure on resources.
1990
2005
2050
1950
1970
Great Rift Valley
Great Rift Valley
# 4,000 miles long
#The Great Rift Valley is rich in
minerals and metals
#Good soil for farming
#Because of volcanic ash there
are well preserved bones and
the world’s oldest human
fossils have been found there
#2 largest lakes in Africa are
along the Great Rift Valley:
Lake Tanganyika and Lake
Malawi
John Walter Gregory, a British geologist, named the Great
Rift Valley
The valley is
a treasure
trove to all
walks of
science.
Compared to
the rest of
the world, the
valley itself is
very new, yet
it contains
the first
signs of early
man.
Sodium Carbonate
is found in its pure
form in the valley.
It is the reason so
many lakes
support abundant
colonies of algae
and fish.
Flower farms are one of the fastest growing
industries in the Great Rift Valley
Great Rift Valley
• Great Rift Valley –
4,000 mile giant fault,
or break in the earth’s
crust.
• From Red Sea to
Zambezi River.
• Evidence has found
that the earliest
Africans first lived in
this area.
Great Rift Valley
4,000 miles long
• Along these rift valleys lies the most
popular mountain in all of Africa, Mount
Kilimanjaro.
Rift Valleys
Often have long, narrow lakes
Rift Valley, Kenya
Volcanoes
•
•
•
•
Near rift valleys
Eastern Congo
Mt. Kenya
Mt. Kilimanjaro…
Mt. Kenya
Lakes of Africa
Rift Valley Lakes
•
East Africa has several large lakes that
formed in the bottom of rift valleys.
A. Lake Victoria
B. Lake Tanganyika
Flamingos at
Lake
Naivasha
feed on the
rich algae.
Lakes in the
valley range
widely from
very acidic to
alkaline.
Rift Valley
Lakes
• Lake Tanganyika
• Lake Malawi
Lakes of Africa
• Lakes
– Lake Victoria
– Lake Tanganyika
– Lake Malawi (Nyasa)
• Many of the rivers in Africa
occupy the trenches cutting
through the East African
Plateau
This lake is formed over the top of the separating plates of
Africa and is the second deepest lake in the world.
Lakes
• Lake Victoria in GRV, 2nd
largest freshwater lake in
the world, source of
White Nile.
• Lake Tanganyika (420
miles) 1st largest lake in
world.
• Lake Malawi in GRV
• Outside GRV: Lake Volta,
Lake Chad (no natural
outlet-loses water through
evaporation.
Lake Victoria
Africa’s largest lake by area
largest tropical lake in the world
world's second largest
freshwater lake by surface area
Africa's largest inland fishery
Coastline
• Smooth coastline
• Few natural harbors - hard to land ships
• Narrow continental shelf
Bodies
Mediterranean Sea
Of
Water
Nile River
L. Chad-->
Rivers in Africa provide fish for food;
water for irrigation; transportation
routes; hydroelectric power (energy
produced by moving water); and, are a
source of precious metals.
L. Albert-->
L. Victoria
L. Tanganyika->
Indian Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
Zambezi River
Limpopo River
Orange River
Pacific Ocean
Rivers of Africa
Rivers
• Depth varies depending on the season-if
it’s the rainy season or the dry season
• Plateaus prevent easy navigation due to
water falls.
• Therefore, the interior of Africa remained
largely unexplored
Major
Rivers
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Niger
Congo
Blue Nile
Victoria/White Nile
Zambezi
Rivers
• The rivers in Sub-Saharan Africa are
difficult to navigate because they have
many waterfalls and rapids.
Cataracts or rapids on the Zambezi River
Victoria Falls
• On Zambezi River
– Zim/Zam border
Beautiful
Waterfalls
Victoria Falls
Blue Nile Falls
Rivers
• Rapids and Waterfalls…
– Limits transportation
• Congo…
– Good for Tourism
• Whitewater Rafting
– Hydroelectric Production
Hydroelectric Power
Major Rivers
• Nile River –
– world’s longest (4,000 +
miles)
– Sources: White Nile
(Uganda) & Blue Nile
(Ethiopian highlands)
– flows into the
Mediterranean
• Congo River –
– Central Africa –
– through rain forests,
– 2,720 miles long
• Niger River –
– Africa’s third longest– 2,600 miles long.
– Begins in West Africa
(Guinea)
• Zambezi River –
– Fourth longest
– 2,200 miles
– – Southern Africa;
– contains Victoria Falls;
– flows into the Indian
Ocean
• The Congo and Niger river are the two largest
rivers in West and Central Africa.
