The Plateau Continent:
Africa
Chapter 18
Lesson 2
A Warm Continent
The Deserts:
• The Sahara is the largest desert in the world.
• It stretches about 3,000 miles across the
continent, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red
Sea.
• Only 20% of the Sahara consists of sand. The
rest consists of towering mountains, rock
formations, and gravelly plains.
• For instance, the Tibesti Mountains, located in
northwestern Chad, are part of the Sahara
Desert.
• Other African deserts include the Kalahari
and the Namib.
A Warm Continent
The Deserts:
• Travel in the Sahara Desert is risky
because of extreme weather conditions.
• Ironically, under this hottest and driest
of places lie huge stores of underground
water called aquifers.
• In some places, this water has come to
the surface.
• Such a place is called an oasis. It
supports vegetation and wildlife and is
a critical resource for people living in
the desert.
A Warm Continent
The Tropics:
• Africa has a large tropical area - the largest of any continent.
• 90% of the continent lies within the tropics of Cancer and
Capricorn.
• Temperatures run high most of the year.
• The hottest places are in the parts of the Sahara that lie in the
nation of Somalia.
• Differences in temperature in the Tropics are barely
noticeable.
• Differences in temperature between night and day actually
tend to be greater than any difference between seasons.
Sunshine and Rainfall
Rainfall Patterns:
• The rainforest in Central Africa receives the most precipitation, as rainfalls
throughout the year.
• Most of the rest of Africa, however, has one or two rainy seasons.
• Africa’s tropical savanna stretches through the middle of the continent and covers
nearly half the total surface area of Africa.
• Rainy seasons in this area can last up to six months.
• The closer the area is to the equator, the longer the rainy season.
• The closer an area is to the desert, the longer the dry season.
Sunshine and Rainfall
Rainfall Patterns:
• Africa’s west coast also receives a great deal of rain.
• In the Sahara and other deserts, the rain may not fall for years.
Sunshine and Rainfall
Africa’s Moderate Areas:
• A Mediterranean climate exists on the northern and southern
tips of the continent.
• Rain falls usually only in the winter - December and January in
North Africa and June and July in South Africa.
A Grassy Continent
Tropical Grassland:
• Tropical grassland covers most of the continent.
• One example of this grassland is the Serengeti Plain in
northern Tanzania.
• Its dry climate and hard soil prevent the growth of
trees and many crops, but these conditions are perfect
for growing grass.
• Serengeti National Park, located within the Serengeti
Plain, contains some of the best grasslands in the
world.
• The abundance of grass makes Serengeti National Park
and ideal place for grazing animals.
Africa’s Extremes
Rain Forest:
• The major rain forests of Africa sit on the
equator in the area of the Congo Basin.
• The massive number of plants, leaves, and
trees block out much of the sunlight that
would otherwise hit the floor of the rain
forest.
• Beneath this umbrella of vegetation, the air
is hot and filled with moisture. As a result,
plants and other vegetation quickly
decompose, or decay.
Africa’s Extremes
Rain Forest:
• Most animals in a rain forest live in the canopy.
• The canopy refers to the uppermost layers or
branches, above the ground.
• Some of the creatures that you can find in rain
forests include birds, monkeys, flying foxes, and
snakes.
• However, farmers using slash-and-burn agricultural
methods are endangering the existence of rain
forest.
• Slash-and-burn method is a method in which
people clear fields by cutting and burning trees and
other vegetation, the ashes of which fertilize the
soil. After farmers have exhausted the soil, they
burn another patch of forest.
Africa’s Extremes
Rain Forest:
• Slash-and-burn faming is responsible for the nearly complete
destruction of Madagascar’s rain forest.
• Experts estimate that over half of Africa’s original rain forest
has been destroyed.
Africa’s Extremes
Varieties of Plant life:
• All of Africa’s regions contain a variety of vegetation.
• North Africa contains sizable oak and pine forests in the upper
reaches of the Atlas Mountains.
• The mangrove tree of West Africa sprouts up along river banks
in swamps and river deltas.
• Mangrove tree roots are breeding grounds for fish. They also
help to build up dry land by holding silt.