1 / 37

Physical Geography of Africa

Explore the diverse landforms, rich resources, and the complex relationship between humans and the environment in Africa. Discover the plateau continent, rift valleys, mount Kilimanjaro, and valuable resources such as gold, coffee, and oil.

jessicad
Download Presentation

Physical Geography of Africa

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Physical Geography of Africa Chapter 18- The Plateau Continent

  2. Section 1: Landforms & Resources • Plateau- land area with a flat surface considerably higher than the surrounding area • Plateaus are Africa’s most prominent physical features • Basin- depressions in the land in a plateau, usually has rivers or lakes in this area

  3. Section 1: Landforms & Resources • Nile River- world’s longest river • covering more than 4,000 miles • Africa’s rivers- many are not useful for transportation because they have too many waterfalls, & rapids • What does this mean for the economy? Makes it difficult to transport goods

  4. Section 1: Landforms & Resources • Rift Valleys-long valleys formed by cracks between continental plates. • Large lakes & rivers have formed in these areas • Lake Tanganyika is the longest freshwater lake in the world located within the rift valley

  5. Section 1: Landforms & Resources • Mount Kilimanjaro- Africa’s highest mountain (volcano) • Escarpment- steep slope with a nearly flat plateau on top • Marks the edge of the continent in the South.

  6. Section 1: Landforms & Resources • Resources- Africa is very rich in natural resources, but has had trouble developing the industries. • Blood Diamonds • Colonialism • Due to European colonial rule, African nations have been slow to develop the infrastructure & industries to turn the resources into valuable products

  7. Section 1: Landforms & Resources • Africa has large quantities of gold, platinum, chromium (used for stainless steel), cobalt, copper, phosphates, diamonds, & other minerals • Libya, Nigeria, Algeria & Angola have oil reserves (use money to fund civil wars)

  8. Diversity of Resources • What are the two profitable commodities besides oil? Coffee and lumber • Coffee is the most profitable commodity in Africa • They grow 20% of the world’s supply • Other major commodities include sugar, palm oil, & cocoa (world’s largest exporter) How do most Africans earn their living? 66% of Africans earn their living from farming • Most important economic activity in Africa

  9. Create a two-column chart Resources (10) Uses Ex. Gold money, jewelry, decoration

  10. Section 2: Climate & Vegetation • Sahara- largest desert in the world. Means desert in Arabic • Over 122°F during day & below freezing at night in the winter • Aquifers- huge stores of underground water. • 6,000 feet below the Sahara

  11. Section 2: Climate & Vegetation • Oasis- water that reaches the surface from an aquifer in the desert

  12. Section 2: Climate & Vegetation • Natural Vegetation of Africa

  13. Section 2: Climate & Vegetation • Serengeti Plain- tropical grassland • Ideal for grazing animals

  14. Section 2: Climate & Vegetation • Canopy- uppermost layer of branches (about 150 ft. above ground), in the rainforest. • Many species of plants & animals.

  15. Section 3: Human-Environment Interaction • Sahel- narrow band of dry grassland on the southern edge of the Sahara.

  16. Section 3: Human-Environment Interaction • Desertification- expansion of dry conditions into moist areas that are next to deserts. • Major problem for the Sahel region

  17. Section 3: Human-Environment Interaction • Aswan High Dam- • Controls the Nile River • Lake Nasser was created behind it • Finished in 1970 • Benefits • Fewer floods • More farmable land

  18. Section 3: Human-Environment Interaction • Problems • More standing water • Evaporation • Malaria • More Salt • Less Silt

  19. Section 3: Human-Environment Interaction • Silt- very fertile sediment, that is deposited on the soil after floods

More Related