Download Africa - Land and Water

Africa:
Land and Water
Chapter 1, Section 1
The Regions of Africa
• When historians and
geographers talk about
Africa, they usually divide it
into four regions.
• These regions are
•
•
•
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North Africa
West Africa
East Africa
Central/Southern Africa
• Each of these regions has
different climates and
landforms.
North Africa
• North Africa is known for its
hot deserts and its steep
mountains.
• Much of North Africa is
covered by the Sahara, the
largest desert in the world.
West Africa
• Western Africa is a fertile region made up
primarily of grasslands.
• A grassland is a large, open area of land
covered in grasses and edible plants.
• West Africa is the region of Africa that
has the highest population.
• Why might that be?
East Africa
• East Africa is known for its elevation. Though it has some
grassland, much of the land is high above sea level, as it is
made up of many mountains and plateaus, or large raised
areas of land.
• Many of Africa’s most famous mountains, such as Mount
Kilimanjaro and the Virunga Mountains, can be found in East
Africa.
• How might this affect life in East Africa?
East Africa
• East Africa is also home to the
Great Rift Valley.
• The Great Rift Valley is a deep
trench or cut in the land of
Africa. It was formed millions of
years ago as the continents
shifted across the globe.
The Great Rift Valley is
almost 4,000 miles long!
Central and Southern Africa
• Central and Southern Africa are unique in that they have many
different types of climates and landforms.
• There is a lot of fertile grassland, but you can also find rain
forest, mountains, deserts, swamps and jungles.
Africa’s Four Rivers
• One important feature of the African
continent are its many rivers:
• the Nile River
• the Congo River
• the Niger River
• the Zambezi River
The Nile River
• The Nile River flows
northward from
Central Africa to
North Africa and the
Mediterranean Sea.
• It begins as two
smaller rivers called
the White Nile and
the Blue Nile.
• At over 4,000 miles
long, it is the longest
river in the world!
• Why is the Nile River
important to life in
Africa?
The Congo River
• The Congo River flows through
Central Africa. With a length of
over 2,900 miles, it is the secondlargest river in Africa.
• The Congo River is notable for its
large tributary system.
• Tributaries are smaller rivers or
streams that connect with and
flow into a bigger river.
• What countries does the Congo
River system spread across?
The Niger River
• The Niger River is located in
West Africa. It is Africa’s third
biggest river and it flows for
2,600 miles.
• What countries does the Niger
flow through?
The Zambezi River
• The Zambezi River, Africa’s fourth-largest river, is in southern
Africa. It is over 2,200 miles long.
• What countries does the Zambezi River flow through?