AFRICA – PHYSICAL SETTING (RELIEF AND DRAINAGE ; CLIMATE AND VEGETATION )
Subject : GEOGRAPHY
CLASS : SS 3
TERM : FIRST TERM
WEEK 2
Africa- Physical setting (Relief and Drainage; Climate and Vegetation)
Relief of Africa Areas of highlands in Africa include:
(1) North Africa: (Atlas Mt, Ahaggar, Tasilli and Tibesti).
(2) West Africa: Fouta Djallon Mt, Guinea Highlands, Adamawa Mt, Jos Plateau.
(3) East Africa: Cameroun Mt, Ethiopia Mt, Elgon Kenya Mt. Kilimanjaro Mt (the highest mountain in Africa), Mt. Ruwenzori.
(4) Southern Africa: Lowland are generally along the coast of the entire continent and rift valley in East Africa. Major lowlands include: Nile Delta, Rift Valley Lakes (Victoria, Albert, Edward), Central African Basin and Kalahari Desert.
Drainage of Africa The major rivers of Africa include Nile, Niger, Senegal, Zaire, Volta,_Orange, Lippopo, Zambezi.
Major lakes include: Lake Malawi, Lake Victoria, Lake Chad, Lake Rudolf, Lake Tanganyika and Lake Nasser on the Nile (largest man-made lake in Africa). Class Activity: Draw a sketch map of Africa, locate and name its drainage and relief features
Drainage includes major rivers such as Congo River in the west central Africa and Nile river in the east. The longest river is the Nile with a length of 6695 km followed by Niger with a length of 4200 km.
The major lakes of Africa include Tanganyika, Victoria, Albert and Chad in the eastern part of Africa. In the southern region lies Nasser lake which was formed after construction of the Aswan Dam dam. These are some of the largest lakes in Africa with a total area exceeding 300,000 sqkm.
Climate of Africa The types of climate in Africa include: 1. The Equatorial Hot Wet Climate: Found in coastal parts of West Africa and Zaire. 2. The Tropical Margin Climate: Found in West Africa and Malagasy. 3. The Sudan Climate: Found in West Africa, central Africa, and part of Southern Africa. 4. The Hot Desert Climate: Found in Sahara Desert, Kalahari, and Namib deserts. 5. The Mediterranean: Found on the tips of North West Africa and South Africa. 6. The Temperate Continental Climate: Found in the veld area of South Africa. 7. The Subartic Climate: Found in South Africa at the tip of the Cape Peninsula. 8. The Tundra Climate: Found on the summit of Kilimanjaro, Mt Kenya and Rwenzori.
Vegetation of Africa
Types of vegetation in Africa include:
1. Tropical Rain Forest: Found in West and Central Africa (Congo DR, former Zaire).
2. Warm Temperate Forest: Found only in South Africa around Natal.
3. Mediterranean Vegetation: Found in North West Africa-Libya, Tunisia, Morocco; and also in South Africa (Cape Province).
4. Tropical Savannah Grassland: Found in West Africa, Central Africa and parts of Southern Africa.
5. Desert Vegetation: Found in Niger and Southern parts of North Africa, and Southern parts of Africa. 6. Montane Vegetation: Found around mountains like Cameroun Mt, Ethiopian Mt, Mt. Kilimanjaro, and Adamawa Mt.
7. Riverine Vegetation: Found along the major rivers in Africa (Zambezi, Lippopo and Nile).
8. Mangrove Vegetation: Found on Tropical Coasts of West Africa-Gambia, Guinea Bissau; Central Africa-Congo DR, Gabon and São Tomé and Príncipe
9. Evergreen Needle Leaf Forest: Found in Ethiopia and South Africa
10. Deciduous Broadleaf Forest: Found in West Africa, Central Africa, East and Southern Africa.
Africa is the second-largest continent in the world, with a vast landscape characterized by diverse relief and climate conditions. The main geographical features of Africa include the Sahara desert in the north, tropical rainforests in the central and western regions, mountains such as Kilimanjaro, Ruwenzori, Mt Kenya and Adamawa in eastern Africa, coastal lowlands along the southern and Indian Ocean coasts.
Class Activity: Draw a sketch map of Africa, locate and name its vegetation.
Summary :
1. The Equatorial Hot Wet Climate is found in the coastal parts of West Africa and Zaire.
2. The Tropical Margin Climate is found in West Africa and Malagasy.
3. The Sudan Climate is found in West Africa, central Africa, and part of Southern Africa.
4. The Mediterranean Climate is found on the tips of North West Africa and South Africa.
5. The Temperate Continental Climate is found in the veld area of South Africa.
6. The Subartic Climate is found in South Africa at the tip of the Cape Peninsula.
7. The Tundra Climate is found on the summit of Kilimanjaro, Mt Kenya and Rwenzori.
8. The vegetation of Africa includes tropical rain forests, savannah grasslands, riverside vegetation, mangrove forests, and evergreen needleleaf forests.
Evaluation :
1) A typical example of an inland drainage basin in Africa is the?
A)
Congo Basin
B)
Lake Victoria Basin
C)
Lake Chad Basin
D)
Orange Basin
2)Two examples of inland drainage lakes in Africa are?
A)
Lake Chad and Lake Edwards
B)
Lake Victoria and Lake Ngami
C)
Lake Chad and Lake Turkana
D)
Lake Malawi and Lake Turkana
3) One example of inland drainage lake in Africa is
A)
Lake Chad
B)
Lake Victoria
C)
Lake Malawi
D)
Lake Turkana
4) The climate of equatorial regions of West Africa is characterized by
A)
summer,autumn,winter and spring
B)
short dry season and short wet season
C)
two rainy seasons with a short dry season in-between
D)
summer and winter
5) The climate of northern South Africa is characterized by
A)
mild temperatures and long rainy seasons
B)
very cold winters and short hot summers with little rainfall
C)
high humidity year-round with occasional dry months
D)
warm,dry conditions throughout the year with little precipitation.
6) The climate of the Sahara desert is characterized by
A)
warm,humid conditions with abundant rainfall year-round
B)
hot summers and mild winters with little precipitation
C)
long dry seasons and short rainy seasons throughout the year
D)
very cold temperatures and strong winds year-round.
7) The vegetation of the Sahara desert includes
A)
mountains and grasslands
B)
deciduous forests, savannahs, and deserts
C)
evergreen needleleaf forests and riverside vegetation
D)
mangrove forests, tropical rainforests, and thorny shrubs.
8) The vegetation of eastern Africa includes
A)
grasslands, deserts, and savannahs
B)
evergreen needleleaf forests and mangrove forests
C)
mountains and tropical rainforests
D)
riverside vegetation, deciduous broadleaf forests, and tundra.
9) The vegetation of South Africa includes
A)
veld, deciduous broadleaf forests, and evergreen needleleaf forests
B)
mountains and grasslands
C)
savannahs and tropical rainforests
D)
mangrove forests and deserts
10) The vegetation of west Africa includes
A)
tropical rainforests, savannahs, and deserts
B)
riverside vegetation, mountains, and evergreen needleleaf forests
C)
grasslands, deciduous broadleaf forests, and tundra
D)
thorny shrubs, mangrove forests, and grass