Africa Geography Study Guide

Physical Features

Sahara

• Location: Runs across width of northern Africa

• Description:

  • Major landform (largest hottest desert in the world)

  • Divides two regions - North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa

  • Sand dunes, rocky hills, gravel

  • One of the harshest places to live in the world

  • People who live in the desert are called nomads

  • Usual travel is by camel

  • The word "Sahara" means desert

Sahel

• Location: South of Sahara, transition zone between desert (north) and rainforest (south)

• Description:

  • Dry semi-arid

  • Overgrazing and poor farming = desertification

  • Flat, few mountains and hills

  • Sparse vegetation

  • "Sahel" means border

Savanna

• Location: Near equator, covers almost half of Africa, surrounds rainforest

• Description:

  • Largest rolling grasslands in the world

  • Large variety of wildlife (Safari)

  • Farming is good only with good rainfall; grows wheat, oats, and sorghum

  • Grasses are tall and thick; trees are short and scattered

  • Two seasons

Tropical Rainforest

• Location: West-central coast of Africa, in the Congo River Basin

• Description:

  • Covers 1/5th of land surface in Africa

  • Hot humid climate, rainfall over 17 feet

  • Large variety of plants and animals

  • Trees thick and tall, blocking sunlight

  • Hundreds of feet tall, second largest in the world

  • Shrunk due to deforestation

Congo River

• Location: Central Africa

• Description:

  • Begins near Lake Tanganyika, flows west through rainforest

  • Second largest in Africa

Niger River

• Location: Western Africa, flows through Guinea, Mali, Niger, Benin, and Nigeria

• Description:

  • 3rd largest river in Africa, 2600 miles

  • Flows through large delta nicknamed the "Oil Delta"

Nile River

• Location: Eastern Africa, starts near Lake Victoria, flows northward into the Mediterranean Sea

• Description:

  • World’s longest river

  • Provides water for Sudan, South Sudan, and Egypt

  • Important for transportation, source of irrigation

Lake Tanganyika

• Location: Central Africa

• Description:

  • Deepest lake in Africa

  • One of the largest freshwater lakes in the world

Lake Victoria

• Location: Central Africa in Great Rift Valley

• Description:

  • Largest lake in Africa

  • Second largest in the world

  • Supports millions of people; provides for fishermen and attracts many tourists

Atlas Mountains

• Location: Northwest Africa, between Mediterranean Sea and Sahara Desert

• Description:

  • Separates coastal regions from Sahara

Kalahari Desert

• Location: Southwestern Africa

• Description:

  • Surrounded by semi-arid areas, becoming drier

  • Receives 3-10 inches of rain per year

  • Supports grass, shrubs, and animals due to underground water

Great Rift Valley/Mt. Kilimanjaro

• Location: Part of Eastern Rift

• Description:

  • Mt. Kilimanjaro = dormant volcano, Africa’s highest mountain, the roof of Africa

Environmental Issues

Africa Water Issues

• Major Water Issues: Scarcity, pollution, unequal distribution

Unequal Distribution

• Challenges:

  • Majority of Africa has trouble getting enough water for people to survive

  • Most countries have very little clean water

• Living Conditions:

  • People in rural areas typically have no running water

  • Women and children must walk several miles to get water

  • This has caused major economic problems

• Effects of Unequal Distribution:

  • Women unable to work and children unable to go to school

  • Low GDP and slow economic growth

  • Cannot escape the cycle of poverty

Scarcity

• Concerns:

  • Drought (long periods of very little rainfall) has hurt many parts of Africa

  • Crops and livestock die, leading to famine and starvation

Pollution

• Sources:

  • Many countries don’t have enough clean water; pollution from factories

  • Industrial waste and trash

• Effects of Pollution:

  • Clean water is essential for health and sanitation

  • Increases frequency of skin and eye infections

  • Many water-borne diseases spread by parasites

  • Ingesting unsafe water is a leading cause of death

  • Water pollution destroys livelihoods and affects fish populations

Solutions: Clean Up

• Measures:

  • Addressing poor sanitation conditions

  • Some countries try to improve economies, but government officials often ignore industrial waste

Deforestation

• Major Issues:

  • Destruction of forests

• Logging:

  • Commercial logging, timber exported

  • Environment is significantly damaged

Population Growth

• Trends:

  • Population has tripled

  • Cities have grown, clearing large areas of forest for housing

Rainforests

• Concerns:

  • Many rainforests are already gone

  • Nigeria is losing rainforest at the fastest rate, around 55% lost

Effects of Deforestation

• Consequences:

