Geography of Africa

Geography of Africa

6th Grade

Physical Regions

• Africa has eight major physical regions: the Sahara, the Sahel, the Ethiopian Highlands, the savanna, the Swahili Coast, the rain forest, the African Great Lakes, and Southern Africa.

• These regions have distinct climates from deserts to rainforests.

The Sahara

• The Sahara is the worlds largest hot desert, covering 8.5 million square kilometers (3.3 million square miles).

• Defining Africa's northern bulge, the Sahara makes up 25 percent of the continent.

Physical Features of the Sahara

• The Sahara has a number of distinct physical features, including urgs, regs, hamadas, and oases.

• Ergs, which cover 20 percent of the Sahara, are sand dunes that stretch for hundreds of kilometers at heights of more than 300 meters (1,000 feet).

• Ergs can contain large quantities of salt, which is sold for industrial use and food use.

The Sahel ("za-HEL")

• The Sahel is a narrow band of semi-arid land that forms a transition zone between the Sahara to the north and the savannas to the south.

• It is made up of flat, barren plains that stretch roughly 5,400 kilometers (3,300 miles) across Africa, from Senegal to Sudan.

• The Sahel region of West Africa is one of the harshest places to live on earth: 110º heat and access to clean water is rare.

The Ethiopian Highlands

• The Ethiopian Highlands are home to 80 percent of Africa's tallest mountains.

• The highland's craggy landscape is perfect for nimble animal species.

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• Pictured is the native species the Walia ibex, an endangered wild goat.

Savannas

• Savannas, or grasslands, cover almost half of Africa, more than 5 million square miles. These grasslands make up most of central Africa.

• The Serengeti (or Serengeti Plains) is the most well-known.

• The Serengeti is home to one of the continents highest concentrations of large mammal species, including lions, hyenas, zebras, giraffes, and elephants.

• Each year, more than 1 million wildebeest travel in a circular migration, following seasonal rains, across the Serengeti Plains.

The Swahili Coast

• The Swahili Coast stretches about 1,000 miles along the Indian Ocean, from Somalia to Mozambique.

• The nearby coral reefs and barrier islands protect the coast from severe weather.

• Mangrove forests are the most common vegetation. Mangroves have exposed root systems and grow in salty water.

The Rainforests

• 80 percent of Africa's rain forest is concentrated in central Africa, along the Congo River basin.

• The Driver Ant is one of Africa's most aggressive rain forest species.

• Driver Ants move in columns of up to 20 million across the rain forest floor, and will eat anything from toxic millipedes to reptiles and small mammals.

The Great Lakes

• There are seven major African Great Lakes: Lake Albert, Lake Edward, Lake Kivu, Lake Malawi, Lake Tanganyika, Lake Turkana, and Lake Victoria.

• Lake Victoria, the largest lake in Africa, is the southern source of the Nile River, the longest river in the world.

Southern Africa

• The region of Southern Africa is dominated by the Kaapvaal craton, a shelf of bedrock that is more than 2.6 billion years old.

• Rocky features of Southern Africa include plateaus and mountains, such as the Drakensberg range or Dragon Mountains.

Africa's Famous Geography Inspires

• The song "Africa" was originally written and performed by Toto.

• Weezer and Wierd Al Yankovic cover "Africa" in this video.

• The lyrics include some of Africa's famous geography including Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania (19,341 feet), the highest peak in Africa.

Thanks for joining me on this awesome adventure.