Download II. Climate Regions

II. Climate Regions
• A. Factors Affecting Climate
– 1. Africa south of the Sahara lies mainly in the
Tropics.
• a) Direct rays of the sun year-round.
• b) Elevated lands are much cooler.
– 2. Africa south of the Sahara has wet, dry, and
temperate climate zones.
• a) The rain forests of West and Central Africa receives 80 in.
of rain annually.
• b) By contrast, the Namib Desert in Southern Africa often
gets less than 10 in. of rain annually.
• c) Some parts of Africa south of the Sahara have long
droughts, or periods of time when there is no rainfall at all.
II. Climate Regions
• B. Tropical Wet Climate
– 1. A tropical wet climate can be found along the
Equator in Central Africa and West Africa.
• a) Hot temperatures and plentiful rainfall in this zone
support the growth of rain forests.
• b) Rain forests are dense stands of trees and other
plants that receive high amounts of precipitation each
year.
– 2. In a rain forest, vegetation grows at several
different levels.
• a) Forest floor = mosses, ferns, and shrubs.
II. Climate Regions
• b) 60ft = palms and other trees.
• c) The tops of the highest trees form an umbrella-like
covering called the canopy.
• d) canopy = tropical flowers, fruits, monkeys, parrots,
snakes, and insects.
– 3. Rain forests support an enormous variety of plant
and animal life.
• a) The selling of wood and the clearing of forests for farming
has led to deforestation, or the widespread clearing of
forestland.
– 4. To preserve rain forests some African countries are
encouraging ecotourism or touring a place without
causing harm to the environment.
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• C. Tropical Dry Climate
– 1. Farther from the Equator, rain forests give way
to great stretches of tropical savanna, or
grasslands with scattered woods.
• a) Temperatures remain hot, but less rainfall than the
rain forests.
– 2. Savanna grasslands are home to some of
Africa’s most recognizable animals, including
elephants, lions, rhinoceroses, and giraffes
• a) Some African countries have set aside national parks
to protect these animals.
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• D. Steppe
– 1. Continuing farther from the Equator, rainfall
becomes more scarce, and savannas merge into drier
steppes.
• a) Vegetation includes different varieties of trees, thick
shrubs, and grasses.
– 2. Steppe areas are threatened by desertification, the
process that turns fertile land into land that is too dry
to support life.
• a) Droughts and over herding lead to desertification.
• E. Deserts
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– 1. In very dry areas of Africa, deserts dominate the
landscape.
• a) The largest are the Sahara in the north and the Kalahari
and the Namib in the south.
– 2. The Sahara has high temperatures and little rain.
• a) barren rock and stony plains covered by rocky gravel.
• b) Very little vegetation can live outside the highlands and
oases.
– 3. The Kalahari in Southern Africa is covered by vast
stretches of sand.
• a) High temperatures and little rainfall.
II. Climate Regions
• b) Deep rooted trees.
– 4. The Namib, along the southwestern coast, is
made up of rocks and dunes.
• a) Arid, but temperatures are cooler because of
breezes from the oceans.
• b) Fog rolls in from the ocean to provide moisture to
succulents which are plants such as cacti with thick,
fleshy leaves that can conserve moisture.
• F. Moderate Climate Regions
– 1. Moderate climates are found in coastal
Southern Africa and the highlands of East Africa.
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• a) Comfortable temperatures and enough rainfall for
farming.
– 2. Southeastern Africa has a humid subtropical
climate of hot, wet summers and mild, wet winters.
– 3. Southwestern Africa has a Mediterranean climate.
• a) Winters are mild and wet, summers are warm and dry.
• b) Because these areas are south of the equator, the
seasons are opposite of the United States.
– 4. Highland climates are found in areas of higher
elevation in East Africa.
• a) Snow can be found in high elevation and vegetation is
abundant at lower elevations.