httpwwwsnopescomphotossunsetasp Africas Unique Physical Geography Intro Africa is really a plateau continent with escarpments and rift valleys Below is a picture of the Great Escarpment Drakensberg in South Africa ID: 276398
Download Presentation The PPT/PDF document "AFRICA--Physical Geography" is the property of its rightful owner. Permission is granted to download and print the materials on this web site for personal, non-commercial use only, and to display it on your personal computer provided you do not modify the materials and that you retain all copyright notices contained in the materials. By downloading content from our website, you accept the terms of this agreement.
Slide1
AFRICA--Physical Geography
http://www.snopes.com/photos/sunset.aspSlide2
Africa’s Unique Physical Geography
Intro
Africa is really a plateau continent with escarpments and rift valleys- . Below is a picture of the Great Escarpment (Drakensberg) in South Africa
( show animation)
Plateaus, Mountains, and Highlands: Africa south of the Sahara is a series of plateaus that rise in elevation from the coast inland and from west to east. ( show book picture)The regions of Africa extend to a sea or ocean in all cardinal directions Atlantic Ocean to the west, Indian Ocean to the east, Mediterranean to the north and Southern Ocean to the south. Slide3
Africa’s mountains
Africa has no major mountain chains. It has scattered volcanic mountains (like the Kilimanjaro), the old & worn Atlas Mts. in Morocco.
The Ruwenzori Mountains, which form the border between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, are one of the few mountain ranges in
the region. Slide4
Deserts
Major deserts:
Sahara (
only slightly smaller than the United States)
Kalahari in Botswana and a coastal desert, the Namib in Namibia.Nubian desert in SudanLybian desertSlide5
Africa’s rivers & basins
Niger River basin
:
- Niger river is the main artery in western Africa
it originates in the Guinean highlands & curves southeast to meet the Atlantic coast of Nigeria (2600 mi. long)Major means of transportation, tourism & travelZambezi River basin: Has it’s source near the Zambia/Angola border and flows to the east to meet the Indian Ocean in a delta shape (2,200 mi)Congo River: largest network of navigablewaterways in Africa (2,900 mi). The Congoestuary is 6 miles wide and is easily navigable by ocean vessels Congo River estuarySlide6
Elongated lakes and erratic river courses are common in Africa
Slide7
Section 1-10
Click the mouse button or press the
Space Bar to display the information.
Land of Lakes: Most of the region’s lakes are near the Great Rift Valley.
Lake Victoria, the largest lake in Africa, lies between the eastern and western branches of the Great Rift.
(pages 500–504)
Victoria FallsSlide8
Lake Victoria is not only the source of the Nile, but is also the largest body of fresh water in Africa, and second largest in the world after Lake Superior. It is bigger than many countries
Slide9
Nile River leaves Lake Victoria on a 6,000 kilometer trip.Slide10
Atlantic Ocean in NamibiaSlide11
Ethiopian HighlandsSlide12
Mt. KilimanjaroSlide13
Why is Africa’s physical geography unique?
The theory of plate tectonics whereby mountain chains are created by collision of earth’s crustal plates. (not found in Africa) did have a big influence in forming Africa’s physical geography
When South America and India broke away from Africa, they left escarpments along the coastlines. East Africa is breaking away –creating the Rift Valley. Slide14
Tectonic ActivitySlide15
Great Rift Valley
The Great Rift Valley
,
stretching from Syria to Mozambique, was formed millions of years ago by shifting tectonic plates. Along the axis of the Great Rift Valley, the earths crust is being spread apart in a long, ridge like fashion. The Rift Valley system consists of a large number of finger-like-troughs, each ranging in width from about 30 to 60 km, making up the complex system of plate tectonic activity Slide16
Congo River
<> Slide17
Niger River
Great Bend of the Niger River
“Where the camel meets the canoe”Slide18
Water is an abundant resource for irrigation and hydroelectric power, but irregular and unpredictable rainfall poses a challenge to the control and use of this power.
Solar power provides a vital source of power to rural areas. Between 1986 and 1996, 20,000 small-scale solar power systems were installed in Kenya.
Natural Resources
Mineral resources of the region include oil, uranium, diamonds, and about half the world’s supply of gold. Slide19
Africa’s Hydroelectric Power
on the Congo RiverSlide20
Africa’s Hydroelectric Power
on the Nile RiverAswan High DamSlide21
Gold
South Africa = ½ World’s Gold
Also found in Zimbabwe, D. R. Congo
Tanzania, and Ghana
Uranium is usually found with gold.Slide22
Diamonds
And nearly half of all the diamond jewelry in the world is sold in the United States. Slide23
Blood Diamonds
Conflict Diamonds
In relation to diamond trading,
conflict diamond
(also called a converted diamond, blood diamond, hot diamond, or war diamond) refers to a diamond mined in a war zone and sold to finance an insurgency, invading army's war efforts, or a warlord’s activity, usually in Liberia, Angola, Sierra Leone ,DRC, Cote D’Ivoire Slide24
Natural Resources
OilAngola, Nigeria, Gabon, Congo
Nigerian women
occupied a Nigerian
Oil terminal of Chevron-Texaco Until they agreed to hire villagers,Build schools, &provideElectric & waterSlide25
Solar Community Kitchen
in Kargi, Kenya, Africa
Getting electricity to the rural poor Slide26
Waterfalls, cataracts & rapidsSlide27
Zambezi RiverSlide28
Cape of Good Hope
Slide29
Increasing drought in the Sahel area and more demand for freshwater for irrigation may mean that Lake Chad will continue shrinking.
Slide30
Lake Volta, Ghana
Man-made lake: irrigation for farms, hydroelectric power 4 Aluminum plants, fishSlide31
Uranium
Iraq sought African UraniumSlide32
Diamonds fund Civil Wars
in Angola, D. R. Congo and Sierra LeoneSlide33
Chromium
S. Africa & Zimbabwe
Iron Ore
Copper & Cobalt Mine
D.R. CongoSlide34
Manganese is used
for dry cell Batteries
Manganese Mine in
South Africa