Africa

Physical Geography of Africa

Africa is created by volcanic activity. 

• Rift valley - caused by divergent plates

The Plateau has several basins. 3 major mountain regions

The highest point is Mt Kilimanjaro. Almost on the equator but is a permanent ice cap. 

Sahara desert covers most of Africa ~ Largest desert in the world

        Precipitation in Africa varies because Africa ranges from Desert to Rainforest

• The longest river in the world is the Nile - flows north 

• Africa does not use rivers for transportation due to cataracts: many waterfalls

• Lake chad has shrunk dramatically over the years
• Lake Victoria is the world's 2nd largest lake

Africa’s climate varies but much of the continent is tropical wet and dry. Monsoon winds bring seasonal rain. 

• poaching

Western Africa has fertile soil for farming - Shifting cultivation

Madagascar

Africa has an abundance of resources

        European colonial rulers exported these natural resources

        These nations have slowly started to develop infrastructure and industry

Oil and gas are the most valuable commodity

One of the wVictoriaichest continents in terms of natural resources

Conflict diamonds: Diamonds mined in a war zone 

The second most profitable commodity is coffee - 20% of the world’s coffee come from Africa

        Still much subsistence farming

Africa South of the Sahara: Transitional zone

Hunters and gatherers settled on the Savanah 

        Gold, salt, and slaves were the main products that were traded through Africa

Goree Island was the center of the slave trade

• Europeans wanted to control Africa
• BERLIN CONFERENCE ~ European nations divided Africa

                These mixed religions, cultures, - The only regions that remained free were Libya and Ethiopia

Most of the countries gained independence however the Europeans did not build infrastructure or educate the people

• Sudan split - Northern is more urban and primarily Muslim

Urban populations are growing fast with high birth rates

The only unifying force was the Bantu population/migration

• Most people used subsistence agriculture

Lots of illegal mining. Clean water is a major concern in Africa

East Africa

“Cradle of humanity”

Rwanda genocide: the extermination of national, racial, political, or cultural groups

• 1-million people died~many more fled the country

Most people are located on the coast

Education varies throughout East Africa

        Two major ethnic groups

• Masai
• Kikuyu

• Larger

Lots of sicknesses - typhoid, cholera, AIDS, African Sleeping Sickness

Still recovering from effects of imperialism/ colonialism

One of the main economic activities is tourism.  

Africa: South of the Sahara

Nearly all countries in the west are partially in the transitional zone

• Monsoon winds

Ghana was the first great empire to emerge in the region. Control of European powers shifted the center of power west towards the coast. 

        Europeans named portions of the coast for dominant commodities the provided

Berlin conference divided Africa - the exception was Liberia. Lack of infrastructure. Tribal and religious disagreement.

Extended families are common in rural areas

• Birthrate and high mortality rate

Literacy varies from 76% to 30% - lack of education means fewer skilled workers

        Group dictators like Samuel Doe and Charles Taylor in Siberia slaughtered thousands

More than half of the people in West Africa are engaged in agriculture

The economy of West Africa is based on the sale of raw materials to industrialized countries

Equatorial Africa

Tropical climates 

Bantu people were farmers and herders - spread language and founded kingdoms

• Village life and tradition were disrupted

Literacy and access to education varies

        E-commerce gave people a global market

Southern Africa

10 mainland countries and 4 island nations

Portuguese established a trading post along the coast

        1713 - the spread of smallpox

        1806 - Britain controlled cape colony

Began to take Zulu lands. Cecil Rhodes - Started DeBeers company which developed a near-monopoly on the world. South Africa established apartheid in 1948. 1912 the ANC was formed. 1994 election took place involving all races and Mandela became president.

King of Swaziland in Africa’s last absolute monarch

        Western regions less populated - deserts

Trade centers on the coast - no navigable rivers

• Christianity is the most common religion from European colonization. Some South Africans live very modern lifestyles - others still like traditionally. Clean drinking water is a very big problem across Africa

HIV is the virus that causes AIDS: a disease of the immune system

In some countries 40% of their population has it

        The number one solution is education

European colonist claimed much of the best farmland

• Diamonds are also important

Income also comes from tourism