Download Name: Period: ______ Africa`s Physical Characteristics

Name: _______________________
Africa’s Physical Characteristics
Period: ______
Video Clip 1:
 How long is the continent? 7, 700 Miles
 Describe the northern coast. Sandy Beaches and Broadest in the North
 What bodies of water surround Africa? Start in the north and moving clockwise. 1) Mediterranean Sea 2) Red
Sea 3) Gulf of Aden 4)Indian Ocean 5) Atlantic Ocean
 Most of Africa is a big ______. (landform) Plateau
 What separates the coasts from the plateau? Escarpment
 What is mined in South Africa? Iron Ore, Gold, and Diamonds
 What are the three major mountain ranges? Atlas, Drakensberg, Ethiopian and East Africa Highlands
 The highest mountain is ____. Kilimanjaro
 What cuts through the East Highlands? Great Valley Rift
 What formed the Great Rift Valley? Diverging Continental Plates
 The lakes here are _____. Salty
Video Clip 2:
 Name the major rivers? Nile=Runs N/S, Senegal=west, Niger=west, Zaire=Central, Zambezi=South
 What part of Africa is each located in? See above
 Which one is navigable for miles inland? Senegal
 How does the escarpment affect transportation on the rivers? Waterfalls and Rapids AKA=Cataracts
 When waters are high, one can travel to ___ on the Niger. Timbuktu
 Water from some rivers collects in ____ instead of emptying into the sea. Shallow basins called Pans
Video Clip 3:
 Africa is the only continent that? Crosses the Equator, Tropic of Cancer, Tropic of Capricorn, and the Prime
Meridian.
 What percentage of the land lies in the tropics? 77%
 Describe the mirror image. The Climates North and South of the Equator reflect each other
 What vegetation and climate is near the equator? Tropical Rainforest
 What animals live there? Chimpanzees and Gorillas
 How has the land been changed recently? Rainforest cleared for farming
 What food crops are grown there? Cassava, Bananas, and Cacao
 What is shifting cultivation? Cutting new farm plots every couple of years
 Why is it done? Soil loses fertility
Video Clip 4:
 What is the rainforest zone surrounded by? Wet and Dry Tropics
 Describe the climate there? Green in summer rainy season
 Why do the seasons differ in different parts of the tropical grasslands?
North and South of the Equator
 What is a savannah? How are they named? Grassy area with scattered trees.
The trees are named after the trees that grow there.
 What is an upside down tree? Baobab -Branches look like roots
 What grows huge in Africa? Termite Mounds
 What role does fire play? Burn the dead grasses so new grass will grow/makes the land productive
 Where are animals protected? Why? National Parks/Wildlife Refuges/Hunters and Poachers
 What crops are grown? Sorghum, Millet, corn, rice, sweet potatoes, cotton, sugar cane, peanuts.
 What crops were brought to Africa from southern Asia? Rice & Sugar Cane
Video Clip 5:
 Where are the semi-arid zones? Wet & Dry/True Deserts (South/Central/North Africa)
 What are their names? Sahel, Kalahari, Great Karoo, North Sahara
 How is the climate different from nearer the equator? Very Dry
 What kinds of plants live there? Thorny Shrubs/drought resistant plants
 What is Harmattan? Winds that blow south from the Sahara Desert
 Main economic activity? Livestock Herding
 How is man changing the land? Drilling deep water wells, deforestation
 What is the result of the human-environmental interaction? Overgrazing/Desertification/Deforestation
 What is desertification? Desert Conditions expanding into the semi-arid zones.
 What does the Namib have that other places do not? Sand Dunes
 Where is agriculture possible in the semi-arid zones? Valleys & Oasis & Water Irrigation
 Where is there some humid subtropical climate? NW & Southern Regions
 Where else have we studied that has this climate? US, Europe, and Latin America
 What type of climate is in the far north and south of Africa? Mediterranean
Video Clip 6:What did you learn about Africa? Write down 5-10 main ideas. Be prepared to share in class.