The African Continent

1. The African Continent

2. The African Continent • Africa is the second largest continent • a fifth of the earth's landmass • divided into 56 different countries • the equator cuts the continent's into two nearly equal halves • generally divided into two regions with reference to the Sahara (the world's largest desert) • north of the Sahara • sub-Saharan region

3. The African Continent • landmass largely consists of plateau land • plateau can be divided into two regions • southeastern portion includes the Ethiopian Plateau, the East African Plateau and the Drakensberg Range. • northeastern portion contains the Sahara Desert with the Ahaggar Mountains, and in northwestern Africa, the Atlas Mountains • Several basins (bowl shaped areas) within the plateaus

4. The African Continent • there are several mountain ranges in Africa • the Atlas Mountains in the northwest • Mt. Kilimanjaro is the most well known • presence of many rivers • the Nile – Africa AND the world’s longest • Congo River • The Niger River • The Zambezi River • many large lakes • Lake Victoria • Lake Tanganyika • Lake Malawi • Lake Chad

5. The African Continent • The Ituri Forest • a dense tropical rain forest in the northern part of the Congo River Basin in the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire) • A desert • The Sahara Desert – Africa’s AND the largest desert in the world • Kalahri Desert • Namib Desert • The Great Rift Valley • runs from the north to the south of the continent • 4,000 mile long trench

6. The African Climate • Alternating wet and dry season • Rain is distributed unevenly • From less than an inch to more than 80 inches • Northern and Southern Hemispheres almost symmetrical • general climatic regions • Tropical • Tropical Wet • Tropical Wet and Dry • Dry • Desert • Semiarid • Mid Latitude • Mediterranean • Marine west coast • Humid Subtropical • Highland

7. The Africa Climate • Largest climate zone = Tropical Wet and Dry • Savanna (grassland) covers almost half the continent’ • Home to most Africans • Rain is unpredictable • Heavy or light • Early or late • Or not at all = drought • Desertification is a serious problem • Turning semiarid lands into desert • Caused by droughts, over grazing and people moving onto the land Dead vegetation in drought-stricken area, Senegal.

8. The African Vegetation Regions • Rain forest • Grassland • Desert and dry shrub • Temperate grass.land • Mediterranean shrub

9. Desertification The Tanout, Niger area, situated just south of the Sahara desert

10. The African People • 12% of the world's population • Is large and growing rapidly • Second largest and fastest growing in the world • More than 1,500 different languages/cultural groups • In the North (close cultures ties to the Middle East) • mostly Arabs • In the South (Sub-Sahara) • Amhara, Mossi, Fulani, Yoruba, Igbo, Kongo Zulu, Akan, Oromo, Hausa, and the Masai • Europeans – due to colonization • Africa is sparsely populated in parts • Africa has some of the most densely populated places on Earth • Egypt along the Nile River (95% of Egypt’s pop.) • principal cities of Africa are usually the national capitals and the major ports

12. The African Economy • Farming • Subsistence farming (60%) vs cash crop • Herding • Cattle on the savannas (grassland) • fishing • Hunting and gathering • Very few remain today • Mining • Gold and diamonds • Urban (cities) • Along the coast, capital • Growing quickly • Move for a better life • Slums Himba, nomadic pastoralists, girl herding goats, Namibia

13. Agriculture and herding in Africa

14. Africa’s Resources • Oil is most valuable • Algeria, Kenya, Libya, Egypt, Angola, Nigeria • Diamonds • 40% of the world’s • Gold • 50% of the world’s gold • Rich in resources

15. Pictures of Africa

16. The NileThe world’s longest river

17. The Sahara

18. Camel Caravan crossing the Sahara

19. Atlas MountainNorthwest

20. Ethiopian Plateau

21. Great Rift Valley

22. Mount Kilimanjaro

23. Lake Victoria

24. Serengeti

25. Flamingoes in Ngorogoro Crater part of the Serengeti National Park

26. The Masai

27. Big Five

28. Congo River

29. The Niger River

30. The Zambezi RiverLake Kariba

31. Victoria Falls

32. Drakensberg MountainsSoutheast

33. Ituri Forestnorthern part of the Congo River Basin

34. Kalahari Desert

35. Kalahari Desert

36. Kalahari DesertA black-maned lion

37. Okavango Delta an oasis in the Kalahari Desert

38. The Grand Canyon of South AfricaLocated in Augrabies Falls National Park

39. Augrabies Falls

40. The Great Escarpment in South Africa

41. Africa 54 countries. Over 1000 languages. 797 million people.