• The Congo flows northward from Zambia
toward the Congo (DROTC) and then takes a
West then South West course until it empties
into the Atlantic Ocean on the border of the
Congo and Angola.
• The Niger flows Northeast through the Sahel
and then the Sahara until it reaches central
Mali.
• It then flows Southwest until it empties into
the Gulf of Guinea in Nigeria.
• Waterfalls and rapids prevent easy
navigation
• Congo –over 2, 700 miles long
• Niger - ancient civilizations flourished here
• Zambezi - Victoria Falls, used for hydroelectric power
The Zambezi River
Victoria Falls
Largest waterfall in the world
considered to be among the
Seven Natural Wonders
of the World.
Rivers of Southern Africa
The Okavango River flows out of Angola to form a
swampy delta in Botswana that is home to many
animals.
The Orange River in South Africa flows over many
waterfalls before it reaches the Atlantic.
The Limpopo River flows to the Indian Ocean.
Waterfalls and other obstacles prevent ships from
sailing up the river.
Example: Nile River
Examine this quote:
“Egypt, the gift of the Nile.”
~ Herodotus, Greek historian (484-432 B.C.E.)
What do you infer from this quote, what did Herodotus mean by it?
PP Design of T. Loessin; Akins H.S.
Nile River
•
•
•
•
•
4,180 miles long (world’s longest!!)
flows NORTH
Source - - Lake Victoria
Delta - - Egypt
Floods annually
– One of the most densely populated region in
Africa
Nile River
The Nile is the world’s longest river at 4,160 miles.
The Nile flows NORTH.
The source (start) of the Nile is at Lake Victoria.
The Nile River
• Length: From White Nile Source to
Mouth- 4184 miles, longest river
in the world
• Name: The Nile gets its name from the
Greek word "Nelios", meaning
River Valley.
• Sources: The White Nile: Lake Victoria,
Uganda.
The Blue Nile: Lake Tana,
Ethiopia.
The Mighty Nile River:
“Longest River in the World”
Geography and Early Egypt
• The Nile
– Most important physical feature in Egypt
– 4,000 miles long; flows through the Sahara Desert
• Without the Nile’s waters, no one could live there.
Geography of Egypt
• The Nile flooded every year
– Predictable floodwaters with spring rains
– Left rich, black silt
• Narrow band of fertile soil
• Became home of Egyptian civilization
Geographical Features
Delta
• Egypt’s most fertile soil in
Nile Delta
Cataracts
• Nile afforded protection
itself
• Silt deposits at mouth of
river
• Flowed through cataracts
to the south
• Black Land of rich arable
soil
• Currents and waterfalls
made sailing impossible
• Red Land unlivable but
afforded protection
• Not an easy invasion route
• The Nile River is the longest river in the world.
– Flows more than 4,000 miles northward through the
desert
– Formed by the union of two rivers, the Blue Nile and the
White Nile
– Empties into the Mediterranean Sea
• The land along the Nile is very fertile.
– Floods on the river deposit silt, or finely ground fertile
soil, all along the river.
– Before it reaches the sea, the Nile fans out into a huge
fertile delta.
• The Aswan High Dam controls flooding on the Nile.
– Because of the lack of silt, farmers need to use fertilizer
to grow crops.
• Two rivers form in Northern Sudan to
make the Nile River---The Blue Nile and
the White Nile.
• The headwaters of the Nile River are
located in two different countries.
• The White Nile’s origins are in Lake
Victoria and run northward until it meets
with the Blue Nile near Khartoum, Sudan.
• The Blue Nile’s origins are in the
Ethiopian Highlands and run southsoutheast before taking a WestNorthwest turn into Sudan.
Blue Nile Falls
Example: Congo River
The Congo River
The Congo River Basin covers the
area (forested and non-forested)
drained by the Congo River.
#
Produces hydroelectric power.
#
Has many waterfalls and rapids
preventing boats from traveling
the entire river.
#
2,922 miles long
#
Africa's most powerful river and
the second most voluminous river in
the world with a discharge of
1,500,000 cubic feet of water per
second.
#
It is the fifth longest river in the
world, draining a basin of nearly 1.5
million square miles
The Congo River Basin
#
Covers 12% of the
continent.
#
Extends over 9
countries.
#
2,720 miles long.
#
99% of the country
of Zaire is in the
Congo River basin.
