532-533 U7 CH19 UO TWIP-860976 3/25/04 2:44 AM Page 532 Unit Waterfront of Cape Town, South Africa Woman making butter in Chad 532 532-533 U7 CH19 UO TWIP-860976 3/25/04 2:45 AM Page 533 Giraffe on a plain in Kenya ▼ AfricaAfrica SouthSouth ofof the the SaharaSahara he region of Africa south T of the Sahara is home to more than 2,000 ethnic groups. Its hot, humid forests and dry grasslands support a variety of wild animals. Both people and animals face tough challenges in this region. The people are struggling to build stable gov- ernments and economies. The animals are threatened with extinction as human activities destroy natural habitats. NGS ONLINE www.nationalgeographic.com/education 533 534-547 U7 CH19 RA TWIP-860976 3/25/04 3:01 AM Page 534 RREGIONALEGIONAL AATLASTLAS Focus on: Africa South of the Sahara STRADDLING THE EQUATOR, Africa south of the Sahara lies almost entirely within the Tropics. Famous for its remarkable wildlife, this region also has the world’s fastest- growing human population. Settling ethnic rivalries and improving low standards of living are just two of the chal- lenges facing the people in this region. Equator. Many of Africa’s rivers provide hydro- electric power as well as transportation to areas The Land that are too remote for overland travel. Africa south of the Sahara has the highest Continental Rift The Great Rift Valley slices overall elevation of any world region. A narrow through eastern Africa like a steep-walled gash band of low plains hugs the Atlantic and Indian in the continent. The valley, formed by move- Ocean coastlines. Inland, the land rises from ments of the earth’s crust, extends from South- west to east in a series of steplike plateaus. west Asia southward to the Zambezi River in Separating the plateaus are steep cliffs. The Mozambique. It cradles a chain of deep lakes, region has no long mountain ranges and few some of which hold more species of fish than towering peaks, although Mt. Kenya and any other inland body of water in the world. Kilimanjaro are exceptions. At 19,340 feet (5,895 m), Kilimanjaro’s summit is the highest point on the African continent. The Climate Thundering Waterways Great rivers arise in Imagine that you are standing at the Equator this region’s interior highlands. As rivers spill in Africa. If you traveled north or south from from one plateau to the next, they create thun- there, you would pass through four major cli- dering waterfalls, such as the spectacular Victoria mate regions, one after the other. Falls (facing page). It is known locally as Mosi oa Tunya—“smoke that thunders.” Although the Rain Forests and Savannas Tropical rain Nile River is Africa’s longest river, the Congo River forests lie along the Equator and fill the great is a giant in its own right, winding 2,715 miles basin of the Congo River in central and western (4,370 km) through Africa’s heart, near the Africa. Heavy storms bring 80 inches (203 cm) 534 UNIT 7 534-547 U7 CH19 RA TWIP-860976 3/25/04 3:01 AM Page 535 UNIT Victoria Falls, on the Zambezi River ▼ ▼ Elephants roaming near Kilimanjaro, Tanzania 535 534-547 U7 CH19 RA TWIP-860976 3/25/04 3:01 AM Page 536 REGIONAL ATLAS or more of rain each year. The canopy is the pri- diamonds, making it the wealthiest country in mary layer of rain forests and is alive with flow- the region. Overall, however, Africa south of the ers, fruits, monkeys, parrots, and snakes. Sahara has the lowest standard of living of any As you move away from the Equator, rain world region. forests give way to tropical savannas. These vast Struggling to Develop Manufacturing plays grasslands are home to some of the continent’s only a small role in the region’s economy. In the most famous large mammals, including ele- past, colonial rulers used Africa as a source of phants, lions, rhinoceroses, and giraffes. raw materials and left the continent largely Steppe and Desert Climates As you move undeveloped. Today the nations south of the farther from the Equator, rainfall becomes Sahara are struggling to industrialize. scarce, and tropical savannas give way to drier Most people in Africa south of the Sahara steppes. Finally you encounter very dry areas still depend on small-scale farming or livestock where deserts dominate the landscape. Deserts herding for their livelihoods. They are usually cover more of Africa than any other continent. able to raise only enough food to feed their The