African FeaturesLesson 9

Africa Facts• 2nd largest continent• 54 countries• 1,000 different

languages• Over 800 million

inhabitants• ALL African nations

depend on the land’s physical features.

• Africa’s physical characteristics determine where people live and the type of work they do.

• Picture of a kid that walk camels through the desert for tourist.

• ..\United Streaming\akon50cent.mp4

The Sahara• The world’s largest

desert.• The Atlas Mtns. serve

as a barrier between the desert, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Atlantic Ocean.

• Nomadic traders once used the desert as a trade route between Europe and Africa.

• Picture of a pyramid in Egypt and the Sahara desert.

Sahara/Cairo, Egypt Where People Work and Live

• Connected to Asia by the Sinai Peninsula.

• Important trade center.• The Suez Canal allows

transport through the peninsula.

• The Nile River provide a means of transporting goods and people.

• The Nile River is also a source of irrigation for agriculture.

• Picture of Cairo, Egypt and the Nile River flowing through the city.

Sahara/Libya

• Once a weak and poor nation.

• Crude petroleum was discovered in 1958.

• Coastal ports used to help transport oil to other nations.

• Now their economy is based on the production and export of petroleum.

..\United Streaming\libya oil.mp4

Sahara/Morocco

• Also located on the coast.• Produce olives, citrus

fruit, and grapes.• Worlds largest phosphate

supplier.• Also exports iron ore,

silver, zinc, gold, and coal.

• Mauritania, Chad, Sudan, and Mali can be found between the Sahara region and the Sahel.

• ..\United Streaming\atlas mtns.mp4

The Sahel• A strip of semi-arid land south of the Sahara.• Some rich with natural resources.• Depend on farming and can be devastated by

inclement weather.• Almost 200,000 people died from a drought

during the 1970’s.• Consequently, many people moved to the

cities.• In the cities, many people live without

electricity, running water, or proper sewers.• Video clip depicts life in Sudan and how the

control of oil resources divided this nation.• ..\United Streaming\sudan.mp4

The Savannah

• Tropical grasslands with scattered trees.• Wide variety of wildlife.• The Serengeti is the most famous savannah in Africa.• Approx. 1.5 million animals live in the region.• Parts of Kenya located in the Serengeti.• ..\United Streaming\serengeti.mp4

Rainforest• Located in Western

Africa.• Dense evergreen forest.• Annual rainfall of at least

60 inches.• Shrinking due to

deforestation and destructive farming.

• Partly in Ghana and make up 2/3 of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

• ..\United Streaming\rainforest.mp4