Congo River
Deepest river in the world
(measured depths of 750 ft+)
Navigable only in section
(not navigable from the sea)
Three major waterfalls
Potential source of
hydroelectric power
CONGO RIVER
Region built by movement:
a. The big river, Congo & its
tributaries:
 Total 9,000 mostly navigable
miles
 Living-Highway providing,
food, water and transport
CONGO RIVER
b. Boats travel from areas deep
within the country to
Kinshasa
c. However, below Kinshasa
are waterfalls and rapids
The Congo River at Sunset
Example: Niger River
The Niger River Basin
#
Covers 7.5% of the continent.
# Extends over 10 countries.
# 2,600 miles long.
#Used for irrigation and
transport
Niger River
The Niger River Basin
# Covers 7.5% of the continent.
# Extends over 10 countries.
# 2,600 miles long.
Niger River
Principal river of western Africa
Floods yearly
Flows into the Niger River Delta
Used for irrigation and electricity
Navigable only part of the year
Niger River
Water Issues in Africa
Stress on World’s River Basins
Europe
North
America
Asia
Africa
South
America
Australia
Stress
High
None
Fig. 11-6, p. 241
Water Pollution
• Many countries in Africa do not have enough clean water
even though they have large rivers.
• The Nile River runs the length of Egypt and most Egyptians
live along its banks.
• The river is used for water and transportation, however,
overpopulation and poor sanitation regulations have made
life along the Nile more difficult.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8iuyaS16-c&feature=related
• Many who study this region believe Africa is headed for a “water war”.
• The Nile River runs through Ethiopia, Sudan, and Egypt and they all have
growing populations and growing needs.
• The Niger River supplies the dry Sahel area before flowing into Nigeria.
As more water is drawn for the Sahel, less is available down the river.
• Clean water is needed for basic health and sanitation and those who are
not able to have access to it are at risk for many diseases.
• Lack of clean water to wash with also increases the frequency of skin and
eye infections.
• Some people in Africa also face the problem of water borne diseases
spread by parasites living in standing water.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xel82kovCgI&feature=related
Water Pollution Issues
• Less than 50% of the population in sub-Saharan
African has access to safe drinking water from
environmental pollution.
• This has caused a decrease in the country’s
economic growth.
• Some governments ignore industrial pollution of
major rivers and waterways because they want
their industries to make more profits.
WATER QUALITY ISSUES
Percentage
% of disinfected and contaminated water supply
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Disinfected
Contaminated
Africa
WHO et al. (2000)
Asia
LA&C
“Fierce
competition for
fresh water
may well
260 international
basins:
+/- tensions:
become a source of conflict & wars in the future.”
longstanding, always, growing with demand
Kofi Annan, March 2001
21

The risks of water insecurity
•
What are the potential implications of an increasingly ‘water insecure’
world?
Water supply problems
Increasing water shortages
may be more important
than energy shortagesbecause there is no
alternative!
Water transfers
Of this precious resource by either
diverting the actual river, or using
canals . Long carried out at a small
scale but increasingly over larger
distances, and even transboundary
Water conflicts
Where demand exceeds supply
and no effective management
operates, then there will be
conflicts between the various
players involved
Water geopolitics
The conflicts between nation
states, despite the international
agreement called the Helsinki
Rules designed to create more
equitable use of water extending
across boundaries
Present and potential water conflict hotspots
•
•
As water supply decreases, tensions will increase as different players try to access common water supplies
Many conflicts are transboundary in nature, either between states or countries
River basins currently in dispute
Tigris-Euphrates
Iraq + Syria concerns that
Turkey’s GAP project will divert
their water
Colorado: disputes
between the 7 US
states and Mexico it
flows through. The
river is so overused,
that it no longer
reaches the sea!.
90% abstracted
before reaches
Mexico
River basins at risk in the future
Large International drainage basins
Ob
Lake
Chad
Mekong
Ganges
Okavango
La Plata
Zambezi
Insert FigureOrange
2.11 page 47
Note: although there have been rising tensions
globally, many areas demonstrate effective
management to diffuse the situation and create
more equitable and sustainable demand-supply
balance, such as the Mekong River Committee,&
the Nile River Initiative
Nile hotly disputed
between Ethiopia and
Sudan ,who control its
headwaters, and Egypt .
The Aral Sea, an
inland drainage basin,
once the world’s 4th
largest inland lake has
shrunk sine the 1950s
after the 2 rivers
feeding it: the Amu
Dayra and Syr Darya
were diverted for
irrigation.
By 2007 the sea was
10% of original volume
and split into 2 lakes.
The ex soviet states
are in conflict:
Uzbekistan ,
Turkmenistan and
Kazakstan.
