Africa!

1. Africa! Let’s take a break from Europe

2. Warm up • What do you know about Africa? • Which is bigger, the US or Africa? • What kind of environment do you think Africa has?

3. Africa: An Introduction • Theme: Boundaries • Africa’s history, geography, culture, economic and political systems have all been shaped by boundaries. • Boundaries have limited Africa’s development, isolated its interior people and contributed to the development of multiple cultures.

4. Geography: Africa is the 2ndlargest continent in area.

5. Four major geographic regions: • 1. Mediterranean/Coastal Region • Includes North Africa, immediate coastal areas and eastern tip of the continent. • Densely populated; most urbanized

6. Coastal Africa

7. Cairo, Egypt

8. Algiers, Algeria

9. Lagos, Nigeria

10. 2. Desert Region • Includes the Sahara, Namib & Kalahari • Major problem is desertification • Sahara is growing by 4-5 miles a year. • Sparse population; abundant wildlife

11. Namib Desert, Namibia

12. Cavavan in the Sahara Desert

13. 3. Sahel and Savanna • Includes the grassland areas along the edges of the three deserts. • Dry grasslands – abundant wildlife • Wet grasslands – densely populated; prime agricultural region

14. Cattle Grazing, Ethiopia

15. Zebras in the Great Rift Valley, Kenya

17. 4. Tropical Rainforest • Includes the equatorial region both north and south of the equator. • Major problem is deforestation. • Rich vegetation; vast amounts of wildlife; isolated population centers.