SubSaharan Africa Physical Geography Landforms Four Regions West

Sub-Saharan Africa Physical Geography

Landforms • Four Regions − West Africa • Most of the countries that border the Sahara − East Africa • AKA The Horn of Africa − Central Africa • Smallest region − Southern Africa • The bottom quarter of the continent • Includes Madagascar

Landforms • Island Countries − Madagascar • Largest island in Africa • 4 th largest island in the world − Mauritius • Four major islands − Seychelles • Over 100 small islands − Cormoros • Three small islands − Cape Verde • Ten islands in the Atlantic − São Tomé and Príncipe • Three islands in the Atlantic

Landforms • Other Major Islands − Zanzibar in Tanzania − Lamu in Kenya − Canary Islands (Spain) − Mayotte (France) − Réunion (France) − Saint Helena (Britain) − Ascension (Britain) − Tristan da Cunha (Britain)

Landforms • Plateaus & Lowlands − The bulk of sub-Saharan Africa is made up of successive plateaus • Stair-step from west to east • Stair-step from coast to interior − Plateau elevations range from 1000’ in the west to over 7000’ in the east • Sub-Saharan Africa is the highest overall elevation of any region in the world

Landforms • Plateaus & Lowlands − Basins: huge depressions scattered across the African Plateau • Each basin spans more than 625 miles across • Basins can be as much as 5, 000 feet deep − Water collects in Chad Basin − Rivers flow through Sudan, Congo, and Djouf basins − Congo is the largest lowland area in the African interior

Landforms • Plateaus & Lowlands − Escarpments • Steep, jagged cliffs • Found in the coastal areas along the edges of the African Plateau • Cause barriers to trade − Steep falls − Block navigable rivers − Great Escarpment • Coastal South Africa • A tad bit of Namibia and Mozambique

Landforms • Mountains − Ethiopian Highlands − Mount Kilimanjaro • • Volcanic mountain Highest peak in the region 19, 341 feet above MSL Name means “shining mountain” − Year-round snow cap − Mount Kenya • Volcanic mountain • 2 nd highest peak in the region • 17, 058 feet above MSL

Landforms • Mountains − Drakensberg Range • Southern Africa • Maximum elevation of 11, 400 feet above MSL • Extends 700 miles in length • Eastern side of the range is referred to as the “Barrier of Pointed Spears” − Mountains rise very suddenly − Resemblance to a row of giant spears sticking out of the ground

Landforms • The Great Rift Valley

Waterways • Lakes − Most lakes lie in or near the Great Rift Valley − Lake Tanganyika • Longest freshwater lake in the world at 420 miles − Lake Victoria • Africa’s largest lake • World’s second largest freshwater lake • Source of the White Nile − Lake Tana • Source of the Blue Nile

Waterways • Lakes − Lake Chad (West Africa) • Remains of a once-huge inland sea • 10, 000 square miles of surface area during the rainy seasons • 3800 square miles of surface area during the dry season • Contains a large amount of crystalline mineral deposits − Lake Kivu: Most dangerous lake in the world

Waterways • Rivers − Four large river systems • • Nile Congo Niger Zambezi − All begin in the interior plateau − All end at a sea or ocean − Escarpments cause waterfalls and rapids

Waterways • Rivers − Congo River • Located in central Africa • Contains more than 30 waterfalls • Congo government built an extensive railway system to bypass the falls • Cuts a series of deep gorges through the central African plateau

Waterways • Rivers − Zambezi River • Located in southern Africa • Includes Victoria Falls – the world’s largest sheet of falling water • Mosi-oa-Tunya, "The Smoke That Thunders"

Waterways • Rivers − Niger River • Located in western Africa • Fans out into a series of swamps and marshes before reforming into a single channel in Mali • Swamps and marshes make the river difficult to navigate

Mineral Resources • Sub-Saharan Africa is rich in mineral resources − Petroleum in northwest • Oil replaced agriculture products as the main export in some countries − Natural Gas in central African countries along the Atlantic coast − Coal in southern Africa

Mineral Resources • Hydro-electricity − Fast flowing rivers throughout southern Africa enable the production of hydro electric power • Akosombo Dam in Ghana holds back two branches of the Volta River to form Lake Volta (largest man-made lake) • Majority of large dams are in southern Africa

Mineral Resources • Metal Ores − Iron ore in Zimbabwe and surrounding countries − Chromium in Zimbabwe, South Africa, and both east and west coasts − Uranium and Copper − Gold • Half the world’s supply is in South Africa • Transvaal Plateau has a gold deposit 300 miles long

Mineral Resources • Gem Stones − Diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and emeralds • Rubies, sapphires, and emeralds are all derived from the mineral corundum − South Africa is the largest producer of diamonds • Jewelry grade diamonds • Industrial diamonds • “Blood diamonds” (or conflict diamonds) come from the armpit of Africa