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Africa
Vocabulary
Escarpment:
a long steep slope or cliff at the
edge of a plateau or ridge
Plateau:
a relatively flat highland
Rift Valley:
a valley with steep sides; formed
by a rift in the earth's crust
Savanna:
Grassland with scattered trees,
found in areas marked by a hot dry
season
Horn of Africa:
a peninsula of northeastern Africa
Desertification:
the spread of desert conditions into
areas were not previously desert.
Sahel:
The transitional zone between the Sahara
Desert (to the north) and equatorial
rainforests (to the south).
animal culling:
Removing weaker animals from a herd to
assist in herd improvement and maintain
herd size.
sustainable development:
achieving economic and social goals in ways
that can be supported for the long term
Islam:
a religion based on a belief in one
god and the teaching of
Muhammad
Christianity:
Monotheistic religion derived from
the teachings of Jesus Christ.
Animism:
the belief that spirits dwell in
objects.
Lingua franca:
A lingua franca is any language widely used
beyond the population of its native
speakers.
Colonialism:
controlling other countries and keeping
them dependent on the controlling country.
Tribalism:
The organization, culture, and/or beliefs of a
tribe.
Clans:
a group of people united by kinship and
descent.
slave trade:
the capturing, transporting, buying, and
selling of people as slaves.
Poverty:
Income & resources are below the level
needed to meet basic needs
Malnutrition:
Ill health caused by lack of food, or quality
food
HIV: Human Immunodeficiency Virus the
cause of AIDS
AIDS: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
A fatal, incurable disease of the human
immune system
Malaria:
disease caused by a parasite that infects the
red blood cells, transmitted to people by
mosquitoes.
infectious disease:
A disease that can be transmitted from
person to person or from organism to
organism
Pandemic
The spread of a disease throughout a
country, continent, or the world.
Epidemic:
Disease that spreads rapidly
throughout the people in a
community/area
Blood diamonds:
Diamonds that help fund and arm
terrorists
Poaching:
illegally killing or taking of an
animal/fish/plant for food or profit
Genocide
Mass killing of a group of an ethnic, racial
or political group.
Afrikaans:
Official language of the Republic of South
Africa; closely related to Dutch and Flemish.
Apartheid:
Policy of racial segregation maintained in
South Africa from 1948 to 1991.
Drought:
Long period of dry weather.
Famine:
A severe shortage of food causing violent
hunger, starvation and death