AFRICAN FEATURES STANDARDS: SS7G1 a,b SS7G3 a,b,c,d The Regions • The Sahara • The Sahel • Ethiopian Highlands • The Savannah • Rainforest & the Great Lakes • Southern Africa SAHARA • World’s largest desert (it stretches from southwest Morocco to northern Tunisia) • Sahara means “desert” in Arabic • Countries included: Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, and Western Sahara • The Atlas Mountains border the region to the north. • Most people in this region are nomadic herders. • They use camels for transportation and food. • About the size of the United States. SAHARA (cont.) • Most people live near the Mediterranean Sea and the Nile River. • Nile River begins in east Africa, and it flows north through nine countries. • Its river delta empties into the Mediterranean Sea. • It supplies 85% of Egypt’s water supply. • It is the longest river. • Aswan High Dam controls flooding which has lead to blessings and problems. Dams control flooding which has lead to blessings and problems. • Blessings • Problems - plant more crops - artificial fertilizer vs. more often silt - more crops = more - lack of irrigation money! - more salt water in - produces delta. hydroelectric power The Sahara SAHEL • Sahel- a strip of semi-arid land south of the Sahara. • Most people moved from rural to urban areas due to a famine in the 1970’s. • Almost 200,000 people died from starvation. • The region’s economy depends on farming. • Transportation is relied upon by roads and water (ex: Nile River) SAHEL (cont.) • Sudan is located in both the Sahara and Sahel regions. • Sudan has many different environments: plateaus, forests, grasslands, and deserts • Sahel supports a range of crops for Sudan’s economy: cotton, peanuts, wheat, dates, and sugar cane. • Sudanese people raise livestock. The Sahel ETHIOPIAN HIGHLANDS • A rugged, mountainous region that covers parts of Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Somalia. • The Great Rift Valley is located in this region. - a geographical fault system that stretches 3,000 miles from Asia to Africa • Did you know? The earliest human remains were found in this region. ETHIOPIAN HIGHLANDS (cont.) • Ethiopia very poor. • Deforestation, bad farming practices, and drought have caused severe economic hardships. • The main economic activity is subsistence farming. What is it? • The main export is coffee. • Ethiopia has poor infrastructure (roads, electricity, sewers) Ethiopian Highlands SAVANNAH • Savannah is a tropical grassland with scattered trees. • It is home to amazing variety of wildlife such as buffalo, gazelles, zebras, lions, elephants, rhinos, giraffes, and hippos. • The most famous area is the Serengeti which is a migration area for wildlife. SAVANNAH (cont.) • Kenya is the main country in the region. • Many Kenyans rely on the land for their livelihood. • About one-third of the country is used for grazing land for cattle, goats, and sheep. • Kenya’s main exports are coffee and tea. The Savannah RAINFOREST & GREAT LAKES • Tropical rainforests are located in west Africa. • Rainforests have declined due to deforestation and destructive farming practices. • Countries included: Rwanda, Congo, Burundi, Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya. • There are 15 lakes. Lake Victoria and Lake Tanganyika. The Congo River is the second largest river in Africa. RAINFOREST & GREAT LAKES (cont.) • Ghana is an agricultural and mining nation. • Ghana’s most profitable crop is cocoa. It also is a gold and diamond exporter. • Ghana has a very poor road system which makes traveling difficult and slowed the timber industry. • Republic of Congo’s (DRC) economy is based on mining crude petroleum. • Rwanda is based more on farming. The Great Lakes Region African Rainforests SOUTHERN AFRICA • Region includes the Kalahari desert & Drakensberg Mountains and it has many natural resources. • Most of these people live in poverty. Most of the wealth is with the white minority who controls the mining industry. People of color are paid very little. • The region is a major producer of gold, coal, diamonds, and platinum. Southern Africa.