Hydropolitics and geopolitics
Political negotiations centred on conflicts over the shared use of
water sources
History of hydropolitics
in Nile Basin
•tensions due to the
dominance of Egypt
• civil wars in Sudan
Ethiopia
• tensions from Egypt’s
treaties dating back to the
1929 and 1959 Nile Water
Agreements.
• Upstream states
increasingly challenging
Egypt’s dominance.
•Ethiopia wants to use the
Nile River for HEP plants
and industrial development.
Tech Fix ;
The megaprojects of
dams like Aswan are
famous.
Latest high tech is the
1990sproject called
‘Tecconile’ a joint GIS
system to help monitor
and plan the basin
•The Nile is the world’s longest river , 6,500kms,
2.9km2 catchment,10% of Africa, running through
10 countries with 360 million people depending on
it for survival.
•Growing issues of desertification & salination and
increased evaporation linked to climate change
•About 85 % water originates from Eritrea and
Ethiopia, but 94 % is used by Sudan and Egypt.
Evidence of more effective co-operation
•
The Nile Basin Initiative, system of
cooperative management which started late
1990s
•
All countries except Eritrea working with
The World Bank and bi-lateral aid donors .
•
Community level involvement .
•
Managers visited Colorado River recently to
see how effectively the 1922 River Water
Compact and its ‘law of the river’ works
•
•
1996 Helsinki Rules on the Uses of the
Waters of International Rivers - regulating
how transboundary rivers and groundwater
are managed
The Nile Basin is an example that ‘Water
Wars’ may be averted
Some facts about structural inequalities
in access to safe, sufficient water
• The minimum amount of water needed for drinking, cooking, bathing, and
sanitation is 13 gallons (50 liters) (WHO figure)
• The average person in the United States uses between 65 to 78 gallons of
water (250 to 300 liters) per day for drinking, cooking, bathing, and
watering their yard.
• The average person in the Netherlands uses only 27 gallons (104 liters) per
day for the same tasks.
• The average person in the African nation of Gambia uses only 1.17
gallons (4.5 liters) of water per day.
• 12 percent of the world's population uses 85 percent of its water
• Global consumption of water is doubling every 20 years, more than twice
the rate of human population growth.
• Presently, 1.2 billion people lack access to improved water supply and 2.4
billion to improved sanitation -- i.e. one in six people still have no regular
access to safe drinking water
• Lack of clean drinking water leads to nearly 250 million cases of waterrelated disease each year and between 5 and 10 million deaths.
Factors Influencing Water Scarcity
 Hydrologic Cycle
 Population Growth
http://www.wmo.int
 Poverty
 Use Patterns
 Contamination
WORLD WATER CHALLENGES
Water scarcity
Evolution of water shortages in 100 years
Africa’s Geography: Water Resources
• It is estimated that over
300 million people in Africa
face water scarcity
•
• Per capita water consumption in
Africa is 31m3 per year
• About 75% of the African
population relies on
groundwater as its major
source of drinking water
• Renewable water resources for the
whole of Africa amount to about
3 930 km3
Africa’s Changing Environment
 Natural Change and Population
Africa’s population grew 2.32% annually
between 2000 and 2005—nearly double
the global rate of 1.24%
 Land Cover and Land Use
Africa is losing more than four million
hectares of forest every year—twice
the world’s average deforestation rate
 Air and Atmosphere
Africa is particularly vulnerable to climate
change - towards the end of the 21st
century, climate change will have caused
sea-level rises that will affect Africa’s
highly populated low-lying coastal areas
 Water
By 2050 it is expected that areas
experiencing water shortages in subSaharan Africa will have increased
by 29%
 Biodiversity
Africa contains 3 044 protected areas including 198 Marine Protected Areas, 50
Biosphere Reserves, 80 Wetlands of International Importance, and eight of the
world’s 34 international biodiversity hotspots
Africa’s Changing Environment
Per Capita Renewable Water
Renewable Water
Africa’s freshwater supplies
represent less than 9% of global
renewable water resources
Water Stress
Water Stress
It is estimated that over 300 million
people in Africa face water scarcity
conditions
WATER STRESS – FACTS
• Africa
– 12 African countries considered to be in a “Water
Stress” situation.
– Further 10 African countries will be stressed by
2025 (1.1 billion people or 2/3’s Africa’s
population).
NON-IRRIGATION CONSUMPTION
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
1995
2025
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Rosegrant et al. (2002)
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Consumption(cubic km)
Total non irrigation water consumption by region
DAILY PER CAPITA WATER USE
(EAST AFRICA)
Mean daily percapita water use by type of use
Water use(litres)
20
Piped
Unpiped
10
Thompson et al. (2001)
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