HISTORY &
GEOGRAPHY
STUDENT BOOK
6th Grade | Unit 7
Unit 7 | Africa
HISTORY & GEOGRAPHY 607
Africa
INTRODUCTION |3
OVERVIEW |5
1. NORTHERN AFRICA
10
GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY |11
NORTHERN COASTAL COUNTRIES |12
INLAND COUNTRIES OF THE SAHARA |18
SELF TEST 1 |21
2. CENTRAL AFRICA
25
GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY |26
WESTERN COUNTRIES |27
EQUATORIAL COUNTRIES |33
SELF TEST 2 |42
3. SOUTHERN AFRICA
45
GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY |46
SOUTH CENTRAL COUNTRIES |46
SOUTHERN COUNTRIES |50
SELF TEST 3 |54
MAP |57
LIFEPAC Test is located in the
center of the booklet. Please
remove before starting the unit.
Section 1 |1
Africa| Unit 7
Author:
Theresa K, Buskey, J.D.
Editors:
Alan Christopherson, M.S.
Rachelle Wiersma, M.S.
804 N. 2nd Ave. E.
Rock Rapids, IA 51246-1759
© MMXI by Alpha Omega Publications, a division of Glynlyon, Inc.
All rights reserved. LIFEPAC is a registered trademark of Alpha Omega Publications, Inc.
All trademarks and/or service marks referenced in this material are the property of their respective
owners. Alpha Omega Publications, Inc. makes no claim of ownership to any trademarks and/
or service marks other than their own and their affiliates, and makes no claim of affiliation to any
companies whose trademarks may be listed in this material, other than their own.
2| Section 1
Unit 7 | Africa
Africa
Introduction
Europeans knew so little about Africa that for years it was called the “Dark Continent.” There were several
large cities and empires in Africa. However, it was mostly a land still divided into small tribes or ethnic
groups as Europe had been before the time of Rome. The Europeans came first along the coast to trade,
especially for slaves. Eventually, they set up trading post and forts. Gradually, they explored more of the
interior and by the late 1800s had claimed all of it for themselves. After World War II, the Africans refused to
be governed by the Europeans and sought their independence. Today, most of Africa is independent. It
also suffers from deep tribal divisions created when the Europeans made “nations” out of people who were
of very different cultures.
In this LIFEPAC® you will study the countries and history of Africa. You will learn of their governments,
geography, and culture. You will also study the products and crops that come from these countries. You will
learn of the difficult problems faced by the African people as they work to modernize their nations and use
their resources to benefit their people.
NOTE TO TEACHER: Every effort has been made to be accurate with the information that is presented
in this unit. Unfortunately, political changes might have taken place since the material was written
which would make some of the information out of date. A research project on current events might be
an appropriate assignment for the student.
Objectives
Read these objectives. The objectives tell you what you will be able to do when you have successfully
completed this LIFEPAC. When you have finished this LIFEPAC, you should be able to:
1.
Identify the main problems of modern Africa and their causes.
2.
Identify several countries of northern Africa, their products, government, and history.
3.
Describe the geography, religion, problems, and history of northern Africa.
4.
Identify several countries of central Africa, their products, government, and history.
5.
Identify several countries of southern Africa, their products, government, and history.
6.
Identify the major geographic features of Africa.
7.
Explain the history of the relationship between Africa and Europe.
8.
Understand the vocabulary words and how they relate to Africa.
Section 1 |3
Africa| Unit 7
Survey the LIFEPAC. Ask yourself some questions about this study and write your questions here.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4| Section 1
Unit 7 | Africa
OVERVIEW
Geography. Africa is the second-largest continent in the world. At its greatest length, it is
five thousand miles (8,000 kilometers) long. At
its widest, it is forty-six hundred miles (7,360
kilometers) across. The middle of Africa lies
right across the equator, in the Tropical Zone.
This makes the climate far hotter than Europe
or North America. North of Africa are the Strait
of Gibraltar and the Mediterranean Sea. On the
east are the Suez Canal, the Red Sea, and the
Indian Ocean. On the west is the Atlantic Ocean
which meets the Indian Ocean at the Cape of
Good Hope on Africa’s southwestern corner.
Africa is in the Eastern Hemisphere, and since
the equator crosses it, it is in both the Northern
and Southern Hemisphere.
History. The many kingdoms of Africa which
existed before the Europeans came will be
mentioned later in the LIFEPAC. This is the
history of Colonial Africa.
The Portuguese were the first Europeans to
explore Africa in the late 1400s. They were looking for a way around Africa to India. They conquered cities on the coast and set up trading
posts. The most important trade good for all of
the European nations quickly became slaves.
The African people were (and still are) divided
into thousands of small tribes or ethnic groups
who considered each other to be foreigners.
