Africa is the

second largest

continentThere are 47 countries in

Africa and six island

nations

Atlantic Ocean

Indian Ocean

Mediterranean SeaRed Sea

Africa has 4 subregions

North Africa

East AfricaWest Africa

Central and South Africa

The Sahara Desert, located in North Africa is the world’s largest desert.

The Nile River, the longest river in the world, runs through the Sahara and empties into the Mediterranean Sea.

The Atlas Mountains stretch across the northwestern part of Africa. They are part of the Alps mountain system in Europe.

Sahara Desert

Atlas Mountains

PHYSICAL FEATURES OF NORTH AFRICA

The Sahel Desert, located south of the Sahara is in West Africa. It is mostly dry grassland.

The Niger River runs through the western Sahel. This is the third longest river in Africa.

Lake Chad is also in the Sahel. This lake shrinks and grows depending on the season.

PHYSICAL FEATURES OF WEST AFRICA

Sahel Desert

Lake Tanganyika is the longest freshwater lake in the world.

Lake Victoria is the second largest freshwater lake in the world.

Lake Malawi is the ninth largest .

PHYSICAL FEATURES OF EAST AFRICA

Mount Kilimanjaro Highest point in AfricaAt 19,340 feet

Congo Basin, a low-lying area.

Congo River empties into the Atlantic Ocean.

Zambezi River has many waterfalls.

Victoria Falls largest waterfall located n Zambezi River.

Namib and Kalahari Deserts located in the south.

PHYSICAL FEATURES OF CENTRAL and SOUTH AFRICA

Congo Basin

Nam

ib D

esert Kalahari

The equator runs through the middle of Africa.

As a result, the climate in most of Africa is warm all year.

However, some regions are very wet and others are very dry.

Climate

Most of North Africa is very dry. Some places in the Sahara can go for 6 or 7 years without rain.

Near the Mediterranean Sea is one can enjoy a Mediterranean climate which is warm all year with dry summers and short rainy winters.

Sahara Desert

Mediterranean Sea

CLIMATE OF NORTH AFRICA

CLIMATE OF WEST AFRICA

Sahel Desert

The climate of West Africavaries widely from north toSouth. Climate ranges fromarid, semiarid to tropical wetand dry. As one gets closerTo the equator it is tropical wet.

Some coastal areas can get an average of more than 120 inchesof rain a year.

AridSemiarid

Tropical wet and dryTropical wet

Parts of East Africa that lie close to the Sahara have an arid or semiarid climate.

The Ethiopian Highlands and Mount Kilimanjaro have highlands climate, cooler and wetter than the low lands.

CLIMATE OF EAST AFRICA

Arid

Semiarid

Hig

hla

nds

In this large subregion, the land nearest the equator has a tropical wet climate. Farther south, the climate shifts to tropical wet and dry, and finally to arid or semiarid.

In the southern most areas, the climate can be marine west coast and humid subtropical.

Madagascar has three climate zones, tropical wet, tropical wet and dry, and semiarid.

CLIMATE OF CENTRAL and SOUTH AFRICA

variety of climates

Tropical Grasslands covers 2/3 of Africa

Desert Scrub covers most of North Africa

Chaparral can be found in the Mediterranean Climate.

Broadleaf Evergreen can be found in West Africa. This rainforest has trees over 100 feet tall.

VEGETATION ZONES OF AFRICA

Tropical grasslands

Desert scrub

Broadleaf Evergreen

Chaparral

Africa is home to 53 countries.

47 countries and 6 island nations.

Sudan is the largest.

Seychelles is the smallest country located north of Madagascar. It is an island

Sudan

Seychelles

Africans speak at least 2,000 languages.

Scientists have found the bones of human-like species who lived in Africa millions of years ago.

Why do scientist call Africa the birth place of the human race?

Early African Americans were hunter and gathers.

By 5,000 B.C.E Africans were raising animals and growing crops.

The Nile River was home to Egyptians for more than 2,000 years.

From 300C.E-1600C.E West Africa had 3 kingdoms in power. During this time wealth came from trading salt and copper from the mines.

History of Africa

1450-1850 African people were traded as slaves to Europe. This was called the “Atlantic slave trade”.

1700-1800’s Europeans set up colonies in Africa. By 914, European countries divided up most of

Africa. 1957, Ghana became the first black African

colony to gain independence. In 2002, most African countries joined the

African Union which promotes peace an human rights.

History continued……..

In 2005, 906 million people lived in Africa.

This is 1/7 of the world’s population.

Only Asia has more people.

Most live in rural areas.

Mining is an important economic activity.

Oil, diamond and gold are major natural resources.

Nomadic herding, subsistence farming, commercial farming and trade and manufacturing are major land uses.

The Nile River: A Journey from Source to Mouth

Life in the Sahara and Sahel: Adapting to a Desert Region

Micro-Entrepreneurs: Women’s Role in the Development of Africa

Nigeria: A Country of Many Cultures

Resources and Power in Post-apartheid South Africa

Africa