Physical characteristics and
biomes:

Sahel region, bordering Sahara
 Characteristics
 Area
suffers from lack of rainfall, over grazing,
which causes loss of vegetation and loss of
inhabitable areas causing desertification
 Key
Rivers in the west are the Niger and the
Congo
 Central Africa- Tropical rainforest along the
equator
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Physical characteristics and
biomes: cont
East Africa
The Great Rift Valley—a series of geological faults—is
divided in Western and Eastern branches by tectonic
forces.



Lakes have formed in the rifts—Lake Tanganyika, Lake
Victoria, Lake Turkana
Lake Victoria- Africa’s largest lake.
Nile River- World’s longest river (4100 miles long)
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Physical characteristics and
biomes: cont South


Africa
Escarpment (A steep cliff face)—separates plain from
plateau; includes Drakensberg range (The major mountain
range of South Africa)
desert biomes
 Namib- Considered the oldest desert in the world (55
million years). The Climatic forces of limited rainfall are
the biggest influence over the area.
 Zambezi

River—Victoria Falls
Madagascar—tropical rainforest biome, with many species

Biodiversity- large collection of different types of animals and insects.
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Climates :
tropical wet and dry—south of Sahel; open
grasslands; once home to many large
animals (zebras, elephants)
 tropical humid—near equator; dense
forest; many birds and insects, primates
 Primary influence on weather is latitude
and wind systems

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History :
Berbers- North African nomadic culture still
preserving customs today
 Pre-colonial West Africa: this era saw the rise of
great empires, including Ghana and Mali
 Often conquered smaller kingdoms and sold
them into slavery. European contact began in
the late 1400s with the slave trade.
 East Africa Arab traders—built coastal ports;
Swahili language developed (Mix of tribal lang.
and Arab)
 late 1800s—Colonial territorial claims and
ethnicity responsible for borders

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History :

South Africa- Portuguese were the first to arrive

Boer War (1899–1902) between British and
Dutch settlers
 Caused

by attempts to control mineral wealth
 European control of the South leads to apartheid laws
that eventually end by the election of Nelson Mandela
in 1994
In general, Europeans saw Africans as less developed,
so they dominated their lands and mineral wealth
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Cultural Characteristics :

Sub-Saharan Africa is different from North
Africa in a variety of ways:
 much
larger variety of languages are used
 Much larger variety of religions are practiced
 Ex-
Animism: the worship of the environment and
Animal spirits/ popular in Central Africa
 Many
different levels of development and
diversity in biomes which characterizes
economies dependent on the land.
 Ethnic divisions responsible for borders
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Cultural Characteristics :
 Central
Africa
 The Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda- uses over
700 ethnic languages. Social groups Hutu,
Tutsi, and Bantu

Languages also have European and Arab influenceEnglish, French, Swahili
 All
groups use a varying combination of
Christianity, Islam, and, African spirit
religions.
 Bottom line is that the area has been
influenced by a large variety of cultures,
languages, and religions
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Cultural Characteristics :


Central African Rain forest people- a picture of human
adaptation and modification, using the forest for food, medicine,
and home construction
South Africa
 Heavy influence from British and Dutch colonial ties.
 The most Economically developed
 Huge cities like Johannesburg linked to mineral wealth,
agriculture and manufacturing
 Still showing evidence of the apartheid era (AparthiedSeparate-ness for whites)
 Whites are very wealthy compared to black South
Africans
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Economic Development :



Sub-Saharan Cultures are typically underdeveloped and
are most often involved in primary economic activities
 Women in rural areas are often involved in
subsistence agriculture
Central African forest industry developing in the Congo
river basin due to climatic conditions facilitating more
trees.
The need for survival causes many to migrate to Urban
areas due to more opportunities. Cities expected to
double in population in near future. However, migration
to the North is limited by the Sahara
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Economic Development :

Europeans are largely responsible for developing the
strongest economic regions due to entrepreneurs
investing in:




Oil and Natural gas in the West (Niger)
Gold and precious metals in the South (Angola, South Africa)
Fresh Water and arable land in the East (Kenya, Tanzania)
Typically Africa was too vast to cross but European
development in transportation infrastructure such as
railroads has made it more open to tourists and trading.
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Challenges :

Civil war, genocide, and corruption in Govt.
 Ex- Darfur Sudan- millions killed due to Govt. militia
fighters
 Sudanese Govt. investigated but found innocent due
to lack of intent
 People in the South voted on referendum for southern
independence creating south Sudan in 2011.
 Factions in South Sudan committing atrocities due
unwillingness to trust and compromise with one
another.
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Challenges :
Sub-Saharan subsistence farmers will have to survive on
less due to droughts, famine, and desert expansion.
 East African droughts have forced a more reliance on
imports, which strains their budget by causing greater
debt.
 Massive migration created by disease, conflicts and
famine
 HIV- in some places 1 of every 3 people have HIV
 Leading scientists believe the only approach is a
unified effort

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