Geography of Africa

Size & Location

• Africa is 3 times the size of the continental United States• Centrally located on the

Earth’s surface

• Surrounded by 4 major bodies of water–West - Atlantic Ocean–East - Indian Ocean–North - Mediterranean Sea–Northeast - Red Sea

• Most of the area is located on a high plateau

Regions

• North Africa – includes lands from Morocco to Egypt– Large area of cultural diffusion– Sahara Desert served as a major trade route

• West Africa – from the Atlantic to Nigeria– Center of the slave trade and gold

• Central Africa – Congo Basin–Home of the tropical

rainforest• East Africa – Great Rift Valley

to Indian Ocean–Trade with the middle

east and India• South Africa – area below

the Congo region

Climate Zones

Tropical wet

• Rainforest region• Occupies 8 % of Africa

around the equator• Many disease carrying

insects• Contains tsetse fly- makes ability to raise livestock impossible

Tropical wet and dry

• Known as the savannah region

• Occupied 45-50 % of Africa

• Area where most people live

• Unpredictable rainfall• Desertification

occurring in Sahel region

Deserts

• Makes up 40 % of Africa

• Sahara Deserts: largest desert in the world

• Other deserts: Kalahari and Namib

Mediterranean

• Hot, dry summers, cool moist winters• Found in

northern and southern tip

Impact of geography

• although many of Africa’s people have

lived on and migrated across the region, it

discouraged Europeans from

sailing and exploring it

• Europeans referred to this

land as the “Dark

Continent”