NOTES:AFRICA SOUTH OF THE SAHARA-GEOGRAPHY

LG: Describe the

land and climate of

Africa, South of the

Sahara.

1. Transition Zone

A. Africa South of the Sahara is a Transition Zone- a

physical area that undergoes a radical change.

i. This area goes from arid/desert to tropical

2. DesertsA. The Namib Desert is located along the coast in

southern Africa

B. The Kalahari Desert is in the interior of Southern

Africa

***Namib Desert and Kalahari Desert

C. Both the Namib and Kalahari Deserts are hot and

have little rainfall

D. These deserts support some plant, animal, and

human life, but not much

3. Congo RiverA. Over 2700 miles long and flows through rainforests

in tropical climates

B. Much of the river is navigable and connects the

interior of Africa

4. Lake VoltaA. One of the largest human made lakes in the world

B. Produces hydroelectricity used by Ghana

C. Also necessary for crop irrigation

5. Great Rift ValleyA. A valley that formed from the shifting of tectonic

plates.

B. Stretches from Syria to Mozambique.

C. Lake Victoria- Africa’s largest lake, is also found in this

region

D. Lake Victoria gives the Nile River its water

6. Eastern Highlands & Mountains

A. Stretch from Ethiopia to the Cape of Good Hope

B. Mountains such as Mt. Kilimanjaro and Mt.

Kenya are in this region

C. Ruwenzori Mts. are located in Uganda and the Democratic

Republic of the Congo

7. Precious Metals and StonesA. There are large diamond deposits found in South

Africa (the country), Botswana, and the Congo

River basin

B. Half of the world’s gold deposits are in South

Africa.