Geography of Africa Handouts

Geography of Africa Handouts

Geography of Africa Questions Using maps from your textbook, atlases, or other sources, answer the following questions about the geography of Africa. Each block will have a question to answer on the answer grid and a question to fill in on the map. 1. Africa is Earth s second-largest continent, covering one-fifth of Earth s total land area. What are the six major bodies of water that surround Africa? Label them on the map. 3. What is the name of the world s largest desert that covers most of northern Africa? On your map, label The Kalahari Desert, The Namib Desert, and the Sahara Desert. Lightly color them brown. 5. What is the name of the large islandcountry off the southeast coast of Africa? Label this island on your map. 7. Is the elevation of Eastern Africa higher or lower than Western Africa. On your map, color the Great Rift Valley orange and label it. Label the Ethopian Highlands. 9. The world s second-largest freshwater lake is in central Africa. What is it? (Hint: It is named for a British Monarch.) Label this lake on your map, color it blue. 11. South of the Sahara Desert is a semi-arid region called the Sahel or Steppe. What is this land used for? Label the Sahel on your map. Color it tan. 2. The world s longest river flows from east-central Africa north to the Mediterranean Sea. What is its name? Label these rivers: Congo, Niger, Nile, Orange, Senegal, and Zambezi. 4. A large rainforest in central Africa takes its name from the river that runs through it. What is it? On your map, outline this region and lightly color it green. 6. What is the mountain range in northern Africa that is very close to Spain? Label this mountain range on your map. Mark this region with s. 8. Most of Africa s mountains were created by volcanic activity. What are the two tallest mountains in Africa and what is the height of each? Label each of these mountains on your map. 10. The world s longest freshwater lake is near the Great Rift Valley. What is it named? Label this lake on your map. Color it blue. 12. Most farming takes place in the Savanna. Looking at the latitudes of the Savanna, what is the temperature most likely to be in this region? Label the Savanna on your map; color it yellow. Geography of Africa 1

Geography of Africa-Answer Grid 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. Geography of Africa 2

Geography of Africa-Answers 1. Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, Gulf of Guinea, Indian Ocean, Gulf of Aden, Red Sea 2. The Nile River 3. The Sahara Desert 4. The Congo Rainforest 5. Madagascar 6. The Atlas Mountains 7. The elevation of Eastern Africa is higher. 8. Mt. Kilamajaro, 19,341 ft. and Mt. Kenya, 17, 058 ft. 9. Lake Victoria 10. Lake Tanganyika 11. Nomadic herding 12. The temperatures are most likely to be very warm to hot. Geography of Africa 3

Map of Africa Geography of Africa 4

Africa Game START Enjoy your African adventure! You have traveled through a dust storm in the Sahara, and ended back at your starting point! Did you learn your Swahili before you left? Go back 3 spaces and learn the language before you begin your adventure. Mt. Killimanjaro? Mediterranean Sea Take a ride up the Nile River! END Geography of Africa 5

Africa Game Cards 1 Name the river that flows from east-central Africa north to the Mediterranean Sea. 2 What is the world s secondlargest freshwater lake in central Africa? 3 Name the largest islandcountry off the southeast coast of Africa. 4 Identify the mountain range in northern Africa that is very close to Spain. 5 What is the largest desert in the world? 6 Name the large rainforest in central Africa. 7 Identify the line of latitude located at 0 that runs through the continent of Africa. 9 Name the tallest mountain in Africa. 8 Identify the line of longitude located at 0 that runs through the continent of Africa. 10 Africa is home to one of the world s most spectacular sights. Name this location. Geography of Africa 6

Africa Game Cards-continued 11 What is the lowest point in Africa? 12 Name the highlands that stretch from the Red Sea to the Zambezi River. 13 What is the second longest river in Africa? 14 What is the huge crack in the earth s surface that measures almost 4,000 miles called? 15 Name the body of water north of Africa. 16 Name the channel that separates Madagascar from the mainland. 17 Name the body of water east of Africa. 18 Identify the body of water that separates North America and Africa. 19 Tanzania is home to what plain? 20 Name the gulf off the coast of Ghana. Geography of Africa 7

