Natural and Physical Features of Africa

Mr. Broughman

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

In order to promote conservation of natural resources and to protect wildlife, much of Africa is accessible to the public through national parks and nature preserves.

Most of Africa located south of the equator is located on a plateau, including the Katanga Plateau in the DRC, Angola, and Zambia.

• Stretching from Eritrea to Mozambique is the Great Rift Valley. Several steep cliffs called escarpments can be found along this line.

• South Africa and along the coast of Namibia also have these steep escarpments.

The Skeleton Coast

Many of Africa’s largest rivers like the Nile River and Zambezi River do not allow for easy travel/shipping in certain sections because of waterfalls and rapids

Due to the Intertropical Convergence Zone (or ITCZ), climates in Africa are symmetrical, meaning they are almost identical north and south of the equator.

• Aside from a few major port cities, most of Africa has a smooth coastline, which makes it unsuitable for having ports and harbors.

• Deforestation, especially in the Central African rainforest, is a major problem. While slash-and-burn agriculture and farming are popular in these places, the topsoil eventually erodes away and the ground is less fertile.