WC Africa - 3 - 4

Africa
• Africa is a vast
continent with a
variety of
landforms and
climates. It is
the world’s 2nd
largest continent
with 54 countries
—more
independent
nations than any
other continent.
• The continent is bordered by
• Atlantic Ocean to the west
• Mediterranean Sea to the north
• Indian Ocean to the east
• Red Sea to the northeast
• Africa is
characterized by 5
distinct regions.
Geographic features
give each region its
own identity:
1. North Africa—
Morocco to Egypt—
historically close
contact with Europe
and the Middle East;
basically desert
climate
2. West Africa—
Mauritania to
Nigeria—historically
very rich in gold; the
site of many great
ancient civilizations
(Ghana, Mali,
Songhai)
3. Central Africa—
includes the
Democratic Republic
of Congo—on the
equator; very
tropical climate—
Congo Basin (lush
rainforest/jungle
climate)
4. East Africa—
includes Kenya,
Uganda, and
Tanzania
– Semi-arid and
tropical climate
– Characterized by
the savanna—
extensive
grasslands w/ a
wet and dry season
that supports an
abundance of
wildlife (think in
terms of an African
safari!)
5. Southern Africa—includes Zimbabwe and
South Africa; climate varies; also
characterized by the savanna.
Major landforms of Africa:
Major plateaus
which stretch for
hundreds of miles
(Ex. Katanga
Plateau)
Major deserts that

stretch for
thousands of miles
(Ex. Sahara Desert
—world’s largest;
Kalahari Desert)
The Great Rift Valley
• A giant fault in the earth’s surface
• Stretches across Eastern Africa for over
4,000 miles
• Formed millions of years ago
• Rich volcanic ash has preserved human
remains (earliest human skeletons found
here!)
• Rich in minerals and metals, but very
costly to get to!
The Great Rift Valley in
Pictures
Great Rivers—
sources of
hydroelectric
power (energy
produced by
running water)
The Nile River in

Sudan and Egypt—
4,160 miles—
world’s longest
river
Natural Resources
• Gold
• Diamonds
• Copper
• Cobalt
• Oil
• Rich soil
• Abundant water
• Resources are not evenly distributed
• Poor countries can not develop their
mineral resources
• Have allowed foreign countries to invest in
mining
• Much of the profit leaves Africa
• Much of Africa is not fertile
• The Equator runs
nearly through the
middle of Africa
• 80% of the
continent is in the
tropics
• Climates are
generally warm
throughout the year
CLIMATE ZONES
•The northern and

southern
hemispheres are
mirror images
Starting at the Equator
• Tropical Wet
• Hot and humid
year round
• Poor soil
• Problem with
leaching
• Tropical Wet and Dry
• Largest zone
• Savanna occupies
the region
• Home to most
Africans
• Drought
• Many disease-
carrying insects
breed in tropical
climates
• Deserts
• Covers about 40% of
Africa
• Sahara – larger that
continental U.S.
– Once had lakes and
rivers
• Namib - One of the
driest places on Earth
• Moderate
Mediterranean
• Mild climate and fertile
soils
• Support crops and
herding
• Population of Africa
• 2013 estimate – 1.033 billion
• Expected to double by 2050
• Growing rapidly
• Resources influence where people
live
• Africa is home to an
immense variety of
cultures
• Have different
histories, religious
beliefs, values, and
traditions
I. Family Ties
Family loyalty is a bond that has
traditionally held these farming and
herding societies together.
Extended families—very common in
tribal Africa—grandparents, parents,
married and unmarried children, their
spouses, and other relatives—all living
together and “pooling” their labor.
•A system of lineages
(distant relatives
within a village) and
clans (several
lineages) varies across
Africa and are very
complex organizations.
•Kinship ties
encourage a strong
sense of community
and cooperation.
• Most farming and herding tribes are
subsistence farmers, whereby they
produce enough crops for their own needs
with little or no surplus
• Among many tribes, Cattle = Wealth ($$
$$$), or high status in their community
• Cattle could provide tribes with

everything they needed for survival—
including food, shelter, and clothing
Inheritance and Descent
• A variety of traditions govern
inheritance and descent in African
societies
• Some cultures are matrilineal
societies, where members trace their
lineage through the female line
– Example…the Ashanti believe a child’s
blood comes from the mother. Therefore,
the mother’s brother (uncle) has a closer
blood relationship to the child than does
the father. The child inherits property
through the uncle.
• Other African
societies are
patrilineal,
with lineage
passed through
the male line.
• Property and
responsibilities
are passed to
the eldest son
The Age-Grade System
• The Age-Grade system is used in many
African cultures to teach children the
value of their society
• It is steeped in tradition and consists of
special ceremonies that mark each step
to adulthood (initiation rituals)
• An age-grade is made up of other young
people of the same age in a village
African Religions
• Religious beliefs and practices reflect the
great variety of cultures in Africa…
• Traditional beliefs—frequently vary from
tribe to tribe—passed on by oral traditions—
dancing, singing, and playing music often
very common—prayed for good health,
steady rain, a rich harvest, etc.
Examples:
-ancestor worship (souls reborn in children)
-every object on Earth is filled with a living spirit
-Supreme Being created all things
-diviners and healers (known as shaman) determined
causes of misfortune and used roots and herbs to
cure ailments.
• Christianity and Judaism—spread
down the Nile to Ethiopia around 400
A.D.
• Christian missionaries in the 1800s
(during imperialism) set out to
replace traditional African religions
(most famous = David Livingstone)
2. In many cases, African Christians
formed their own churches with their
own unique forms of Christianity
-Example…the Ethiopian
Orthodox Church
• Islam—
dominates the
culture of
North Africa
(Morocco,
Algeria, Libya,
Egypt, Sudan,
and Somalia)
—came to
Africa by way
of Muslim
traders from
the Middle
East.
Beginnings of the Slave Trade
• Because much of early
African history was
translated orally and not
written, very little is known
until the Europeans arrived
during the Age of
Imperialism…and what is
known has likely been
influenced greatly by those
same Europeans.
• The 1st contact between

Africans and Europeans
took place in the 1400s by
the following Portuguese
explorers.
• As Europeans
settled in the “New
World” (Americas
and the
Caribbean), the
demand for slaves
grew as Europeans
required a large
labor force to make
agriculture in these
colonies profitable
• Result—the slave trade developed in
the 1500s off the coast of West
Africa, where the Portuguese had
initially first made African contacts—
near present-day Ghana, Benin,
Nigeria, Cameroon, and Gabon.
Also…devastating effects on the
African content, resulting in the loss
of both (1.) oral histories and (2.)
traditional culture.

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Africa

Major deserts that

The Nile River in

•The northern and

• Cattle could provide tribes with

• The 1st contact between

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