west africa

West Africa Landfall and The Four Climates.

• Sahara – Northern part.

• Sahel – Dry grassland. Little rain. Over grazing by animals. Cutting down trees. Wind blow away fertile soil. Sahara expands southward.

• Savanna – South. Good farming. Tsetes fly.

• Coast and forest –plentiful rain. Rain forest.

Niger River.

2,600 miles long.

Ends, Gulf of Guinea.

Forms inland delta in

Sahel.

Half of Nigeria's

coastline delta.

West Africa’s Resources.

Gold.

Iron.

Diamonds.

Oil. (95% of

Nigeria’s export.)

History W. Africa. Slave Trade.

• 1400’s Portuguese trade

for gold in the Gold

Coast.

• 1600’s demand for labor

in Americas – slavery.

• 1800’s European

countries control W.

Africa.

• After W.W.II countries

begin to fight for freedom.

Challenges in W Africa for new nations.

Borders.

Education to run government.

Dictators, civil wars, military rule.

High birthrate. Small amount of fertile land.

Sahel Countries. Mauritania

100% Muslim.

Speak Arabic.

Expanding Sahara has forced many into cities.

People very poor.

Sahel Countries. Mali and Niger

Landlocked.

80% fish or farm along the river.

Cotton main export.

Malaria – kills children.

Niger – 3% of land can be farmed.

Expanding Sahara.

Sahel Countries. Chad and Burkina Faso

World’s poorest.

Lake Chad shrinking.

Now 1/3 size.

Civil War.

Burkina Faso – Has

nothing.

The Coastal Countries.

Nigeria – largest. 113

million. (Africa’s

largest.)

Oil off coast. 95%

export.

High birth rate.

Bad government.

Senegal and Gambia.

• Senegal – (French.)

• Gambia – (British.)

• Odd boarder.

• Dakar – capital.

• Important seaport

and manufacturing

center.

• Important crop.

Peanuts

Liberia.

Monrovia. (President Monroe.

Freed American slaves sent there. Clash with Africans living there.

1980’s civil war. Economy still wrecked.

Rubber and iron.

Sierra Leone – Civil war.

Sierra Leone exports Diamonds.