AFRICA

The African continent is in all 4 hemispheres:

North

South

East

West

Waterways

• Atlantic Ocean• Indian Ocean• Mediterranean Sea• Red Sea

The continent is divided into 5 regions

• North Africa• West Africa• East Africa• Central Africa• Southern Africa

Northern Nations

• Morocco• Algeria• Tunisia• Libya• Egypt

The Sahara Desert is the largest in the world. The Nile River is the longest in the world.

The Sahara Desert

• This desert is almost as large as the USA.• It stretches through every country in North Africa.• Most of the Sahara is hard and rocky. In Libya it is loose

sand. In Morocco it is mountainous.• The desert is dotted with oases. These are places where

water comes up from deep springs. An oasis may have a patch of grass and a few palm trees. Nomadic herders moved from oasis to oasis.

• Rain from the mountainous areas form rivers that farmers can use to irrigate fields.

• Large parts are completely uninhabited.

The Nile River• This river starts at Lake Victoria and flows north to the

Mediterranean Sea.• People settled here because it was easy to farm. Once a

year, the Nile flooded its banks, spreading rich, new soil and providing water for irrigation.

• The Egyptians developed a 365-day calendar based on the Nile floods.

• The Aswan Dam was built in 1971 to regulate the Nile river flow. This means farmers can grow crops year round. But it also means farmers must use fertilizer which is expensive.

• The dam has also slowed the river flow which has allowed snails that carry parasites that cause a disease called schistosomiasis.

• This disease can be treated but is expensive, so poor farmers can not afford it. It is a major health problem in Egypt.

History of the region

European countries colonized the area

France controlled Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia

Italy controlled Libya

Each country struggled for independence and gained it.

Egypt was a powerful empire to begin with, but was conquered by the Roman empire, then Arab empire, then by the Turkish empire and finally became independent again.

Morocco is now a monarchy. Algeria, Tunisia & Egypt are republics with elected presidents. Libya is ruled by a dictator.

•The original people were the Berbers.

•Arab people traveled west as traders, missionaries and conquerors. They brought their religion and mixed with the local people.

•The people of Egypt, however, are descended from the Hamitic people. The Hamitic people settled along the Nile River.

•Ancient Egyptians built pyramids as tombs for their pharaohs (kings) as well as huge temples.

•They also invented hieroglyphic writing which tells us about their laws, religion and daily life.

The people• Arabic is the main language and Islam is the main religion.• Half of the people in the region live in cities.• Most of the others are settled farmers who grow wheat,

barley, grapes and oranges.• The nomadic herders keep goats, sheep, cattle or camels.

The women make cloth from goat hair. They live mainly off the milk and dairy products from their animals. They also collect dates from the palm trees.

• Camels are important because they are well adapted to desert life. They can live for weeks without water, shut their noses to keep out sand and their padded feet can walk across soft sand.

Egypt• Cairo is the capital. It is growing quickly. Horses share the

streets with cars. It has tall apartments buildings and some mud huts.

• The government owns 80% of the industry, yet, unemployment is high.

• Egypt has the most productive farms in North Africa. They grow cotton.

• The country needs to import food because there are so many people

• They make money selling oil, cotton, cotton products and tourism.

• The Suez Canal which connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea was built by France and Britain but now Egypt owns and runs it.

AFRICA

The African continent is in all ________ hemispheres:

....

Waterways

• ________________ Ocean• ________________ Ocean• ________________________ Sea• ______________ Sea

The continent is divided into __________ regions

• ________________ Africa• ________________ Africa• ________________ Africa• ________________ Africa• ________________ Africa

Northern Nations

• .• .• .• .• .

The ______________________is the largest in the world. The ______________________is the longest in the world.

The Sahara Desert

• This desert is almost as ____________________________.• It stretches through __________________________in North Africa.• Most of the Sahara is _______ and ________. In Libya it is ______

sand. In Morocco it is ____________________.• The desert is dotted with __________________. These are places

where ______________ comes up from ______________. An oasis may have a ___________________ and a few palm ________. Nomadic herders moved from oasis to oasis.

• __________ from the mountainous areas ________ _________ that farmers can use to ______________ fields.

• Large parts are completely uninhabited.

The Nile River• This river ___________ at ___________________ and flows

______________ to the Mediterranean Sea.• People ___________ here because it was _____ to _________.

Once a year, the Nile flooded its banks, spreading rich, new soil and providing water for irrigation.

• The Egyptians __________________ a 365-day ___________________ based on the Nile floods.

• The ____________ Dam was built in 1971 to ______________ the Nile _____________ flow. This means farmers can grow crops year round. But it also means farmers must use fertilizer which is expensive.

• The dam has also slowed the river flow which has allowed snails that carry parasites that cause a _________ called _________________.

• This disease can be treated but is expensive, so poor farmers can not afford it. It is a major health problem in Egypt.

History of the region

European countries ____________ the area

__________ controlled Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia

_______________ controlled Libya

Each country struggled for independence and gained it.

__________ was a powerful empire to begin with, but was conquered by the ________ empire, then ________ empire, then by the _____________ empire and finally became independent again.

___________ is now a ____________. ________, ________ & __________ are ______________ with elected _______________. _________ is ruled by a ______________.

•The original people were the _________.

•_______ people traveled west as _____________, _________________ and ___________________. They brought their religion and mixed with the local people.

•The people of ____________, however, are descended from the ________________ people. The Hamitic people ________ along the _____ River.

•Ancient Egyptians built pyramids as tombs for their _____________ (kings) as well as huge temples.

•They also invented ____________________ writing which tells us about their laws, religion and daily life.

The people• ____________ is the main language and __________ is the main

religion.• Half of the people in the region live in cities.• Most of the others are settled _______________ who grow

________, barley, ___________ and _______________.• The nomadic ____________ keep ________, _________,

_________ or __________. The women make cloth from goat hair. They live mainly off the milk and dairy products from their animals. They also collect __________ from the palm trees.

• ____________ are important because they are well _____________ to desert life. They can live for weeks without water, shut their noses to keep out sand and their padded feet can walk across soft sand.

Egypt• ___________ is the capital. It is growing quickly. Horses share the

streets with cars. It has tall ______________ buildings and some mud _____________.

• The government owns 80% of the _____________, yet, ____________________ is _________.

• Egypt has the most productive ___________ in North Africa. They grow _________________.

• The country needs to ____________ ____________ because there are so many people

• They ____________ ___________ selling ________, __________, cotton products and ______________________.

• The ________________ Canal which connects the ______________ Sea to the ____________ Sea was built by France and Britain but now Egypt owns and runs it.