Africa

Geographic Understandings(Physical)

GPS and E.Q.

• GPS: SS7G1.a. The student will locate on a world and regional political-physical map: the Sahara, Sahel, savanna, tropical rainforest, Congo River, Niger River, Lake Tanganyika, Lake Victoria, Atlas Mountains, and Kalahari Desert.

• E.Q.: How do I locate selected features on a map of Africa?

• Africa is an enormous continent.

• It has almost every type of climate and geography.

Atlas Mountain Range

• Northern Africa• Group of mountains• Separates coastal regions from Sahara

Sahara

• Across entire width of northern Africa

• Largest desert in the world

• Has sand dunes, rolling rocky hills, and gravel plains

• Few people live here• Travel by caravan,

jeeps and trucks

Sahel

• South of Sahara

• Dry, semi-arid region • Desertification –

people cut down trees and let animals overgraze – causes drier soil and erosion

savanna

• Middle of Africa, close to equator

• Grassland• Many animals (lions,

giraffes, elephants, zebras…)

• Farming good when it rains

Tropical Rainforests

• Along central coast• Hot, humid climate, dense, tall trees• Home to many species• Threat: rapid population growth – fuel needs

= more trees cut down than can be replanted

Kalahari Desert

• Southern part of Africa• Surrounded by semi-arid areas –

desertification here, too

Lake Victoria

• Largest lake in Africa; largest tropical lake in the world

Lake Tanganyika

• 2nd largest & deepest freshwater lake in the world (4820 feet deep)

Nile River

• Longest river in the world

• Begins in central mountains as White Nile & Blue Nile

• Flows NORTH 4000+ miles to Mediterranean Sea at Alexandria, Egypt

• White Nile begins at Lake Victoria

Congo River

• Flows 3,000 miles through central and west Africa

• Through largest rainforest in Africa (2nd largest in the world)

• Begins near Lake Tanganyika

• Empties into Atlantic Ocean

Niger River

• 3rd largest river in Africa• Flows from Guinea

2,600+ miles to Atlantic Ocean

• Mouth of river is called “oil delta” because of petroleum industry there

Independent Work

• Using a map of Africa, locate and label the following geographic features:

• Sahara and Kalahari Deserts• Sahel• Savanna• Tropical rainforests• Congo, Niger, and Nile Rivers• Lakes Tanganyika and Victoria• Atlas Mountains

Summary

• How is Africa similar to the U.S. geographically? How is it different?