World Geo Africa

Oldest human remains

Tanzania and Ethiopia

Transition zone between north Africa and sub Saharan Africa

10 degrees north latitude

Morocco

first non-European country to recognize the United States

Western Sahara

Polisario- independence movement from Spain, bordering countries fought over territory, Morocco annexes

Algeria

most valuable French colony, proximity and similar climate

Tunisia

was one of the most stable countries in Africa, was a facade, country run like a dictatorship

Arab Spring

Tunisia- man set himself on fire in official’s office

Libya

considered the poorest country on the planet until the discovery of oil, rouge state

Egypt

96% of people live on 4% of the land

Egyptian human geography

most live along the Nile river, Aswan high dam built so more have access to the Nile

Sudan and South Sudan

On the transition zone, north held power- Arab, south- Christian

Mauritania

withdrew from western Sahara bc they spent too much to claim the territory- 1979

Mali

Originally French Sudan, changed after independence, Timbuktu

Burkina Faso

Originally Upper Volta- changed to “the land of honest men”

Niger

number 1 fertility rate in the world- 5.6 children per woman

Chad

Desertification- over grazing, camel herders move south (transhumance- seasonally migrating altitudinally)

Ethiopia

one of two countries that stayed independent during the imperial era

Eritrea

Italian territory, took over 30 years to gain independence

Djibouti

Strategically located, Mandeb Strait, only overseas Japan military deployment

Somalia

Failed state, Somaliland is not controlled by central government

Somaliland

rise of piracy, targeting oil tankers

Senegal

Western most point of Africa known as Cap-vert

The Gambia

Peace of Paris- British officially recognized the US

Guinea- Bissau

Mangroves- grow in salt water- halophytes

Guinea

Ebola outbreak

Sierra Leone

Founded by freed slaves from British empire

Liberia

founded by freed slaves from the US, one of two countries to stay independent during the imperial era

Ivory Coast

Capital- Paris of Africa, largest producer of Cacao

Ghana

second in Cacao production, first sub Saharan country to gain independence under black leadership

Togo

Animism- traditional African religion, 45% of population practice

Benin

Tap routes- road or rail lines that connect resources to the ports/coast

Nigeria

Africa’s largest country in terms of population, most ethnically diverse

Nigeria States

3 states in 1960, 35 today. capital moved to FCT- federal capital territory

Cameroon

one of the wettest places on earth- orographic effect

Equatorial Guinea

Originally Spanish Guinea, source of wealth is oil

Central African Republic

Bokassa 30 million dollar coronation ceremony

Republic of Congo and DR Congo

Bi product of imperialism, closest capitals in the world, separated by Congo river

DR Congo

Worst colonial colonization- King Leopold II (Belgium), changed country name, outlawed western attire

Second Congo War

labeled as “Africa’s first world war”

Uganda

military dictatorship, blamed south Asians for the country’s problems

Rwanda

Hutu majority and Tutsi minority

Tanzania

Mt Kilimanjaro and Serengeti Park

Angola

Portuguese territory, significant deposits of oil

Zambia

land locked, producer or copper and cobalt

TAZARA Railway

Zambia and Tanzania- largest foreign investment project China funded

Malawi

one of the most biodiverse lakes on earth, 400 species of cichlids

Mozambique

1990s classified as world’s poorest country, cyclones

Zimbabwe

Mugabe- dictatorship, hyperinflation- 400,000% inflation rate, had to adopt the US dollar

Botswana

one of the most politically stable countries in Africa, substantial middle class

Botswana 2

one of the worlds largest producer of diamonds, HIV/AIDS pandemic

South Africa

only industrialized country in Africa, Johannesburg formed as a result of the gold rush

South Africa Gov

Divided their branches of government into 3, 3 capital cities, Apartheid

Lesotho

South Africa- perforated state

Eswatini

Originally Swaziland, hardest hit by HIV/AIDS

Namibia

Given to South Africa as a League of Nations Mandate, nicknamed skeleton coast- whale skeletons

Madagascar

4th largest island on earth, 90% of species are endemic

Atlas Mountains

Maghreb area, name comes from Berber word “mountains”

Drakensberg Mountains

South Africa- represents the southern edge that was once the Pangea

Guinea Highlands

rolling hill region, Bauxite

Tibesti Mountains

volcanism, fumaroles- heats up the ground it converts to steam

Ethiopian Highlands

formed by tectonic activity, roof of Africa

Rift Valley

Isolated peak of east Africa, Mt Kilimanjaro- highest peak, Mt Kenya- second highest

Nile River

White Nile in the south, Blue Nile

Congo River

second largest volume of freshwater of any river on earth, deepest on the planet