The Shape of the Land A Vast Continent What does “vast” mean? How big is Africa?

The Shape of the Land

A Vast Continent

What does “vast” mean?

How big is Africa?

Location: Straddles the equator (almost cutting it in half) making much of it in the tropics; two major oceans; center of trade (changed due to Suez Canal)

Regions: book says north, west, east, central and south:

• North Africa – most closely associated

with Middle East

• Sub-Sahara – south of the Sahara,

HIV/AIDS a huge problem

• West Africa

Landforms

Plateaus: most of the continent is a series of these; 367 ft vs. 7,000 ft (p. 62)

• escarpments (steep cliffs) formed by rivers cutting through;  

Great Rift Valley: giant fault in eastern part of the continent p. 61

Rivers

Hydroelectric Power – energy created by moving water; important resource

The Nile: 4,000 miles making it longest in the world; earliest civilizations; Aswan Dam created Lake Nasser to help with flood issues and power.• •Other Key Rivers: Congo, Niger, Zambezi

Natural Resources

• Mineral Exports: diamonds –where?, copper, oil in the Sahara, etc.

• Uneven Distribution: some have much, some have little

AFRICA!AFRICA!

Equator – connect the lines

Atlas Mountains

Drakensberg Mountainsduring our Winter

Drakensberg Mountains Winter (which is our Summer )

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2

Mt. Kenya

Mt.Kilimanjaro

34

The Great Rift Valley

5

Nile River Egypt

Nile River in Uganda

Lake Nasser

Niger River

Zambezi River

Zambezi at Victoria Falls

Congo River

8

6

10

9

Lake Chad

2007 Lake Chad “shows slight recovery”

Lake Victoria

Lake Tanganyika

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Sahara Desert

Kalahari Desert

Namib Desert

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1516

Suez CanalSuez Canal

SUEZ CanalSUEZ Canal