Africa Game Cards-continued 21 Name the body of water to the northeast of Sudan. 22 If you were crossing from Algeria to Niger what mountain range would you cross? 23 Identify the strait between Morocco and Spain. 24 What is the southern most part of Africa? 25 26 27 28 29 30 Geography of Africa 8

Africa Game Answers 1. The Nile River 13. The Congo 2. Lake Victoria 14. The Great Rift Valley 3. Madagascar 15. Mediterranean 4. Atlas Mountains 16. Mozambique Channel 5. Sahara Desert 17. Indian Ocean 6. The Congo Rainforest 18. Atlantic Ocean 7. The Equator 19. Serengeti Plain 8. The Prime Meridian 20. Gulf of Guinea 9. Mt. Kilimanjaro 21. Red Sea 10. Victoria Falls 22. Ahaggar Mountains 11. Lake Asal, Djibouti 23. Strait of Gibraltar 12. Eastern Highlands 24. Cape Town, South Africa Geography of Africa 9

What Do You Know About Africa? Matrix Statement Most of Africa is covered with hot, steamy jungles. Do I think this statement is true or false? Research notes Your findings based on the research. Large numbers of wild animals lions, tigers, elephants, giraffes, etc.--can be found roaming all over, but especially in the jungles. Most Africans outside the big cities live in grass huts or small mud homes. Africans that live south of the Sahara Desert are Bushmen, Pygmies, or Watusis. There are large cities in Africa that look much like large American cities. Geography of Africa 10

What Do You Know About Africa? Matrix-continued Statement Do I think this statement is true or false? Research notes Your findings based on the research. Throughout history, there were rich and powerful civilizations in Africa. Africa is not a single country, but made of more than fifty different countries. African is the official language in most of Africa. African culture (language, religion, customs) is the same all over Africa. All African children learn to read and write by attending local schools. Geography of Africa 11

What Do You Know About Africa?-teacher s guide False 1. Most of Africa is covered with hot, steamy jungles. False 2. Large numbers of wild animals lions, tigers, elephants, giraffes, etc. can be found roaming all over, but especially in the jungles. False 3. Most Africans outside the big cities live in grass huts or small mud homes. False 4. Africans that live south of the Sahara Desert are Bushmen, Pygmies, or Watusis. True True True 5. There are large cities in Africa that look much like large American cities. 6. Throughout history, there were rich and powerful civilizations in Africa. 7. Africa is not a single country, but made of more than fifty different countries. False 8. African is the official language in most of Africa. False 9. African culture (language, religion, customs) is the same all over Africa. False 10. All African children learn to read and write by attending local schools. Geography of Africa 12

What Do You Know About Africa? Placard Most of Africa is covered with hot, steamy jungles. Most of Africa is savanna or grassland, while only about one-seventh of it is jungle. This rain forest is almost entirely in the Congo Basin, the Gulf of Guinea coast area of West Africa, and the eastern coast of the Malagasy Republic. Because of their dense foliage and the presence of cloud cover, the forests are not the hottest places on the continent; the temperature rarely goes past ninety degrees. The only jungles might be found near the river banks. The savanna region stretches from the forest zones to the desert areas, varying its growth from lush green grasses to drier, coarser, shrubs as the region moves away from the forest. Geography of Africa 13

What Do You Know About Africa? Placard Large numbers of wild animals lions, tigers, elephants, giraffes, etc. can be found roaming all over, but especially in the jungles. Most of the game animals that are found in Africa live in the grasslands. Most are in parks that are set aside and preserved, many as tourist attractions. This land is mostly in southern and East Africa and covers a very small percentage the continent. (Tigers are not indigenous to Africa, but are from Asia.) Geography of Africa 14

