AFRICAN PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY

1. AFRICAN PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY

2. The Nile River • Longest River in the World • White Nile and Blue Nile meet in Sudan to form the Nile River • Flows northward, emptying in the Mediterranean Sea • Without the annual flooding in Egypt land would not be arable

3. THE NILE RIVER The Nile Lower Nile Upper Nile

4. SUEZ CANAL • Located in Egypt • Divides the mainland Egypt from the Sinai Peninsula • Connects the Mediterranean Sea with Red Sea • One third the distance that it was before

5. SUEZ CANAL

6. SAHARA DESERT • Sahara Desert is the largest desert in the world • Why 1. On the Tropic of Cancer 2. Permanent high pressure system 3. Rain Shadow by Atlas Mountains

7. SAHARA DESERT • There are two main types of landscape in the Sahara • Erg – sand dunes • Reg – gravel covered plain

8. SAHEL • Semi-arid region just south of the Sahara • Dry grasslands with scattered trees • Desertification is a growing problem • Growing of the desert caused by climate changes and over grazing

9. SAVANNAS • Tropical grasslands with scattered trees and shrubs • This is where many of the African Safaris take place • Large populations of wildlife • Serengeti – means “endless plains” • Largest mammal migration and game reserve

11. Tsetse Fly The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly • Bad – Carries a disease the make its victims (humans and domesticated animal) have “Sleeping Sickness” • Good – Wildlife are immune. Humans and livestock avoid some of these areas creating a natural game preserve

12. CONGO RIVER BASIN • Located near the equator in central and western Africa • This is where the majority of Africa’s tropical rain forests are located

13. The Great Rift Valley • Located in Eastern Africa • Largest Rift Valley in the world • Caused by the diverging Indian Tectonic Plate • Surrounding lakes and rivers are very deep

14. Mount Kilimanjaro: • Africa’s highest mountain at 19,341 feet • Located on the Equator in Tanzania near Kenya • Formed by volcanic activity from the Great Rift Valley • Only year round snow capped mountain in Africa • Known in Swahili as “Shining Mountain”

15. Lake Victoria • Located in the middle of the Great Rift Valley of Eastern Africa • It is a shallow depression • Largest lake in Africa

16. Victoria Falls • Forms a border between Zambia and Zimbabwe • Largest waterfall in the world

17. Okavango Swamp/River • Worlds largest inland river delta • River is absorbed by the Kalahari Desert • Large game reserve in the desert

18. Kalahari Desert • Largest Desert in southern Africa • Has many oasis which makes it habitable • Oasis – vegetated areas in a desert caused by fresh water springs

19. CAPE OF GOOD HOPE • Southern mot point of Africa • Converging currents from the Indian and Atlantic Oceans make waters dangerous for sailing but great wildlife Only Place in the world Great Whites breach South African Penguins

20. Africa Physical Geography • Mediterranean Sea • Strait of Gibraltar • Suez Canal • Red Sea • Gulf of Aden • Indian Ocean • Atlantic Ocean • Congo River • Nile River • Lake Victoria • Atlas Mountains • Ahaggar Mountains • Mount Kilimanjaro • Sahara Desert • Sahel • Great Rift Valley • Victoria Falls • Okavango River • Kalahari Desert • Cape of Good Hope