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AFRICA
• Africa is a region of occurrences – from tsunamis to droughts; fires to
floods and meteor impacts to epidemics and pandemics
• Between 1975 and 2005, the population more than doubled from 335 to
751 million and is predicted to reach 1.1 billion by 2025
• Currently Africa’s growth rate is at 2.2 per cent a year
• Total forest area of Africa is 5 683 131 km2; Africa constitutes about 17
per cent of the world's forests; Nigeria has the world’s highest
deforestation rate
• 300 million Africans do not have access to safe water, about 313 million have
no access to sanitation and over 88 million people are malnourished
• In Africa, agriculture provides livelihoods for about 60 per cent of the
continent's active labour force, contributes to 17 per cent of Africa's total
gross domestic product and accounts for 40 per cent of its foreign
currency earnings
Sources: FAO, Population Reference Bureau
The topography of Africa features a series of relatively flat plateaus and saucershaped basins, broken by highlands, mountain ranges, and valleys. Northern and
western Africa, widely known as Low Africa, has much lower mean elevations than
the south and east, often called High.
Climate - determined by rainfall,
latitude and elevation
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•
•
•
Savanna - 40%, safari!!
Tropical Rainforest - 8%,
Desert - 40%
Mediterranean - 12%, good farm land
• About 85% of the land is not suited to
farming
Thatch House in Kenya
Circular thatch houses are common in many parts of Africa. Here, the
inhabitants of Amboseli, a village in Kenya, are putting the finishing
touches on a new dwelling. To build these houses, thatch must be
attached in layers to a frame made of wood. The floor inside is made
of dried mud.
LANDFORMS
MOUNTAINS
High Atlas Range, Morocco
Jebel Toubkal, the tallest mountain in North Africa, rises above a rocky
valley in the High Atlas range of Morocco. Although the summit is 4,165
m (13,665 ft) above sea level, it is often free of snow.
Ras Dashen
In northern Ethiopia the Ethiopian Plateau rises to its highest point at Ras
Dashen (4,620 m/15,157 ft). The mountain’s jagged surroundings are home to
several animal species unique to Ethiopia.
Mount Kenya
Mount Kenya is an
extinct volcano in
central Kenya. At 5,199
m (17,057 ft) tall, it is
the second tallest
mountain in Africa.
Margherita Peak, mountain in northeastern
Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC,
formerly Zaire) and the third highest peak in
East Africa at 5,109 m (16,762 ft). The tallest
peak in the Ruwenzori Range, Margherita
Peak forms part of the DRC's border with
Uganda.
Mount Meru
Extinct volcano in northeastern Tanzania,
about 68 km (42 mi) west of Kilimanjaro. After
Kilimanjaro, it is the second highest mountain
in Tanzania at 4,565 m (14,977 ft).
The Great Rift Valley is one of the most distinctive
features of African topography. Formed where
Earth’s crust is being pulled apart by the action of
convection currents beneath the surface, rift
valleys are long, deep valleys bounded by parallel
faults, or fractures, in Earth’s crust. The Great Rift
Valley system begins in Syria, in the Middle East,
and extends southward, down the length of the
Red Sea.
Drakensberg Mountains
The Drakensberg Mountains in eastern South Africa form part of the Great
Escarpment, a ridge that divides the central plateau regions of southern Africa
from the lowland regions on the coast. Extending from Limpopo Province south
to the province of Eastern Cape, the Drakensberg range contains the highest
elevations in South Africa.
LAKES
Lake Tanganyika
Lake Tanganyika, located in the Great Rift Valley, is the longest and
second deepest freshwater lake in the world.
Lake Albert
also Albert Nyanza and Lake Mobutu
Sese Seko, lake, east central Africa,
in western Uganda and northeastern
Democratic Republic of the Congo
(DRC, formerly Zaire).
Lake Turkana
Lake Turkana is the largest and most northerly of all the Great
Rift Valley lakes. It lies mostly in Kenya, with its northernmost
tip extending into Ethiopia. The striking jade-green color of its
waters is due to the presence of blue-green algae. A massive
volcanic crater is situated at the southern end of the lake.
True desert
Problem: Desertification
Sahel Desert
(south Sahara)
malnutrition
starvation
poverty
The Sahara is the world’s largest desert. It stretches
from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea, and from the
Mediterranean Sea and Atlas Mountains southward for
2,000 km (1,000 mi)
Desert on Atlantic Coast
The Namib Desert extends along the Atlantic Coast in
Africa for 1,500 km (930 mi), mostly in Namibia.
VEGETATION
Fouta Djallon Savanna
While most of the Fouta Djallon region in Guinea is a rugged mountain
plateau cut by deep valleys, the eastern portion is gently sloping land
covered in part by savanna. The largest ethnic group of the region is the
Fulani, many of whom raise cattle on the grasslands. The Fulani arrived
in the region in about the 10th century, and later established a series of
kingdoms throughout the area which stood until defeated by colonial
powers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Botswana Tableland
Botswana lies on what is called tableland—a huge
semiarid plateau that averages 1,100 m (3,300 ft) in
elevation. It has a subtropical climate and is covered
by savanna vegetation of grasslands with few trees.
Wildflowers of Namaqualand
Namaqualand, in western Northern Cape province,
South Africa, is usually dry and barren. However,
vibrant wildflowers cover the landscape for a brief
period each spring.
