africa geography 2 nd largest continent (behind asia) 3 times larger than the united states contains...
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AFRICA
GEOGRAPHY
• 2nd largest continent (behind Asia)
• 3 times larger than the United States
• Contains a plethora of geographic features & wildlife
• population = 1,030,500,000 (2012 estimate); about 14% of the world’s population
5 GEOGRAPHICAL REGIONS
NORTH AFRICA
• Features: Thin coastal plain & inland desert (Sahara)
• Location: Borders the Mediterranean Sea
• Coastal N.A. – mild temperature and frequent rainfall
REGIONS cont.
EAST AFRICA
• Sahel – great plateau w/ moderate rainfall and large savannas (treeless plains)
• Savannas south of the Sahara constitute about 40% of Africa’s land
• Great Rift Valley – 40 m. wide; 2,000 ft. deep; 3,000 m. long (Red Sea to S. Africa)
• Mts. – Kenya and Kilimanjaro
REGIONS cont.
WEST AFRICA
• narrow coastal plain
• Rivers – Niger and Zaire (Congo)
• Few natural harbors and limited river travel isolated early civilizations in this area (made conquest by foreigners difficult as well)
REGIONS cont.
CENTRAL AFRICA
• Tropical forests so thick sunlight does not reach the floor
• Climate is hot & humid but turns into desert in the south/central Africa
REGIONS cont.
SOUTH AFRICA
• Far south has cool, fertile highlands
Deserts
• Sahara and the Kalahari make up about 1/3 of Africa’s land• Sahara mostly wasteland of rocks and pebbles• About 90 inhabited oases in Sahara
Dry Grasslands
• Semiarid climate: less than 20 inches of rainfall per year• Nomads live here with herds• Suitable for grazing, but not for farming
RIFT VALLEYS
• Earth’s crust pulls apart
• Block of crust sinks
GREAT RIFT VALLEY
• 4,000 miles long
• The Great Rift Valley is rich in minerals and metals
• Good soil for farming
• Largest lakes in Africa are along the Great Rift Valley
GRV
HIGHLANDS
• The most fertile land in Africa• Found mostly in the southern region
TROPICAL FORESTS
• Constant Rainfall
• Heavy vegetation
• Mostly in the central regions, along the equator
Savanna
• Grassy plains that cover 2/5 of the continent• Difficult for farming, but has always supported the most life
AFRICA’S
MAJOR LAND - FORMS
SAHARA• Largest desert in the
world (N. Africa)
• 3”- 5” of rain or less per year (some areas go years without rain)
• Temperatures get as high as 130 and as low as freezing
NILE RIVER
• Northeast Africa
• Longest river in the world (about 4,000 miles long)
• Source - Lake Victoria
• Mouth – Mediterranean Sea
LAKE VICTORIA
• Largest African lake
• Source of the Nile River
• Many isles and prehistoric remains
MT. KILIMANJARO
• Highest African mountain (19,340 ft)
• Located in Tanzania
SERENGETI NAT’L PARK
EMERGING CIVILIZATIONS
KUSH1. When
2. Where
3. Source of power/wealth
4. Religion
5. Downfall
AXUM1. When
2. Where
3. Source of power/wealth
4. Religion
5.Downfall
EMERGING CIVILIZATIONS
KUSHWhen – emerge around 1000 b.c.
and conquered Egypt in 750 b.c.Where – EgyptSource of power/wealth – tradeCharacteristics - wealthy, urban,
lot of tradeDownfall – taken over by Axum in
the A.D. 300s
AXUMWhen – take over the Kush in the
A.D. 300sWhere – modern day EthiopiaSource of power/wealth – tradeCharacteristics – wealthy, lot of
trade, ChristianDownfall – overtaken by Muslims
by about the 15th century
AFRICAN SOCIETY AND CULTURE
TOWNS• Began as fortified villages
and grew into larger communities
• Centers of gov’t and trade
• Home to skilled artisans and diverse markets
• Most of what we know comes from descriptions of travelers
KINGS AND SUBJECTS
• Gulf was not as great between ruler and ruled as in other areas (ruler would hold audiences)
• King was held in high regard
• Both sides tried to benefit (relationship with merchants)
FAMILY AND LINEAGE• Basic structure of society was the
extended family (parents, children, grandparents…)
• Extended families were combined into larger communities known as lineage groups
• Members of a LG could claim to be descendants of a real or legendary common ancestor
ROLE OF WOMEN
• Usually subordinate to men
• Some valued for work they could do or children they could produce
• Often worked in fields (some merchants)
• Many societies are matrilineal – lineage is passed on through the mother, not the father
COMMUNITY AND EDUCATION
• Different villages had different methods of raising and educating children
• Congo – boys and girls were raised by mom until age 6. Learned language, family history, songs…
• After that they were separated, girls to the “house of women” and boys to the “house of men”
GIRLS
Taking care of the home
Working in the fields
How to be a good mother
How to be a good wife
BOYSHUNTING
fishing
Growing plants
Clearing fields for planting
SLAVERY• Europeans started using African
slaves on a large scale basis around 1500
• Slavery in Africa had actually been practiced for centuries before the Europeans arrived
• Berber groups in NA captured slaves from sub-Saharan Africa and sold them throughout the Mediterranean world
SLAVERY cont.• Slaves included:• Prisoners of war• Debtors• Criminals
• They were not necessarily seen as inferior (major difference between slavery in the colonies)
• Some were respected for their skills and could win their freedom
ROLES OF SLAVES
working the land
soldiers
servants
TRIANGULAR SLAVE TRADE