Physical Features of Africa

1. Essential Question
What are the major
geographical
features of Africa?

2. Africa’s Africa’s
geographical geographical
features!features!

3. SaharaSahara
•desert in northern Africadesert in northern Africa
•largest desert in the world at largest desert in the world at
3,500,000 square miles3,500,000 square miles
•from Arabic word Al-Sahrafrom Arabic word Al-Sahra

4. Atlas MountainsAtlas Mountains
•mountain range in north mountain range in north
Africa between the Africa between the
Mediterranean Sea and the Mediterranean Sea and the
Sahara desert Sahara desert
•extends from Morocco to extends from Morocco to
TunisiaTunisia

5. Sahel
•““Transitional Land”Transitional Land”
•the transitional land between the transitional land between
desert land and savannadesert land and savanna
•semi arid land, which is still dry semi arid land, which is still dry
but gets more rain than the desertbut gets more rain than the desert

6. Lake TanganyikaLake Tanganyika
•deepest lake in Africadeepest lake in Africa
•located in central Africalocated in central Africa
•divided between Burundi, divided between Burundi,
Congo, Tanzania, and ZambiaCongo, Tanzania, and Zambia

7. Savanna
•tropical or subtropical grassland tropical or subtropical grassland
containing scattered treescontaining scattered trees
•receives enough rain to support receives enough rain to support
drought resistant undergrowth but drought resistant undergrowth but
not enough to support “forest not enough to support “forest
type” vegetationtype” vegetation

8. Niger River
•principal river in western Africa
•runs through Guinea, Mali, Niger, Benin
and Nigeria
•significant water source for the city of
Timbuktu

9. Congo RiverCongo River
•largest river in western central largest river in western central
AfricaAfrica
•flows through the third largest rain flows through the third largest rain
forest in the worldforest in the world

10. Tropical RainforestTropical Rainforest
•a forest that receives more water a forest that receives more water
through precipitation than is loses through precipitation than is loses
through evaporation through evaporation
–What are these processes?What are these processes?
•more than 80 inches of rain per yearmore than 80 inches of rain per year
•1/5 of Africa is rainforest1/5 of Africa is rainforest
•Africa contains 1 of the 3 major Africa contains 1 of the 3 major
rainforests in the world.rainforests in the world.

11. Nile RiverNile River
•It’s the world’s longest river at It’s the world’s longest river at
4,150 miles!!!4,150 miles!!!
•located in eastern Africa located in eastern Africa
•depended upon for waterdepended upon for water
•Flows north into the Mediterranean Flows north into the Mediterranean
sea!sea!

12. Kalahari DesertKalahari Desert
•located in south Africa and covers located in south Africa and covers
Botswana and parts of Namibia and Botswana and parts of Namibia and
South Africa South Africa
•not a “true” desert because it receives not a “true” desert because it receives
3-10 inches of rain per year3-10 inches of rain per year
•because of the precipitation can because of the precipitation can
sustain some animal lifesustain some animal life

13. Lake VictoriaLake Victoria
•largest lake in Africa largest lake in Africa
•22
ndnd
largest fresh water lake in the largest fresh water lake in the
worldworld
•vital in supporting the millions of vital in supporting the millions of
people that live nearbypeople that live nearby

14. Zambezi RiverZambezi River
•southeast African river flowing southeast African river flowing
through Zambia and Angola, also through Zambia and Angola, also
along many of the borders of many along many of the borders of many
countriescountries
•empties into the Indian Oceanempties into the Indian Ocean
•contains Victoria Fallscontains Victoria Falls

15. Victoria FallsVictoria Falls
•It’s the largest and most It’s the largest and most
unique waterfall in the unique waterfall in the
world!world!

16. Mount KilimanjaroMount Kilimanjaro
•It’s the tallest free standing volcanic It’s the tallest free standing volcanic
mountain in the world! mountain in the world!
•It is the highest peak in Africa at 19,340 It is the highest peak in Africa at 19,340
feet! feet!