ANIMALS
Okapi
The okapi, a member of the giraffe family, lives a
secluded life deep in the rain forests of eastern
Africa. Reaching heights of more than 2 m (7 ft) at
the shoulder, the okapi feeds on the leaves of lowgrowing tree branches.
Verreaux’s Sifaka
Verreaux’s sifaka, a species
of lemur, lives in the dry
forests
of
western
Madagascar
where
it
spends most of its time in
trees eating fruit and leaves.
Weighing less than 4 kg
(less than 9 lb), it is known
for its long, stunning leaps of
10 m (34 ft) between trees.
Sifakas, like other lemurs,
are endangered by habitat
destruction.
Cheetah
The cheetah is believed to be the fastest
animal on Earth, reaching speeds of more than
97 km/h (60 mph) while chasing prey.
Wildebeests, gazelles, impalas, and other
hoofed mammals make up much of the
cheetah’s diet. Cheetahs generally stalk their
prey to within 10 m (33 ft) and then burst into a
sprint to close the gap. Studies indicate that
approximately half of the chases initiated by
the cheetah are successful
Nile River
A number of different
watercourses
drain
into
Africa’s
Nile
River. The Blue Nile,
originating
in
Ethiopia, joins the
White
Nile
at
Khartoum,
Sudan;
from this point the
Nile runs northward
through Sudan and
Egypt and empties
into
the
Mediterranean Sea.
As shown here, the
Nile provides people
and materials with a
means
of
transportation.
Victoria Falls
One of the most
spectacular waterfalls
in the world, Victoria
Falls is formed as the
entire flow of the
Zambezi River drops
from a relatively flat
plain into a narrow
cataract. On the border
of southern Zambia
and
northwestern
Zimbabwe, the gorge
was created when a
layer of resistant rock
wore away, exposing
softer rock beneath.
Lake Victoria
Lake Victoria in Africa is the world’s second-largest
freshwater lake. These large rock formations lie on the
lake’s southern shore in Tanzania.
Large artificial lakes that were created by damming
major rivers.
A significant fishing industry has developed
around the lake.
Okavango Delta
In the Okavango Delta in Botswana, water from the
Okavango River flows through many channels filled
with papyrus and other aquatic plants.
A Satellite View
Africa’s Size
4600
MILES
5
0
0
0
M
I
L
E
S
# Second largest continent  11,700,000 sq. mi.
# 10% of the world’s population.
# 2 ½ times the size of the U. S.
Mediterranean Sea
Bodies
Nile River
Of
L. Chad-->
Water
L. Albert-->
L. Victoria
L. Tanganyika->
Indian Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
Zambezi River
Limpopo River
Orange River
Pacific Ocean
The Mighty Nile River:
“Longest River in the World”
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.
The Niger River Basin
# Covers 7.5% of the continent.
# Extends over 10 countries.
# 2,600 miles long.
Hydroelectric Power
Mountains
&
Peaks
Δ Mt. Kenya
Δ Mt. Kilimanjaro
The African Plateau
Libyan Desert
Deserts
Sahara Desert
Sahel
The Sahara Desert
The Sahel
Valleys
&
Plains
Great Rift Valley
3,000 miles long
Seismic Activity in Africa
Africa:
The
“Tropical”
Continent
Tropic of Cancer
20° N
Equator 0°
Tropic of Capricorn
20° S
West Africa:
Home of our Hurricanes
Vegetation Zones
The African Savannah:
13 million sq. mi.
African Rain Forest
# Annual rainfall of up to 17 ft.
# Rapid decomposition (very humid).
# Covers 37 countries.
# 15% of the land surface of Africa.
Mt. Kilimanjaro:
Kilimanjaro, the tallest mountain in Africa, lies in northeastern Tanzania
near the border of Kenya. The mountain has two volcanic peaks,
spaced about 11 km (about 7 mi) apart, with the higher of the two rising
5,895 m (19,341 ft). Farmers cultivate coffee beans and plantains on
Kilimanjaro’s lower slopes.
Mediterranean Sea
The
Libyan Desert
Tropic of Cancer
20° N
Sahara Desert
Complete
Topography
Sahel
Nile River
L. Chad-->
Equator 0°
L. Albert-->
Δ Mt. Kenya
L. Victoria
Of
AFRICA
Δ Mt. Kilimanjaro
L. Tanganyika->
Indian
Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
Zambezi River
Tropic of Capricorn
20° S
Limpopo River
Orange River
Pacific Ocean
Natural Resources
Q: Is it possible to drive the length of Africa,
from north to south?
A: Yes, over the years a large number of
people have driven from the Mediterranean
coast of Egypt to the Cape of Good Hope near
the southern tip of South Africa, a journey of
more than 4,500 miles.
Q: What is the most popular sport in Africa?
A: Soccer (or as its usually called outside of the
United States, football) is the most popular sport in
Africa. While the origins of this sport are European
and it came to Africa with European influence, Africa
has made its mark on soccer. Particularly significant
have been the achievements of local and national
teams from Morocco, Nigeria, Cameroon, and South
Africa. To learn more about soccer in Africa, check out
African Football Confederation Online.
Q: Which African nations are monarchies?
A: Africa is currently home to three monarchies:
Morocco, Lesotho, and Swaziland.