What Do You Know About Africa? Placard Most Africans outside the big cities live in grass huts or small mud homes. Rural housing varies, depending on climate, life style, and tradition. Many Africans live in houses built of sun-dried mud with roofs of straw, grass, or leaves. As villagers become wealthy, they may construct houses of concrete blocks with sheet-metal roofs. Almost all villages have several dwellings of this type. Some houses are made of stone. Most are average in size, beautiful, with dressed stones. The houses usually have two to six bedrooms and one big room that doubles as a sitting room/dinning room. The walls are cemented, and sometimes painted. The roof is usually made of tin or bricks. In parts of western Africa, some houses are covered with clay and decorated with sculptured designs. The houses of African Muslims may be built around a large courtyard so that the women can go about their tasks without being seen by people outside the family. This custom follows the traditions of Islam. Geography of Africa 15

What Do You Know About Africa? Placard Africans that live south of the Sahara Desert are Bushmen, Pygmies, or Watusis. The total population of Africa is estimated to be 661 million people. Of this number, about 435 million live south of the Sahara. Included in this figure are at least six million white Africans and people of European origin who claim Africa as their home. Only about 1.5 million Bushmen, Pygmies, Watusi and people related to them in physical characteristics and life style live in Africa. Geography of Africa 16

What Do You Know About Africa? Placard There are large cities in Africa that look much like American cities. Cities with populations of more than a million people include Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Cape Town, South Africa; Johannesburg, South Africa; Kinshasa, Congo; and Lagos, Nigeria. Cairo, the capital of Egypt is the largest city in all Africa with about six million people. In northern Africa, the architecture reflects European and Islamic styles. Many mosques (Islamic houses of worship) and souks (outdoor markets) are present throughout large cities. South of the Sahara, traditional and modern styles are found. Parks, hotels, and tall office and apartment buildings are present. Large retail stores are common. African cities provide medical facilities, schools and universities and public transportation. Telephone service, running water, and electricity are widely available. Geography of Africa 17

What Do You Know About Africa? Placard Throughout African history, there were rich and powerful civilizations. Ancient Egypt, Nubia and Kush were powerful African civilizations thousands of years ago. During the middle ages, starting around 1000 C.E., West Africa was home to the powerful kingdoms of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai. These empires grew wealthy controlling the trade routes in the region. In Eastern Africa, prosperous city-states traded with China, India and countries along the Red Sea and Persian Gulf. Geography of Africa 18

What Do You Know About Africa? Placard Africa is not a single country, but made of more than fifty different countries. Africa is divided into fifty-three independent countries and several other political units. Each has its own government, laws, and customs. The largest country is Sudan; the smallest is Seychelles. Nigeria is the most heavily populated. Geography of Africa 19

What Do You Know About Africa? Placard African is the official language in most of Africa.. Experts put the number of African languages at around 2,000 to 3,000. Swahili is spoken by nearly fifty million Africans, followed by Hausa and Yoruba, each with more than twenty million speakers. Daily life often brings people into contact with others who speak different languages. Most Africans are multilingual, meaning that they speak two or more different languages. North Africans and converts to Islam have spoken Arabic for centuries. The use of European languages has spread across the continent since the days of colonialism. Today, the language of a country s former colonial rulers often serves as its common tongue. For example, England once ruled South Africa, so now most of the people of South Africa speak English. Geography of Africa 20

What Do You Know About Africa? Placard African culture (language, religion, customs) is the same all over Africa. There are more than 800 ethnic groups of black Africans. Blacks Africans account for almost seventyfive percent of Africa s total population and most live south of the Sahara. Each group consists of people who share common history, language, religion, artistic traditions, and way of life. Most of North Africa s people are Arabs, strongly influenced by Islamic culture. Nearly 200 million Africans practice local traditional religions, depending on each ethnic group s set of beliefs and practices. About 150 million Africans are Muslims. Islam is the state religion in the countries of northern Africa. About 130 million Africans are Christians. Geography of Africa 21

