Download Chapter 24 Southern Africa

Chapter 24
Southern Africa
Section 1 - Physical Geography of Southern Africa
Landforms
• Southern Africa consists of ten mainland countries
and four island countries.
• Most of Southern Africa sits at a high altitude, or
height above sea level.
• The Great Escarpment, a long cliff that separates
two different altitudes, forms a nearly unbroken Ushape, starting from the west coast and curving
northeast.
• The land inside the Great Escarpment is mostly hills
and plateaus.
Section 1 - Physical Geography of Southern Africa
Water Systems
• Several rivers run through the area, the Okavango, the
Orange, and the Zambezi Rivers, although none are fully
navigable.
• Although the rivers are not useful for transportation,
they are useful for generating electricity.
• The rivers support aquatic wildlife such as
hippopotamuses and crocodiles.
Section 1 - Physical Geography of Southern Africa
Climate, Biomes, & Resources
• The coastal areas of Southern Africa have marine
climates that are greatly affected by the open ocean.
• The Cape of Good Hope and surrounding areas have a
Mediterranean climate, with warm, dry summers and
cool, rainy winters.
• The northern and eastern regions are covered by the
savanna, vast grasslands dotted with small trees,
which is home to the Big Five: lions, leopards,
elephants, Cape buffalo, and rhinoceroses.
Section 2 - Human Geography of Southern Africa
History & Government
• The Bantu people settled Southern Africa about
3,500 years ago and eventually established the
influential city of Great Zimbabwe.
• European colonization varied from colony to
colony.
• The Dutch established colonies in the 1600s and,
after a few generations, referred to themselves as
Afrikaners, meaning “Africans.”
• Shaka was an important Zulu leader in African
history, known for his military might and strength as
a leader.
Section 2 - Human Geography of Southern Africa
Population Patterns
• The population increases as one moves from the
Atlantic to the Indian Ocean because of the physical
geography.
• Natural resources also affect the population
distribution, with people settling near resources.
• Urbanization, or the migration of people from rural
areas to urban areas, continues to affect the subregion
as people search for a better quality of life.
Section 2 - Human Geography of Southern Africa
Society & Culture Today
• The effects of European colonialism still permeate
life in Southern Africa, including the main languages
used for communication.
• Christianity is the most common religion as a result
of Christian missionaries in the subregion.
• Poverty is prevalent and affects all aspects of life,
even shortening life spans and sometimes inciting
riots.
• Traditional laws often prohibit women from owning
or inheriting property.
Section 2 - Human Geography of Southern Africa
Economic Activities
• The majority of people are farmers, with most
participating in subsistence farming, or small-scale
agriculture that provides for the needs of a family but
little more.
• Commercial farming, or growing large quantities of
crops in order to sell them, has gained importance with
the increased influence of global markets.
• Mining is also important, with minerals and diamonds
being major exports.
Section 3 - People and Their Environment: Southern Africa
Managing Resources
• Poverty is the underlying reason behind the failure to
manage resources as people struggle to survive.
• Commercial logging, poaching, and lack of access to
clean water, are all serious issues.
• Shortages push groups already at odds with each
other into deeper, and sometimes more violent,
conflicts.
• Resource shortages can cause problems that lead to
larger wars across political boundaries.
Section 3 - People and Their Environment: Southern Africa
Human Impact
• Farmers’ policy of shifting cultivation, or planting
a field for several years then abandoning it to clear
a new field, begins to fail when the population
begins to increase dramatically.
• Richer, more powerful groups often hoard natural
resources, leaving less available to the poor.
• Most cities have not been able to handle the rapid
population growth, leading to widespread disease
as clean water and sanitation are often unavailable.
Section 3 - People and Their Environment: Southern Africa
Addressing the Issues
• Many countries are working to combat the problems of
the region.
• South Africa is one of only a few countries that built
environmental rights into its constitution, showing its
commitment to the cause.
• Governments have also adopted action plans and laws
designed to increase sustainable resources and reduce
pollution.
• Nongovernmental organizations are working directly
with people to bypass corrupt officials.