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Answer the questions below to draw conclusions about how the physical geography of Sub-Saharan Africa has affected people’s lives.
21. How would lack of access to fresh water affect the lives of people in Sub-Saharan Africa?
22. Why is the Great Rift Valley such an important geographical feature of East Africa?
23. How might the higher elevations and cooler temperatures of East Africa affect the lives of its human population?
24. Why do countries on the coast of West Africa have more cities and higher populations that other parts of West Africa?
25. What positive effects might exporting oil have on the economy of Chad?
26. What does the Zambezi River contribute to the economy of Southern Africa?
27. What other factors, in addition to its physical geography, affect the economies of Southern Africa?
28. Explain why South Africa, Botswana, and Namibia have the highest gross domestic product in South Africa.
Synthesize: Answer the Essential Question
How has the varied geography of Sub-Saharan Africa affected people’s lives? Consider the information you have learned about Sub-Saharan Africa. Think about the region’s physical geography, landforms and rivers, location and climate, access to fresh water, natural resources, and economy.
Sub-Saharan Africa Geography & History SECTIONS 1.1–1.6
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The following excerpt is taken from the article When Green Earth Turns Into Sand by Donald Smith, which appeared on NationalGeographic.com on December 19, 2000. Read the excerpt and answer the questions that follow.
Scientists define desertification as the conversion [change] of arid or semiarid regions to deserts due to climatic changes, human activities or both. Drought often sets the stage. Removal of trees and other vegetation deprives the land of its ability to retain water, leading to excessive erosion. . . . Poor cultivation [planting] techniques often exhaust the soil of newly cleared land within a few planting seasons, resulting in the need to clear more forest.
Constructed Response Read each question carefully and write your answer in the space provided.
11. What is desertification?
12. How does removal of trees and other vegetation contribute to the process of desertification?
Extended Response Read the question carefully and write your responses in the space provided.
13. In the last sentence of the excerpt, the author describes a circular—or repeating—process. Summarize the process. What could be done to keep the process from repeating itself?
Net Hydroelec tr ic Power Generat ion, Selec ted
Sub-Saharan Afr ican Countr ies , 2003–2005
(B i l l ion K i lowat thour s)
CouNtRy 2003 2004 2005
Angola 1.23 1.73 2.20
Mali 0.23 0.24 0.24
Mozambique 10.76 11.55 13.13
Tanzania 2.52 2.33 1.76
Source: U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration
14. According to the chart, what country generates the most hydroelectric power? What country generates the least?
15. From what you have learned about the varied geographic features of countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, what can you infer about the geography of Mozambique as compared with the geography of Mali?
Sub-Saharan Africa Geography & History SECTIONS 1.1–1.6
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