Africa Physical Geography Study Guide
Given a description, students should know the relative location (what countries they are in
or next to) of the following:

The Nile, Niger, Congo, and Zambezi rivers

The Sahara and Kalahari deserts

The Atlas Mts and the Drakensberg Mts

Lake Victoria and Mt Kilimanjaro

The Mediterranean and Red Seas

The Atlantic and Indian Oceans
Students should be able recognize descriptions of climate/vegetation regions and their
relative locations.
Deserts: Land with little precipitation and sparse or no vegetation. The primary desert
regions in Africa are the Sahara which dominates the northern third of the continent, and
the Kalahari located in the southwest corner, and the “Horn of Africa” which consists of
most of Somalia.
Sahel: Located on the southern edge of the Sahara desert and the northern edge of the
savanna, the Sahel is a semi-arid region with a long dry season and a short wet season. It
gets between 10 to 20 inches of rain per year. The region has more vegetation than the
desert, but not as much vegetation as the savanna. Much of it is undergoing a process of
desertification.
Savannas: Located throughout much of the interior high plateaus of Africa, these regions
are characterized by broad stretches of grassland dotted with an assortment of trees and
an abundance of wildlife.
Highlands: A large percentage of the continent is located at higher elevations, giving
Africa the highest average elevation among continents in the world. The higher elevation
helps to moderate the climate in the large tropical zones. The majority of the highlands
are located on the eastern portion of the continent. There are also two significant
mountain ranges; the Atlas Mountains in the north and the Drakensberg Mountains in the
south.
Rain Forests: This region is characterized by heavy annual rainfall and dense vegetation.
Primarily located in Central Africa, portions of rain forest can be found in western Africa
and on the island of Madagascar.