  • Number of trees shrinks, leading to decreased oxygen and increased carbon

  • Fewer rainforests mean fewer medicines and higher extinction rates

  • Crops grow best in topsoil; fewer trees lead to lack of topsoil, resulting in desertification

Desertification

• Process:

  • The desert is expanding as soil becomes poor and powdery

  • Winds blow dry topsoil away

• Causes of Desertification:

  • Actions of people

  1. Poor farming

  2. Cutting down trees

  3. Deforestation

  4. Overgrazing

  5. Draining surface water

• Effects of Desertification:

  • Less land available

  • Starvation and poverty increase; many people move into cities

Solutions

• Some initiatives involve replanting trees, but it's often a losing battle

Ethnic and Religious Groups

Religious Groups

• Defined as a group of people who share a common belief system; share religious laws, holidays, etc.

• Comprised of multiple different cultures

Traditional African Religions

• Passed down for generations; integral to everyday life

• Influences food, marriage, illness treatment, clothing, and burial practices

Islam and Christianity

• Most people are either Muslims or Christians

• Islam was brought by Arabs from Southwest Asia, gradually spreading throughout Northern Africa

• Christianity spread during the middle of the 1st century, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa

Ethnic Groups

• Defined by common cultural characteristics; includes ancestry, history, and language

Arabs

• Location: Northern Africa

• Ancestry: Spread in late 600s by Arab armies, traders, and scholars; Arabic and Islam were introduced wherever they went

• Religion: Islam (note: not all Muslims are Arabs; there are Sunni and Shia divisions)

• Language: Arabic

Ashanti

• Location: Ghana and Ivory Coast (7 million inhabitants)

• Ancestry: Established in 1701 with a sacred golden stool

• Religion: Mixture of supernatural and animist powers, believes in a supreme god and the spirits of lower gods

• Language: “Ashante” or “Twi”

Bantu

• Location: 600 ethnic groups across Central and Southern Africa, accounting for 2/3rds of Africa; "Bantu" means "the people"

• Ancestry: Dates back to around 50,000 BCE, involving a significant migration and cultural blending

• Religion: Many adhere to Islam or Christianity, yet many retain traditional beliefs, including faith in curses and magic

• Language: Over 650 distinct Bantu languages

Swahili

• Location: East Africa and several nearby islands

• Ancestry: Developed through Arab traders who settled in the region; "Swahili" means "one who lives on the coast"

• Religion: Primarily Islamic, with Islam shaping their way of life

• Language: Swahili, a blend of Bantu and Arabic, and many also speak English

People

Sahara

• Info:

  • Northern Africa, covering 1/3rd of the continent

  • Dry and very hot, often exceeding 100 degrees

  • Characterized by sand dunes and very little water

• Living Conditions:

  • Extremely harsh, with low population densities

  • Mainly inhabited by nomads

• Work:

  • Farming is not viable; primarily nomadic herders

• Travel:

  • Trading is difficult due to extreme heat; nomads use camels while others rely on planes and trucks equipped for sand

Sahel

• Info:

  • Semi-arid strip of dry grassland with an annual rainfall of 7 inches

  • Characterized by flat rocky land and few vegetation

• Living Conditions:

  • Low population density influenced by overgrazing

  • Subsistence farming villages

• Work:

  • Subsistence farmer, herders, and some work in uranium mines

• Travel:

  • Difficult trading conditions; many walk miles for water, with many living along the Nile in large cities

Savanna

• Info:

  • Expansive grasslands covering nearly half of central Africa; receives enough rain to support drought-resistant growth

• Living Conditions:

  • Low to moderate populations; traditional villages exist

• Work:

  • Agriculture is only viable with sufficient rainfall; crops include wheat, oats, and sorghum

  • Soil is fertile, and some engage in mining and livestock raising

• Travel:

  • Transportation involves walking, bicycles, and animal-drawn carts; roads being built link towns but may destroy natural habitats

Tropical Rainforest

• Info:

  • Located along the central coast in the Congo River Basin, crossing 37 countries

  • Characterized by hot, humid conditions and more than 90 inches of rain annually

  • Contains thick, tall trees and a wide variety of plants and animals, supporting 75 million people

• Living Conditions:

  • Very few inhabitants due to dense jungle; surrounding countries have grown due to economic activities

• Work:

  • Involves hunting, logging, agriculture, and cash crop cultivation

• Travel:

  • Slow transportation is necessary due to thick vegetation and the need to harvest rare woods