World Geography Today Southern Africa Preview Section 1

World Geography Today Southern Africa Preview Section 1: Natural Environments Section 2: History and Culture Section 3: The Region Today Chapter Wrap-Up Chapter 24

World Geography Today Chapter 24 Section 1: Natural Environments Read to Discover • What are the main landforms and rivers of southern Africa? • What climates, biomes, and natural resources are found in the region?

World Geography Today Chapter 24 Section 1: Natural Environments Landforms and Rivers • Narrow coastal plain • High plateau covers most of the region • Escarpment—Separates plain from plateau; includes Drakensberg range • Orange River—Flows west to Atlantic; hydroelectricity, irrigation • Limpopo (Crocodile) River—To Indian Ocean • Zambezi River—Victoria Falls

World Geography Today Chapter 24 Section 1: Natural Environments Climates and Biomes • Tropical wet and dry and semiarid climates; Mediterranean at Cape Town • Madagascar—Tropical rainforest biome, with many species • Desert biomes—Namib (beetles, lizards, snakes), Kalahari (many animals, including antelope, elephants) • Okavango Swamps—Rich in plants and animals • Grassland (veld) of South Africa—East of the Kalahari

World Geography Today Chapter 24 Section 1: Natural Environments Question What resources can be found in southern Africa?

World Geography Today Chapter 24 Section 1: Natural Environments Copper and iron in Zambia Petroleum in Angola Resources of Southern Africa Coal in South Africa & Zimbabwe Gold and platinum in South Africa Diamonds in South Africa, Botswana, and Namibia

World Geography Today Chapter 24 Section 2: History and Culture Read to Discover • What are some important events in the history of southern Africa? • What are the region’s cultures like?

World Geography Today Chapter 24 Section 2: History and Culture Question What are some of the important events in southern Africa’s history?

World Geography Today Chapter 24 Section 2: History and Culture 1450 1650 1800 Late 1400 s Portuguese arrive. 1652 Dutch arrive. 1800 s British take over Cape area. 1800 s Sotho kingdom flourishes. Late 1800 s Diamonds and gold are discovered. 1890 1900 1910 1899– 1902 Boer War is fought. 1950 1960 1970 1960 s Most British colonies gain independence. 1910 South Africa gains independence. 1970 s Portuguese colonies gain 1912 ANC is independence. established. 1975 Angola becomes 1948 Apartheid is communist. established. 1980 1990 2000 1980 Zimbabwe and Zambia gain independence. 1990 Nelson Mandela is released from prison. 1994 Mandela is elected president of South Africa.

World Geography Today Chapter 24 Section 2: History and Culture History • First inhabitants were hunter-gatherers and animal herders • Bantu migrations, beginning around A. D. 100 • Arrival of Portuguese traders in the 1400 s • Dutch settlement at Cape Town (1652), followed by other Europeans • Boer War (1899– 1902) between British and Dutch settlers • Independence—South Africa (1910), Angola and Mozambique (1970 s), Zimbabwe (1980) • Civil wars in Mozambique and Angola • End of apartheid in South Africa; election of Nelson Mandela (1994)

World Geography Today Chapter 24 Section 2: History and Culture Cultural Features • Bantu languages widely spoken; white population speaks English and Afrikaans; governments often rely on European languages • Religion—Traditional practices, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism • Denser population in wetter eastern portion • African traditions are strongest in rural areas and small towns • Traditional villages surround kraal (cattle pen) • Cities have European origins

World Geography Today Chapter 24 Section 3: The Region Today Read to Discover • What are the main economic activities in southern Africa? • What are the region’s cities like? • What challenges face the people of southern Africa?

World Geography Today Chapter 24 Section 3: The Region Today Question What activities influence southern Africa’s economies?

World Geography Today Chapter 24 Section 3: The Region Today Southern Africa’s Economies Mineral Exports • Gold in South Africa • Oil in Angola • Diamonds in Botswana • Copper in Zambia Tourism • Game parks in Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe • Tropical islands of Comoros, Mauritius, and Seychelles Informal Sector • Foods and fruits, souvenirs • Services such as car repair • Found in the region’s large cities Farming • Subsistence, local markets, commercial • Tobacco, coffee, vanilla, corn, fruit, wheat

World Geography Today Chapter 24 Section 3: The Region Today Economic Activities • South Africa is the most developed and diversified; Mozambique is the least. • Farming is the chief activity, mostly subsistence but some commercial. • Oil and minerals are increasingly important—gold, diamonds, copper. • Informal sector (people who do not work formal businesses) plays a key role. • Tourism is important—wild game parks, beaches.

World Geography Today Chapter 24 Section 3: The Region Today Cities • Great contrasts—Wealthy suburbs, modern downtown areas, large slums • Shantytowns—Despite poverty, many are well-organized • Greater Johannesburg—Largest urban area; industrial center • Townships—Apartheid-era areas for non-white South Africans

World Geography Today Chapter 24 Section 3: The Region Today Challenges • Poverty and its effects • Urbanization—Overcrowding and pollution • Droughts and floods • Deforestation and species loss in Madagascar • Disease, spread of HIV

World Geography Today Chapter 24 Chapter Wrap-Up Understanding the Main Ideas 1. What are two reasons the western part of southern Africa is drier than the eastern parts? 2. Which Europeans settled in what is now South Africa? How did these peoples interact with each other? 3. What was the apartheid system? When did it end? 4. What are some features that attract tourists to southern Africa? 5. Why has life expectancy in southern Africa dropped in recent years? How do you think such changes might affect future population growth in the region?