African Canadian Studies

African Canadian Studies Physical Geography of Africa Chapter # 1

1) Physical Geography Terminology:

 Plateau: large raised areas that mostly consist of level land.

 Elevation: The height of land above sea level.

 Escarpment: An escarpment is a steep cliff.

 Rift: A rift is a deep trench

 Cataract: A cataract is a series of rock filled rapids. They make it impossible for ships to sail from Africa’s interior to the sea.

 Silt: Silt may be defined as the tiny bits of rocks and dirt that build up on the bottoms of rivers or lakes.

 Fertile: The ability to grow plants. Receives help from silt.

 Tributary: A tributary is a small river or stream that flows into a larger river or body of water.

2) Identify Physical Features of Africa:

 Sahara: Large desert within Northern Africa that is almost the size of the United States of America.

 Great Rift Valley: Valley within Eastern Africa that was formed millions of years ago when the continents pulled apart. It is 4000 miles or 6,400 km long. Most of Africa’s major lakes are located near The Great Rift Valley.

 The Nile River: Longest river in the world which travels through Egypt and Sudan. The sources of the Nile are the White Nile in the country of Sudan and the Blue Nile in the highlands of Ethiopia. From these two sources, the river flows North and spills into the Mediterranean Sea.  The Congo River: Africa’s second longest river. It flows through the rain forest in Central Africa. It is fed by hundreds of tributaries, or small rivers / streams, that flow into larger rivers or bodies of water.

 The Niger River: Africa’s third longest river. It begins in Guinea and flows North and bends south for 2,600 miles or 4,180 km. It is a major source of water for farms in the rift valley.

 The Zambezi River: Africa’s fourth longest river. It is located in Southern Africa and runs through or forms the borders of six countries: Angola, Zambia, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique. It is 2,200 miles or 3,540 km long.

3) The Plateau Continent:

 Africa is called The Plateau Continent because the point of elevation of much of the land area is high.

4) Africa’s rivers are very useful for traveling, watering of crops, soil fertilization, and fishing.

Cataracts limit the use of Africa’s rivers. Cataracts make it extremely difficult for them to be used on all occasions. For example, they make it virtually impossible for ships to sail from Africa’s interior to the sea.

5) If the Sahara were grasslands it would change where people in North African countries live. By having access to grasslands with rivers and forests, citizens would be able to grow food and find water to support them. This in turn could also easily exist in such a welcoming climate. Desert is harsh.