What Do You Know About Africa? Placard All African children learn to read and write by attending local schools. Literacy rates (the number of people who can read and write) vary greatly from country to country. In general, the Northern African countries are more successful in providing education for large numbers of children. Populations in most countries are growing faster than new schools can be built. Many areas have a shortage of qualified teachers. Many students must drop out to help support their families. In some places, families must pay for their children s education, which many families cannot afford to do. Geography of Africa 22

Desertification Desertification is the process which turns productive desert areas into non-productive desert areas as a result of poor land management. Desertification occurs mainly in semi-arid areas (average annual rainfall less than 600mm) bordering on deserts. In the Sahel, (the semi-arid area south of the Sahara Desert), for example, the desert moved 100 km southwards between 1950 and 1975. WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF DESERTIFICATION? Desertification reduces the ability of land to support life. This affects wild and domestic animals, agricultural crops and people. The reduction in plant cover that comes with desertification leads to more soil erosion by wind and water. Water is lost off the land instead of soaking into the soil to provide moisture for plants. Even long-lived plants that would normally survive droughts die. Less plant cover reduces nutrients in the soil and makes it even more difficult for plants to grow. Floods become more frequent and more severe. Once the destruction of desertification begins, conditions cause it to continue. It is self-reinforcing. WHAT CAUSES DESERTIFICATION? There are several factors that contribute to desertification. These factors are often connected together and compound the problems. The major cause of desertification is overgrazing. Overgrazing means too many animals eating too few plants. In semi-arid areas of the world, such as the Sahel, large, grazing mammals roam for food. The sparse rainfall in the region affects the plants available for their food. The animals in scattered groups move around in response to the rainfall. Early pastoralists who lived in these semi-arid regions copied the practice of the wild animals. These nomadic herders moved their small groups of domestic animals in response to food and water availability. This regular movement of stock prevented overgrazing of the fragile plant cover. Geography of Africa 23

Desertification In modern times, the use of fences has prevented domestic and wild animals from moving freely. Overgrazing has often resulted. If used properly, fencing can be a good tool to manage grassland, but this is rarely the case. Today, boreholes and windmills allow livestock to stay all year in areas that were once grazed only during the rainy season. Where not correctly planned and managed, providing drinking water allows animals to gather around waterholes without limits and overgraze the area. This has contributed to the expansion of deserts in recent years. A second cause of desertification is cultivation of marginal lands. Examples of this include farming in areas with poor soil, or growing crops not native to a region. These crops may require more water than native plants or use more nutrients and destroy the soil. Some parts of South Africa grow corn. In that region, corn has a high risk of failure and a low economic return. Corn requires large amounts of costly chemical pesticides and fertilizers, which ruin the soil. A third contributor to desertification is cutting of trees, often called deforestation. Trees and other vegetation are cleared to provide land for commercial and subsistence farming, logging, and cattle ranching. Once the vegetation is gone, there is nothing to hold the soil. Erosion and a loss of topsoil is the result. Trees are often cut for fuel wood. A fourth factor is irrigation. Although we generally think of irrigation as a good thing, when done incorrectly, it is harmful. Mismanaged irrigation practices in arid areas can cause salinization, the build up of salts in the soil. Salinization can prevent plant growth. Drought is a frequent problem in the arid and semi-arid regions we are talking about. When the practices we have just discussed coincide with drought, the rate of desertification increases dramatically. Geography of Africa 24

