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West Africa

West Africa. Nigeria . Nigeria is one of the largest nations in Africa, it covers 351,650 square miles. It is more than 2x the size of California. It has a long coastline on the Gulf of Guinea. Along Nigeria’s coast there are many rivers, creeks and mangrove swamps.

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West Africa

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  1. West Africa

  2. Nigeria

  3. Nigeria is one of the largest nations in Africa, it covers 351,650 square miles. • It is more than 2x the size of California. • It has a long coastline on the Gulf of Guinea.

  4. Along Nigeria’s coast there are many rivers, creeks and mangrove swamps. • A mangrove is a tropical tree with roots extending above and beneath the water. • Please draw a mangrove in the margin of your notes.

  5. In the north the land is a vast tropical rainforest.

  6. Nigeria Farther north there are partly dry grasslands and it is on the edge of the vast Sahara desert.

  7. Nigeria Central Nigeria has woodlands, savannas, highlands, and plateaus. Savanna— tropical grasslands with scattered trees. Nigeria’s main climate regions are tropical and steppe.

  8. Nigeria • Nigeria’s economy is based on farming and mining. • One of the world’s major oil producing countries and is one of the few industrial countries in Africa. • Ethnic conflict and political uncertainty have kept Nigeria from benefiting from its rich natural resources. • Picture-Lagos, former capital of Nigeria.

  9. Nigeria • Nigeria’s major crops include peanuts, cotton, rubber, palm products, and cacao for making chocolate.

  10. Nigeria Nigeria’s people belong to 250 ethnic groups, the four largest are Yoruba, Hausa, Fulani, Ibo. (Yawr uh buh) (HOW suh) (FOO lah nee) (EE boh) Picture 1--Yoruba—helmet Picture 2—Hausa hat Picture 3—Fulani house and people Picture 4—Ibo drums

  11. Sahel Countries • Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Chad, Burkina Faso are in the Sahel. • Sahel means border in Arabic. • The growing desert– The Sahel receives little rainfall. • The Sahel is currently experiencing a drought that started in the 1980s.

  12. Sahel • Most people live in the southern areas of the Sahel countries—Why? • Rivers flow there/land can be farmed and grazed • Most people of the Sahel live in towns and villages • They raise only enough food for their own use. • The people of the Sahel practice a mix of African, Arab, and European traditions.

  13. Sahel Countries • The 11 coastal countries of the Sahel are Senegal, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Cote D’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, and Benin.

  14. Sahel Countries • In these countries rainforests have been cleared for palm, coffee, cacao, and rubber plantations. • This has led to deforestation— cutting down of forests without replanting new trees.

  15. Sahel Countries • Economy—most people on the coast are farmers. • The people—in early times, powerful kingdoms such as the Ashanti and Benin ruled the nations. • From the late 1400s to the early 1800s, Europeans set up trading posts along the West African coast. • In 1957, Ghana became the first country in West Africa to become Independent.

  16. Sahel Countries • The cities of coastal West Africa are modern and growing. • In rural areas people live in small villages. Many homes have mud walls and straw or metal roofs. Cotonou, Benin

  17. Sahel Countries • Recent Civil Wars have cost many lives and destroyed economies in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Cote D’Ivoire. • Other countries such as Ghana, Senegal, and Benin, have stable democracies and generally prosperous economies.

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