AFRICA Introduction and Geography. 1. AFRICA FACTS World’s 2 nd largest continent About 11.7 million square miles in size US fits into Africa three.

AFRICAIntroduction and Geography

1. AFRICA FACTS

World’s 2nd largest continent About 11.7 million square miles in size

US fits into Africa three times with extra room

Population: About 891 million people (US is about 291 million)

Equator runs right through the middle of the continent

Rainforests cover 10% of the land Longest River: Nile River (4,160 miles) Largest Desert: Sahara (3.5 square miles)

2. AFRICA FUN FACTS Over 2,000 languages are spoken in Africa Due to rapid population, more than half of the population is

under the age of 25 in many African states Copper and iron have been mined in Zambia for over 2,000

years Uganda is home to 11% of the world’s bird population Zambia is home to Victoria Falls (one of the Seven Natural

Wonders and the largest waterfall in the world) The Republic of Sudan has 223 of its own pyramids (twice the

number of Egypt) Coffee was first discovered by goat herders in Ethiopia in the

9th century Literacy rate in Zimbabwe is 92%

3. AFRICA’S GEOGRAPHY 1906: Hans Vischer explored

what he called the “Death Road” Trade route connecting

western Africa to the coast of the Mediterranean Sea

No European or American had ever risked the journey before

“Death Road” crossed more than 1,500 miles of the Sahara, the world’s largest desert

If you got lost it surely meant death

Only nomads living in the region knew the way but Vischer hoped to map the route.

4. AFRICA CLIMATE ZONES

Mediterranean Desert Savanna Rainforest

4. AFRICA CLIMATE ZONES

TROPICS Dry, sweeping grasslands for thousands of miles

SAVANNAS Tropical grasslands that have high temperatures and uneven

rains Perfect for raising herds of animals

DESERTS Sahara to the north Kalahari to the southwest Blocked travel and people had to follow the coast if they

wanted to get past the desert

TROPICAL RAINFOREST& SAVANNA

THE SAHARA AND KALAHARI DESERT

5. AFRICAN PLATEAU PLATEAU: an area of high flat land

East: movement of the earth’s crust millions of years ago cracked the continent and parts of the plateau’s surface dropped Great Rift Valley

RIVERS Nile River (Egypt and Kush along the banks) Niger River (West Africa)

Rich soil grows crops and many civilizations begin United the region because merchants and travelers

spread goods and ideas up and down the river

PLATEAU

NILE AND NIGER RIVERS

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

How might Africa’s geography affect civilizations?

How might Africa’s geography affect trade?