Why do these harmful practices continue? Poverty is increasing in many parts of Africa. In their struggle to survive, poor people often use the land and resources unwisely. Increasing human population and poverty contribute to desertification as poor people may be forced to overuse their environment in the short term, without the ability to plan for the long term effects of their actions. For some cultures, the number of cattle you own indicates your social status and your importance. Where livestock has a social importance beyond food, people might be reluctant to reduce their livestock. HOW CAN DESERTIFCATION BE HALTED? To halt desertification, conditions must change so plants can grow. There are several steps to be taken. The number of animals on the land must be reduced. This will give vegetation a chance to recover. Soil conditions must be improved for plant growth. One way to do this is mulching a layer of straw, leaves, or sawdust covering the soil. Mulching reduces evaporation, suppresses weed growth, enriches soil as it rots, and prevents runoff and erosion. Reseeding may be necessary in badly damaged places. Mulching and reseeding are expensive practices. Realistically, they can only be done on a small scale. The only realistic large-scale prevention is good land management in semiarid areas. Governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) must cooperate, develop effective plans, and see that the plans are carried out over the long term. Geography of Africa 25

A Day in Sudan Imagine that you are a boy or girl from a tribal community in Sudan. You awaken yourself at an early hour. Last night s meager meal of maize porridge no longer nourishes your body. The stomach pains occur so often that you fail to notice them at times. Outside your family s grass and thatch home, your mother is preparing weak tea and leftover porridge from the night before. Your mother wants to get an early start at collecting fuel wood. Yesterday s gathering expedition took you fifteen kilometers (about ten miles) from your home. You remember the pain of carrying so much wood while bending over to pick up one last stick. You hoped yesterday s wood would be enough to last two days, but your aunt was unable to leave her sick baby so your mother shared the wood with her. Today, she will do the same. Your younger sisters will go with her because your father needs your bothers and your help herding the cattle. Herding the cattle means many kilometers of walking to find an area of land with enough of the dry brush grass to feed your large herd. Even though many of the cattle look undernourished, your father is proud to have one of the largest herds in the region. Cattle are a sign of wealth to the people of your tribe. Men from the government have spoken to your father about having fewer, but healthier, cattle. Your father tells the men to leave him alone; he is not interested in their modern ways. You herd the cattle for hours but the grasslands do not have a water source so you must herd the cattle back to the village. You remember that only a few years ago there were enough grasslands near the village and seasonal rains kept rivers supplied with water. You did not spend as many hours seeking food for your animals. Geography of Africa 26

A Day in Sudan The areas around the well are trodden and dry from so many cattle grazing on grass that is nourished by the well water. Only a few small dried clumps remain. Three days ago, you overheard your mother complaining about the diseases that have stricken villages. The visiting nurse from the government told your mother that it is unsafe to have the cattle drinking from the village s only water supply. Your mother and sister return from wood gathering shortly after you return from herding. Your mother prepares the evening meal, maize meal mixed with spinach and coconut milk. While she prepares the meal, the rest of the family works in the family garden plot. The drought and swarms of grasshoppers have reduced the size of this year s crops, a sign that you will go to bed hungry on many nights. After supper you sit and listen to the folktales your father remembers his father telling him. You don t stay up late, though. Tomorrow, the wood gathering and cattle herding start again Geography of Africa 27

Desertification Action Plan Cause Plan of Action Who will be involved? Geography of Africa 28

Desertification LAND USE IN DESERT AND NEAR-DESERT REGIONS How does land use lead to desertification? Would changing current land use help stop the spread of the desert? RECLAMATION PROJECTS IN VARIOUS COUNTRIES What can we do to reclaim the desert? What has succeeded in the past? NATIVE PLANTS THAT DELAY OR HELP RECLAIM DESERT LAND What trees and plants have held back the desert? What will grow in our climate? CLIMATE PATTERNS How does climate relate to the spread of the desert? How is climate affected by land use? IRRIGATION How has irrigation been used to reclaim the desert for agriculture? Can we apply the same methods? HISTORY OF THE DESERT Was it always a desert? How did it spread? What can we learn from that? NEARBY NATIONS NOT, OR NOT YET, IN THE DESERT REGION How are they different? Could they, too, be overtaken by the desert? Why or why not? Geography of Africa 29