1.2 The African Continent: A Varied Landscape

• The Mercator map makes Africa look smaller

• Its the size of the United States and larger

• Bigger than Greenland

Africa is the ___ largest continent in the world

A) second

5 primary climate zones:

• Desert (e.g., the Sahara)

• Semiarid (e.g., the Sahel)

• Savannah Grasslands

• Tropical Rain forests

• Mediterranean Zone

Bordered by 4 seas and oceans

• Red sea

• Mediterranean sea

• Atlantic ocean

• Indian Ocean

5 major rivers

• Niger river

• Congo river

• Zambezi river

• Orange River

• Nile River

The proximity of ___ ___, ___ ___, and ___ ___ supported the emergence of Early Societies.

A) Red sea

B) Mediterranean Sea

C) Indian Ocean

Population centers emerged in the Sahel and Savannah grasslands for 3 reasons:

1. Major water routes facilitated the movement of goods & people through trade

2. Fertile lands →Agriculture grew & domestication of animals

3. Sahel & Savannah grasslands connected trade w/ communities in the Sahara (north) and tropical regions (south)

Variations in climate facilitated diverse opportunities for trade in Africa.

• In ___ & ___ ___ herders were often ___, moving in search of food & water, with some trading ___.

• In the Sahel people traded ___

• In the ___ ___ people cultivated grain crops.

• In the tropical rain forest, people grew ___ ___ and ___, and traded ___

A) desert

B) Semiarid areas

C) nomadic

D) Salt

E) Livestock

F) Savannah grasslands

G) kola trees

H) yams

I) gold