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Geography of Africa

Geography of Africa. The “Plateau Continent”. Huge plateau covers most of Africa except Somalia and Mozambique Within the plateau are many basins (depressions) that are as much as 5000 feet deep. Rivers. World’s longest river, Nile River , most people in Egypt live and depend upon the Nile

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Geography of Africa

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  1. Geography of Africa

  2. The “Plateau Continent” • Huge plateau covers most of Africa except Somalia and Mozambique • Within the plateau are many basins (depressions) that are as much as 5000 feet deep

  3. Rivers • World’s longest river, Nile River, most people in Egypt live and depend upon the Nile • Many of the rivers contain waterfalls, rapids, and cataracts which make them difficult to use for transportation

  4. Most distinctive landforms • Rift Valleys: cracks formed by continental drift which formed long, thin valleys • Lakes form at the bottoms of some rift valleys: world’s longest freshwater lake – Lake Tanganyika, Africa’s largest lake – Lake Victoria

  5. Resources • Africa is rich in gold, platinum, chromium (stainless steel), cobalt (steel for aircraft), diamonds, oil • However, 19th and 20th centuries European countries exported many African resources to manufacture goods in Europe • Result: many African countries have been slow to develop infrastructure and industries to develop these resources

  6. Oil • Libya, Nigeria, Algeria among world’s leading petroleum producers • U.S. pays Angola for drilling rights; however, Angola’s government spends the money to fund civil wars resulting from ethnic divisions created by colonialism rather than investing in education, hospitals, and infrastructure

  7. Commodities • After oil, coffee is most profitable commodity in Africa • Cote d’Ivoire is world’s largest exporter of cocoa beans • Agriculture is Africa’s single most important economic activity

  8. HEI: Desertification of the Sahel “shore of the desert” Causes: • Overgrazing • Animals trample soil causing erosion • Farming • Drilling for irrigation • Increased population • Burning more wood for fuel

  9. Desertification Effects: • Large forests disappear • Destroys tropical rainforests

  10. HEI: Environmental Damage to Nigeria Causes: • Drilling for oil (accounts for 80% of their income) Effects: • Debt to other nations (U.S.-borrowed against future sale of oil) • Country is poor (oil prices fell, corruption) • Oil spills, fire, acid rain • (Intentional) explosions result in deaths (drain oil to resell illegally)

  11. HEI: Aswan High Dam Causes: • Control floods of the Nile Effects: • (Pos.) Lake Nasser created – artificial lake • Fresh supply of water to farmers • Two or three harvests instead of one for farmers • Farmable land increased by 50%

  12. Aswan High Dam Effects: • (Neg.) Relocation of people during its construction • Relocation of temples and treasures or loss of • Decreased fertility of soil (silt - sediment) • Salt decreases fertility of soil (is no longer flushed from water) • Increased diseases (malaria – from still water) • Evaporation of Lake Nasser

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