African Geography

General Facts:

• Africa is the world’s second largest continent.  
• It is home to over 50 Countries and over 800 million people.  
• 10% percent of the world’s population lives in Africa.

Atlas Mountains

• The Atlas Mountains span across northwestern Africa, more specifically, Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. 
• They separate the Atlantic and Mediterranean coastline from the Sahara Desert.
• The Atlas Mountains provide mountain pass trade routes connecting the regions.
• The Atlas Mountains are home to several small villages rather than large cities.

Sahara Desert

• The Sahara is the world’s largest desert.  
• It runs across the width of Northern Africa and covers one-third of the continent.
• It divides the continent into two distinct regions - North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa.
• Very few people live in the desert because it is considered one of the harshest places to live in the world.  
• The people who do live there are called nomads, which means they move from place to place, usually travelling by camel, looking for food and water.

Sahel

• The Sahel is a strip of dry grassland that is located south of the Sahara.
• The word “Sahel” means “border” or “margin”.
• People have tried to live here but generations of overgrazing and desertification have caused soil erosion. 

Desertification

Desertification is the process through which fertile land becomes desert, typically as a result of drought, deforestation, or inappropriate agriculture.

Savannahs

• Savannahs are hot, dry grasslands that are located near the Equator and cover almost half of Africa.
• They actually cover regions just north and south of the rainforests that lie along the equator.
• The African Savannah is the largest in the world.  
• The variety of wildlife includes lions, zebras, & elephants.
• Farming is good if there is good rainfall, and grasses and grains like wheats, oats, and sorghum are grown in the region.

Tropical Rainforests

• Africa’s tropical rain forest is located along the central coast of Africa, near the Equator.
• It lies in the Congo River Basin
• The rainforest covers one-fifth of the land surface of Africa and touches 37 countries.
• The Rainforest has a hot, humid climate.
• The annual rainfall is over 17 feet!  (In comparison, Seattle gets just over 3 feet)
• Trees are so thick and tall that sunlight never reaches the forest floor!
• It is the second largest rainforest in the world; the Amazon rainforest in Brazil is the largest.
• Unfortunately, this rainforest has shrunk due to deforestation.

Deforestation

Deforestation is the decrease in forest areas across the world that are lost for other uses because of humans.

Congo River

• The Congo River is the second longest river in Africa.   
• It is over 3,000 miles long.

Niger River

• The Niger river is located in western Africa.
• It flows through Guinea, Mali, Niger, Benin, and Nigeria.
• The Niger River is the THIRD largest river in Africa.

The Nile River

• The Nile river is the world’s longest river at 4,150 miles.
• It provides water for Sudan and Egypt.

Kalahari Desert

• The Kalahari Desert is located in southwestern Africa.
• It covers parts of Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa.
• It is not a “true” desert, because it receives 3-10 inches of rainfall per year.
• Because of the precipitation and underground water supplies, grass, shrubs, and wild animals manage to live in the Kalahari desert.