The strongest of these tribes gladly captured
and sold the weaker tribes to the Europeans
for modern goods, especially weapons. The
captured people were packed into the bottom
of ships shoulder to shoulder and shipped to
the Americas. The survivors—many died on the
way—were sold at a huge profit. This hateful
trade was eventually ended in the 1800s. Great
Britain took the lead in first outlawing the capture of new slaves, and later, slavery itself.
During the 1800s, the European nations began
to explore and conquer areas of Africa. They
wanted the wealth of ivory, gold, rubber, wood,
and other resources found there. The different
nations soon found themselves fighting over
African territory. To avoid war in Europe over
the land in Africa, almost all of the nations met
at the Berlin Conference in 1884. There, they
sat down at a table and divided Africa among
themselves. No African representatives were
present.
The main goal of the Europeans was to make
money in their colonies. They thought the
African people were better off under European
rule. Many devout Christians set up schools
and hospitals for the Africans. Eventually, the
number of educated Africans began to grow.
These people began to seek an end to rule by
the Europeans. After World Wars I and II had
exhausted the nations of Europe, they began
to free their former colonies due to pressure
from their own people as well as from the Africans. Most of the countries of Africa became
independent in the 1960s after a period of
preparation.
After World War II, the Soviet Union (Russia)
and the United States fought the “Cold War.”
It was a period of time from 1945–1991 when
these two “super powers,” as they were called,
never quite fought a war. However, they did
help different sides in little wars all over the
world. The super powers tried to make friends
in Africa. Many dictators who disagreed with
the United States received help from the Soviets to stay in power. Others got help from the
United States because everyone knew they
could always get help from the Soviets if the
U.S. refused. When the Cold War ended in
1991, the African rulers could no longer get
help to stay in power just by choosing a side.
As a result, in the 1990s, many African nations
had their first free elections because the dictators could no longer get help from the super
powers.
Section 1 |5
Africa| Unit 7
North
Atlantic
Ocean
Strait of
Gibralter
Mediterranean Sea
Atlas
Mountains
TROPIC OF CANCER
Niger
Basin
Suez Canal
Sahara
Desert
Nile
River
Red
Sea
Niger
River
Lake
Chad
en
Gulf of Ad
Renue
River
Ethiopian
Highlands
Cameroon
Highlands
Congo Basin
EQUATOR
Congo
River
South
Atlantic Ocean
TROPIC OF CAPRICORN
Great
Rift
Valley
Lake
Tanganyika
Lake
Victoria
Zanzibar
Mount
Island
Kilimanjaro
Plateau
Lake
Nyasa
Zambezi
River
Kalahari
Desert
Plateau
Drakensberg
Mountains
Cape of Good Hope
Map 1 PHYSICAL REGIONS OF AFRICA
6| Section 1
Indian
Ocean
Unit 7 | Africa
Map 2 OUTLINE MAP OF AFRICA
Section 1 |7
Africa| Unit 7
Answer or complete the following.
1.1_ How did the Cold War hurt the people in Africa? _______________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
1.2_ How does Africa rank in size as a continent? ___________________________________________________
1.3_ What was the most important “product” taken from Africa by the Europeans before it was
outlawed in the 1800s? ________________________________________________________________________
1.4_ List the bodies of water that surround Africa. __________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
1.5_ Who were the first modern Europeans to explore Africa? ______________________________________
1.6_ What happened at the Berlin Conference in 1884? _____________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
1.7_ Is Africa in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere? Why? ______________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
1.8_ When were most African nations given their independence? __________________________________
Problems facing many African nations.
Tribalism is probably the largest single problem
in modern Africa. The “nations” created by
the Europeans contain many smaller nations,
tribes, who do not trust each other. They are
not willing to share power with another tribe
or be ruled by a president from another group.
Differences in religion make the fighting worse.
(NOTE: The words tribe, ethnic group, and people
group all refer to the same thing, a group of
people with the same culture and a common
history). Also, in much of Africa the people
8| Section 1
can barely grow enough food to survive. The
little they do grow can be lost if the rains do
not come or if war occurs. Disease and lack
of good medicine are also major problems. In
particular, Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is killing many adults, leaving
their orphaned children in the care of elderly
relatives or completely alone. African nations
have also borrowed billions of dollars from the
wealthier countries to feed their people and
start industries. In many cases, there is no way
the money can ever be repaid.
Unit 7 | Africa
Answer or complete the following.
1.9_ What is the biggest problem that prevents Africans from working together?
Describe the problem in your own words. _____________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________ .
