SS7G1 The student will locate selected
features of Africa
SS7G2 The student will discuss
environmental issues across the continent
of Africa
SS7G3 The student will explain the impact
of location, climate, and physical
characteristics on population distribution in
Africa
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Locate on a world and regional political-physical map : the
Sahara, Sahel, savanna, tropical rainforest, Congo River, Niger
River, Nile River, Lake Tanganyika, Lake Victoria, Atlas
Mountains, and Kalahari Desert
Locate on a world and regional political-physical map the
countries of Democratic Republic of the Congo (Zaire), Egypt,
Nigeria, South Africa, and Sudan
Explain how the characteristics in the Sahara, Sahel, savanna,
and tropical rain forest affect where people live, the type of
work they do, and how they travel
Explain how water pollution and the unequal distribution of
water impact irrigation, trade, industry and drinking water
Explain the relationship between poor soil and deforestation in
Sub-Saharan Africa
Explain the impact of desertification on the environment of
Africa from the Sahel to the rainforest
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Where are the Sahara, Sahel, savanna, tropical rainforest, Congo
River, Niger River, Nile River, Lake Tanganyika, Lake Victoria, Atlas
Mountains, and Kalahari Desert?
Where are the countries of Democratic Republic of the Congo (Zaire),
Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa, and Sudan?
How have the Sahara and the tropical rain forest affected trade
development within Africa?
How has the location of the countries of Africa affected their
economic development?
What is the impact of water pollution and the unequal distribution of
water on irrigation, trade, industry, and drinking water?
How do poor soil and deforestation distress Sub-Saharan Africa?
What is the impact of desertification on the environment of Africa
from the Sahel to the rainforest?
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Africa is a continent that is located south of Europe, west of Asia and east of South
America
Africa contains many key physical features:
Rivers
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Congo River
Nile River
Niger River
Water Bodies
 Lake Tanganyika
 Lake Victoria
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Deserts
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Kalahari Desert
Sahara Desert
Sahel Desert
Landforms
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Atlas Mountains
Tropical rain forest
Savanna
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Democratic Republic of Congo
South Africa
Egypt
Kenya
Nigeria
Sudan
Other countries include Ethiopia, Tunisia,
Liberia, Madagascar, Libya, and Zimbabwe
MAP OF
AFRICA
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Africa has four main climates
 desert, savanna, steppe, and rain forest
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Most of the population of Africa live near a
water source, while others live near the
Sahara
33% of the population live in cities, while
subsistence farming (farming for need)
happens in most area
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The Sahara
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The largest desert in the world
There is not a big population in the area
Little to no water in the area
Most of the people living there are nomads who travel by
camels and trucks
The Sahel
 Strip of land located south of the Sahara
 Becoming more of a desert due to little to no rainfall
 Most the people living there are subsistence farmers or
animal herders
 Most travel by walking, bikes, carts, cars, trucks and trains
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The Savanna
 The land is made up of tropical grasslands and
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trees
Rain fall is consistent and often in the area
The most famous savanna is the Serengeti, which
is home to 1.5 million animals
Most of the population lives along the coast and
work as subsistence farmers and nomadic herders
People travel by walking, bikes, carts, cars, buses
and trains
The rain forest in Africa
is the wettest part of the
continent
 Much of the land has ben
destroyed by
deforestation
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 The removal of trees
Many people farm and
hunt, while others in the
cities work high profile
jobs
 People get around by
walking, cars, bikes, and
trains
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WATER POLLUTION
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Water is polluted by
pesticides, fertilizers, runoff,
human waste, mining and
byproducts from factories
Many die each year from bad
drinking water
The governments does not
do a good job of addressing
the problem
UNEQUAL DISTRIBUTION
Water distribution is a major
problem
 The Sahara has little to no
water while some cities have
good water and some do not
 Most of the landlocked
countries suffer, while the
countries near water are
better off due to access to
trade.
 Cities fight farmers for water
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Deforestation has destroyed much of
Africa’s rain forest
 Because of a lack of trees, the soil is
destroyed
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 Soil is soaked, blown away or dried up
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75% of Africa’s soil has been ruined to
due this problem
DESERTIFICATI
ON IN AFRICA
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Desertification is when
a desert spreads and
the soil of the land loses
its water
Drought has been the
main reason for the
problem and has ruined
land from the Sahara to
the rain forests
Much of the land in the
Sahel is cleared to try to
make more farm land,
which in turn destroys
the land for crops and
makes the land useless