The Plateau Continent Africa Landforms and Resources Shape

The Plateau Continent Africa

Landforms and Resources • Shape and landforms are result of location in Pangea. – Other continents moved a great amount while present day Africa moved very little

True size of Africa

Vast Plateau • Majority of land lies on a plateau that stretches across the continent. – The majority of land is 1000 ft. above sea level – Basins: depressions in the ground – Nile River: world’s longest river, 4, 000 mi. long, flows N to Egypt Med Nile

Victoria Falls: One of the 7 Wonders of the World

Distinctive African Landforms • Rift Valleys: continental plates pull apart, form huge cracks, land sinks – Stretch 4, 000 mi. – Lakes form at the bottom • Mount Kenya and Mount Kilimanjaro (Africa’s Highest Mount. ) are both volcanoes • Escarpment: steep slope with a flat plateau

Resources • Minerals – Gold, platinum, chromium, cobalt, copper & diamonds – Because of colonialism, Africa hasn’t developed the infrastructure needed to make a profit Diamond Miners

• Oil – Libya, Angola, Nigeria and Algeria are leading producers – American oil companies pay fee to Angola which turns and uses money to fund ongoing civil war.

Diversity of Resources • Coffee – Most profitable after oil • Lumber • Agriculture – Single most important econ. activity – 60% of Africans earn their living in farming

Climate and Vegetation • Warm Continent • Sahara: largest desert in world. –Temp. H: 136. 4° (day), below freezing at night • Aquifers: underground stores of H²O. Known as an oasis when they reach surface • Tropical weather all year long – 90% of land lies between tropic of Cancer and tropic of Capricorn Sahara

Sunshine and Rainfall • Rain forest receives most rain (on or near Equator) • W coast receives a great deal • Moderate area (N & S tips) only receives rain in winter

Grassy Continent • Tropical Grasslands cover most of Africa – Serengeti Plain: grassland in N. Tanzania – Perfect for animals to graze

Serengeti

Rain Forest – Sits along Equator area of Congo basin – Wide variety of plant & animals • Most live in the canopy (near the tops of the trees) – Farmers using slash and burn have cut down ½ already, now endangered

Human Environment Interaction • Nigeria – Sixth leading oil producer, most shipped to U. S. – Oil spills (4, 000 in 40 yrs) • Oil pipeline explosions, sabotage by rebels • Fires lead to acid rain

Desertification of Sahel • Sahel: shore of the desert – Desertification: expansion of dry conditions into moist areas that are near desert • Normal, natural process that is sped up because of grazing • Causes include: overgrazing, farming, pop. increase

Controlling the Nile • 1 st Aswan Dam completed in 1902 • Aswan High Dam – – – 4 miles up river form 1 st Dam Creates Lake Nasser (artificial), Egypt shares with Sudan Increased farmable land by 50% Natural renewal of silt (sediment), which occurs during floods, gone Expensive fertilizers now used Mosquitoes increased