1.10_ Name two problems that make living difficult for Africans. ____________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
1.11_ What problems are the African nations having with money? ___________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Section 1 |9
Africa| Unit 7
1. NORTHERN AFRICA
Section Objectives
Review these objectives. When you have completed this section, you should be able to:
1. Identify the main problems of modern Africa and their causes.
2. Identify several countries of northern Africa, their products, government, and history.
3. Describe the geography, religion, problems, and history of northern Africa.
6. Identify the major geographic features of Africa.
7. Explain the history of the relationship between Africa and Europe.
8. Understand the vocabulary words and how they relate to Africa.
Vocabulary
Study these words to enhance your success in this section.
animism (an’ i miz um) The belief that all things have a spirit living in them.
annex (a neks’) To join or add a smaller thing to a larger thing.
assassinate (u sas’ n āt) To murder, especially a well-known person, by a sudden attack or from
ambush.
climate (klī mit) The kind of weather a place has.
coup d’état or coup (koo dā tä) A sudden change in government using force or illegal means.
desolate (des’ ō lit) Not lived in; deserted.
drought (drout) A long period of dry weather; continued lack of rain.
economy (i kon’ u mē) The way a country manages its resources.
eon (ē on) A very long period of time; many thousands of years.
export (ek spôrt’) To send goods out of one country for sale and use in another.
guerrilla (gu ril’ u) A member of a band of fighters who attack the enemy by sudden raids,
ambushes, or the like. Guerrillas are not part of a regular army.
millet (mil’ it) The very small grain of a kind of cereal grass, grown for food or hay.
nomad (nō mad) A member of a tribe who moves from place to place to have food or pasture for
his cattle.
oases (ō ā’ sēz) small fertile areas in deserts which usually include a spring or water source.
phosphate (fos fāt) A chemical found in certain rocks; used to make fertilizer.
protectorate (prō tek’ tėr it) A more powerful nation takes over protection and some control of a
weaker nation.
10| Section 1
Unit 7 | Africa
savanna (su van’ u) A grassy plain with few or no trees, especially one near the tropics.
sparse (spärs) Thinly scattered; occurring here and there.
terrorism (tãr’ ėr iz em) The use of fear and violence to accomplish something.
tourist (túr’ ist) A person traveling for pleasure.
Note: All vocabulary words in this LIFEPAC appear in boldface print the first time they are used. If you are not
sure of the meaning when you are reading, study the definitions given.
Pronunciation Key: hat, āge, cãre, fär; let, ēqual, tėrm; it, īce; hot, ōpen, ôrder; oil; out; cup, pu·t, rüle; child; long; thin;
/ŦH/ for then; /zh/ for measure; /u/ represents /a/ in about, /e/ in taken, /i/ in pencil, /o/ in lemon, and /u/ in circus.
GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY
Northern Africa includes eight coastal countries and three inland nations. The culture and
economics of these nations have been shaped
by the geography of their land. Scientists tell
us that eons ago northern Africa had plenty of
rain and abundant vegetation. Today, however,
the Sahara Desert covers most of North Africa.
The Sahara is a land of sand and rocks. Small
pockets of plant life called oases grow around
the few sources of water like islands in a sea of
sand. The land on either side of the Nile River in
Egypt is a thin line of green in this barren country. The Atlas Mountains run east to west along
the northwest coastline. Along the southern
edge of the Sahara is an area called the Sahel.
The Sahel is an area of semi-desert where
animals can live and a few hardy crops can be
grown in the years when enough rain falls. Due
to years of drought, the Sahel is steadily being
turned into desert as the Sahara grows larger
each year.
The people who lived in the huge Sahara Desert
had a culture based on surviving in that harsh
land. Food and water were difficult to find.
People stayed and lived only in the few areas
that had water and good soil for crops, such as
on the Nile River. Across the rest of the desert,
the people became nomads, moving whenever
they used up the small supplies of food and
water they found. These nomads, usually of
the Berber people group, were fierce warriors
because they often fought over the small oases
in their territories. They were forced to convert to Islam by the Muslim armies that swept
across North Africa in the A.D. 700s. These
people also had begun to use the camel as a
beast of burden in the first centuries A.D. They
used the camels to create very successful trade
routes across the desert. They traded mostly
salt, which was common on the northern coast,
for gold from the Niger River area where salt
was rare and valuable.
Control of the gold mines was the source of
the great wealth of the black African empires
of the Niger River in west Africa. Ghana, Mali,
and Songhai were the names of these empires.
They ruled the area of the Niger River from A.D.
300s–1500s. They were also converted to Islam.
Mansa Musa of Mali showed off the wealth
of his empire on a religious trip to Mecca, the
center of Islam, in the 1300s. He took with him
five hundred camels each carrying three hundred pounds of gold. The last of these empires
was destroyed about the time the Portuguese
began to explore the coast of Africa.
Section 1 |11
Africa| Unit 7
Answer or complete the following.
1.12_ What were the two goods traded between northern Africa and the Niger River empires?
