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Background on Africa. What do you think of when you think Africa?. Did you know. Africa is a continent not a country. There are over between 46 and 54 countries on the continent (we have 3) There are over a 1000 languages spoken in Africa. Diversity of Africa Geography.
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Did you know • Africa is a continent not a country. • There are over between 46 and 54 countries on the continent (we have 3) • There are over a 1000 languages spoken in Africa.
Africa is the second largest continent in the world. It has 55 countries (different sources have different numbers – which tells us what?)and is 30.4 million sq. km. Africa is three times as large as Canada. It has the world’s largest desert – the Sahara and the world’s longest river the Nile. Africa has over 900 million people (the population is impossible to calculate – guess why) and most African societies are multicultural.
Geography Africa covers about one-fifth of the total land surface of the Earth. The continent is bounded on the west by the Atlantic Ocean, on the north by the Mediterranean Sea, on the east by the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean, and on the south by the mingling waters of the Atlantic and Indian oceans. The continent's highest point is Mt. Kilimanjaro, in Tanzania, 5,895m, while the lowest point is Lac' Assal in the small country of Djibouti, 156m below sea level.
Geographic Diversity Africa has a diverse geography with four types of land found on the continent: tropical rainforests, savannas, deserts and highlands.
Tropical Rainforests • Most of the tropical rainforests of Africa exist in the Congo (Zaire) River Basin.
Savanna • A savanna is a rolling grassland scattered with shrubs and isolated trees, which can be found between a tropical rainforest and desert. Not enough rain falls on a savanna to support forests. Savannas are also known as tropical grasslands.
Deserts The two main deserts in Africa are the Sahara and the Kalahari.
SAHARA DESERT Covering almost one-third of the continent, the Sahara is the largest desert in the world at approximately 9,065,000 sq. km in total size.
Highlands • The highlands are characterized by their elevation of more than 5000 feet. They are located in the east, central, and southern Africa.
GREAT RIFT VALLEY A dramatic depression on the earth's surface, approximately 6,400 km in length, extends from the Red Sea area near Jordan in the Middle East, south to the African country of Mozambique. It is a series of geological faults caused by huge volcanic eruptions centuries back, that created the Ethiopian Highlands, and a series of cliffs, mountain ridges, rugged valleys and very deep lakes along it's entire length. Many of Africa's highest mountains front the Rift Valley, including Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya.
ATLAS MOUNTAINS This mountain system runs from southwestern Morocco along the Mediterranean coastline to the eastern edge of Tunisia. Several smaller ranges are included, namely the High Atlas, Middle Atlas and Maritime Atlas. The highest peak is Mt. Toubkal in western Morocco at 13,671 ft. (4,167m).
Questionsfull sentence for # 1 and a list for #2- please • How can a diverse geography enrich the lives of people on a continent, country or region? • What advantages and disadvantages would be found in each of these 4 geographic regions in Africa: • Tropical rainforest • Savannas • Deserts • Highlands (habitats / plants / animals / trade/ etc)
Textbook • Read pages 4-24 • Complete questions and activities on • page 20 - #1 • Page 25 1-6,8 • 8 Hot Seat Answer in full sentences unless otherwise noted.
