AFRICAN FEATURES
STANDARDS:
SS7G1 a,b
SS7G3 a,b,c,d
The Regions
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The Sahara
The Sahel
Ethiopian Highlands
The Savannah
Rainforest & the Great
Lakes
• Southern Africa
SAHARA
• World’s largest desert (it stretches from
southwest Morocco to northern Tunisia)
• Sahara means “desert” in Arabic
• Countries included: Egypt, Libya, Tunisia,
Algeria, Morocco, and Western Sahara
• The Atlas Mountains border the region to the
north.
• Most people in this region are nomadic herders.
• They use camels for transportation and food.
• About the size of the United States.
SAHARA (cont.)
• Most people live near the Mediterranean
Sea and the Nile River.
• Nile River begins in east Africa, and it
flows north through nine countries.
• Its river delta empties into the
Mediterranean Sea.
• It supplies 85% of Egypt’s water supply.
• It is the longest river.
• Aswan High Dam controls flooding which
has lead to blessings and problems.
Dams control flooding which has
lead to blessings and problems.
• Blessings
- plant more crops
more often
- more crops = more
money!
- produces
hydroelectric power
• Problems
- artificial fertilizer vs.
silt
- lack of irrigation
- more salt water in
delta.
The Sahara
SAHEL
• Sahel- a strip of semi-arid land south of
the Sahara.
• Most people moved from rural to urban
areas due to a famine in the 1970’s.
• Almost 200,000 people died from
starvation.
• The region’s economy depends on
farming.
• Transportation is relied upon by roads and
water (ex: Nile River)
SAHEL (cont.)
• Sudan is located in both the Sahara and
Sahel regions.
• Sudan has many different environments:
plateaus, forests, grasslands, and deserts
• Sahel supports a range of crops for
Sudan’s economy: cotton, peanuts, wheat,
dates, and sugar cane.
• Sudanese people raise livestock.
The Sahel
ETHIOPIAN HIGHLANDS
• A rugged, mountainous region that covers
parts of Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Somalia.
• The Great Rift Valley is located in this
region.
- a geographical fault system that
stretches 3,000 miles from Asia to Africa
• Did you know? The earliest human
remains were found in this region.
ETHIOPIAN HIGHLANDS (cont.)
• Ethiopia very poor.
• Deforestation, bad farming practices, and
drought have caused severe economic
hardships.
• The main economic activity is subsistence
farming. What is it?
• The main export is coffee.
• Ethiopia has poor infrastructure (roads,
electricity, sewers)
Ethiopian Highlands
SAVANNAH
• Savannah is a tropical grassland with
scattered trees.
• It is home to amazing variety of wildlife
such as buffalo, gazelles, zebras, lions,
elephants, rhinos, giraffes, and hippos.
• The most famous area is the Serengeti
which is a migration area for wildlife.
SAVANNAH (cont.)
• Kenya is the main country in the region.
• Many Kenyans rely on the land for their
livelihood.
• About one-third of the country is used for
grazing land for cattle, goats, and sheep.
• Kenya’s main exports are coffee and tea.
The Savannah
RAINFOREST & GREAT LAKES
• Tropical rainforests are located in west
Africa.
• Rainforests have declined due to
deforestation and destructive farming
practices.
• Countries included: Rwanda, Congo,
Burundi, Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya.
• There are 15 lakes. Lake Victoria and
Lake Tanganyika. The Congo River is the
second largest river in Africa.
RAINFOREST & GREAT LAKES
(cont.)
• Ghana is an agricultural and mining
nation.
• Ghana’s most profitable crop is cocoa. It
also is a gold and diamond exporter.
• Ghana has a very poor road system which
makes traveling difficult and slowed the
timber industry.
• Republic of Congo’s (DRC) economy is
based on mining crude petroleum.
• Rwanda is based more on farming.
The Great Lakes Region
African Rainforests
SOUTHERN AFRICA
• Region includes the Kalahari desert &
Drakensberg Mountains and it has many
natural resources.
• Most of these people live in poverty. Most
of the wealth is with the white minority who
controls the mining industry. People of
color are paid very little.
• The region is a major producer of gold,
coal, diamonds, and platinum.
Southern Africa