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
1.13_ What covers most of northern Africa? __________________________________________________________
1.14_ What was the religion of the Berber nomads and the west African Empires? __________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
1.15_ How were goods carried across the desert? ____________________________________________________
1.16_ What is the Sahel? _____________________________________________________________________________
1.17_ Name the three great empires of west Africa. __________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
NORTHERN COASTAL COUNTRIES
Learn to correctly pronounce the names of the modern coastal countries of northern Africa and
their capitals.
COUNTRY
CAPITAL
Cape Verde (kāp vûrd)
Mauritania (mawr ih tay’ neee uh)
Morocco (muh rahk’ oh)
Western Sahara (suh hair’ uh)
Algeria (al jeer’ ee uh)
Tunisia (too nee’ zhuh)
Libya (li’ bee uh)
Egypt (ee’ jipt)
Sudan (soo dan’)
South Sudan (soo dan’)
Praia (prīūh)
Nouakchott (nwahk shaht’)
Rabat (rah baht’)
(Occupied territory, no capital)
Algiers (al jeerz’)
Tunis (too’ nihs)
Tripoli (trihp’ uh lee)
Cairo (kī’ ro)
Khartoum (kahr toom’)
Juba (joo’ buh)
As you study each country, find it on Map 2 and color it very lightly. Use different colors next to
each other so that you will be able to see the outlines of the countries. Underline the capitals of
each nation.
12| Section 1
Africa| Unit 7
SELF TEST 1
Fill in each blank with the correct country (each country, 2 points).
Egypt
Algeria
Libya
South Sudan
Morocco
Tunisia
1.01_
The newest African nation is _______________________________ .
1.02_
The ancient city of Carthage was in ________________________ .
1.03_
The Nile River is the basis of life in _____________________________________ .
1.04_
The Atlas Mountains run through the center of _____________________________________________ .
1.05_
By the time ____________________ became free from France, 90% of its white settlers had left.
1.06_
____________________ supported terrorism all over the world under the leadership of Qadhafi.
Answer these questions (each answer, 3 points).
1.07_
The European nations divided Africa among themselves in 1884 at _________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________ .
1.08_
What is the Sahel and where is it located? ___________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
1.09_
What is one of the biggest problems for African nations today?______________________________
1.010_ The wealth and power of the West African Empires was based on the trade of ______________
______________________________________________________________________________________________ .
1.011_ The major religion of North Africa is ________________________________________________________ .
1.012_ What is the name of the island nation located near North Africa?____________________________
1.013_ What is the difference between a tribe and an ethnic group? ________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
1.014_ The large body of water north of Africa is _____________________________________ .
1.015_ The first modern Europeans to explore Africa were _______________________________________ .
1.016_ Many African dictators were able to get support from the Super Powers during the time
_
known as _______________________________ .
1.017_ The Sahara is a _________________________________ .
1.018_ The Nile River flows (direction) __________________ .
20| Section 1
Unit 7 | Africa
Match these items (each answer, 2 points).
1.019 _________ coup d’état (coup)
a. things sold to another country
1.020 _________drought
b. tribe with no permanent home
1.021 _________nomads
c. tropical grassy plain
1.022 _________exports
d. long period with no rain
1.023 _________protectorate
e. join a smaller to a larger
1.024 _________guerrilla
f. sudden, forcible change in government
1.025 _________annex
g. all things have spirits living in them
1.026 _________animism
h. way a country manages its resources
1.027 _________economy
i. fighters who attack by sudden raid or
ambush
1.028 _________savanna
j. stronger nation takes over protection
and control of a weaker nation
Write true or false (each answer, 2 points).
1.029 _____________ Africa is the world’s largest continent.
1.030 _____________ The Cape of Good Hope is located in North Africa.
1.031 _____________ The Indian Ocean is east of Africa.
1.032 _____________ Western Sahara is occupied by Morocco.
1.033 _____________ The Arab nations hate Israel and want it destroyed.
1.034 _____________ Slaves were what Europeans wanted most from Africa before the 1800s.
1.035 _____________ The Equator does not pass through Africa.
1.036 _____________ The Sahara Desert is growing bigger each year.
1.037 _____________ Many African nations owe huge debts they cannot repay.
1.038 _____________ Horses and donkeys were used to trade across the Sahara Desert.
Section 1 |21
Africa| Unit 7
Answer these questions in complete sentences (each answer, 5 points).
1.039_ Did Europeans hunt and capture their own slaves? Explain. _________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
1.040_ Did the Europeans treat the Africans fairly? Explain. _________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
80
100
22| Section 1
SCORE
TEACHER
initials
date
HIS0607 – Apr ‘15 Printing
804 N. 2nd Ave. E.
Rock Rapids, IA 51246-1759
800-622-3070
www.aop.com
ISBN 978-0-7403-2746-9
9 780740 327469