largest deserts south of the Sahara are the families. Some farmers work on plantations that Namib and the Kalahari. grow crops for export to other countries. Such crops include coffee, cacao, cotton, peanuts, tea, bananas, and sisal (a fiber). Drought is a constant The Economy problem for the region’s farmers. Africa south of the Sahara is rich in mineral resources, but these resources are not evenly The People distributed. Nigeria has huge reserves of oil. South Africa has fabulous deposits of gold and Thousands of years ago, great kingdoms and empires developed in Africa south of the Sahara. In the northeast, one kingdom extended its rule into Egyptian territory. In West Africa, wealthy empires emerged by trading salt for gold. From Kingdoms to Nations In the 1400s and 1500s, Europeans began trading with African societies, carrying away gold, spices, ivory, and enslaved people. By the late 1800s, European nations had ▼ Woman fertilizing crops in Zimbabwe UNIT 7 534-547 U7 CH19 RA TWIP-860976 3/25/04 3:02 AM Page 537 UNIT claimed almost all of Africa. For profit and polit- ical advantage, they carved the continent into colonies. In the process, they ripped apart once- unified regions and threw together ethnic Data Bits groups that did not get along. Most African nations won their independ- Automobiles Television sets ence in the mid-1900s. Many countries that Country per 1,000 people per 1,000 people emerged from colonial rule were politically Ghana unstable and had crippled economies. 5 115 Mauritania Varied Lifestyles Today more than 711 mil- 895 lion people inhabit Africa south of the Sahara. Sudan 11 173 They represent some 2,000 ethnic groups and speak 800 different languages. Nearly three- Tanzania 1 21 fourths of the population live in rural areas. Zambia Although Africa is the least urbanized conti- 17 145 nent, its cities are growing. Lured by the prom- Religions ise of better living conditions, people are flocking to African cities. These are among Country Islam Christian Traditional the fastest-growing urban areas in the world. Beliefs Ghana 16% Crowded market in 63% 21% Lagos, Nigeria ▼ Mauritania 100% — — Sudan 70% 5% 25% Tanzania 35% 30% 35% Zambia 24-49% 50-75% 1% Sources: World Development Indicators, 2002; W orld Almanac, 2004. Region Exploring the 1. What happens when Africa’s rivers flow from one plateau to another? 2. Which climate zone is centered on the Equator? 3. What makes South Africa the region’s most prosperous country? 4. How did colonial rule affect Africa south of the Sahara? 537 534-547 U7 CH19 RA TWIP-860976 3/25/04 3:03 AM Page 538 REGIONAL ATLAS Africa South of the Sahara Physical 20°W 0° 10°E20°E30°E40°E50°E Azores 10°W 40°N M e d i ATLANTIC t e r r OCEAN N a n e a n S e W E a 30°N S SOUTHWEST NORTH AFRICA R ASIA IA e TROPIC OF CANCER N d A T I N 20°N S R i Nubian l U SAHARAe Tibesti Desert e CAPE VERDE A R M Aïr Mountains . a Se´ ne´ ga er R. Mountains l Nig SUDAN R NIGER CHAD ERITREA SENEGAL . B MALI lu GAMBIA SAHELLake e n Chad N de BURKINA i f A l f o GUINEA- e DJIBOUTI Gul FASO R BISSAU GUINEA . 10°N NIGERIA COTE GHANA W ETHIOPIAN SIERRA LEONE A D'IVOIRE . h HIGHLANDS R N i I e t Lake BENIN Benu O CENTRAL e O ETHIOPIA L LIBERIA Volta R AFRICAN REPUBLIC N E i A M l Gulf of CA e Great TOGO Guinea R Rift Valley M Margherita Peak . o R A O EQUATORIAL GUINEA Cong . 16,763 ft. D KENYA S O N EQUATOR SAO TOME & PRINCIPE Congo (5,109 m) A Mt. Kenya ° G G 0 RWANDA U 17,058 ft. GABON N Basin Serengeti(5,199 m) O DEMOCRATIC Plain INDIAN C REPUBLIC OF Lake Kilimanjaro THE CONGO Victoria 19,340 ft. OCEAN CABINDA Lake (5,895 m) BURUNDI Tanganyika SEYCHELLES ATLANTIC TANZANIA OCEAN Lake Malawi COMOROS 10°S ANGOLA MALAWI Z a ZAMBIA l m e n b n e a z i h 0 mi. 1,000 R. MOZAMBIQUEC N MADAGASCAR 0 km 1,000 a Victoria ZIMBABWE e m NAMIBIA u Lambert Azimuthal Equal-Area projection Falls iq i b MAURITIUS b BOTSWANA o R pop . m 20°S D m a Mountain peak Li z TROPIC OF CAPRICORN e o s Kalahari M e e Desert g r n SWAZILAND t a R range R. rg O e SOUTH sb en LESOTHO 30°S ak AFRICA Dr 26,247 ft. 0 mi. 500 INDIAN OCEAN 8,000 m GREAT RIFT 0 km 500 MT. KENYA 19,685 ft. VALLEY 6,000 m Cape of ATLANTIC CONGO LAKE Good Hope 13,123 ft. OCEAN CONGO BASIN VICTORIA 4,000 m RIVER 6,562 ft. LIBREVILLE 2,000 m Sea level 538 UNIT 7 534-547 U7 CH19 RA TWIP-860976 3/25/04 3:05 AM Page 539 UNIT Political ° 50°E Azores 20°W 10°W 0° 10°E20°E30°E 40 E Port.