Africa’s Physical Features!
TheCompleteTopograp
hyOf
AFRICA
Nile River
Congo River
Zambezi River
Niger River
Orange River
Limpopo River
Mediterranean Sea
Atlantic Ocean
Pacific Ocean
Indian Ocean
Red Sea
L. Victoria
L. Albert-->
L. Chad-->
L. Tanganyika->
<--Gulf of Aden
Drajensburg Mts.
Ruwenzori Mts.
Δ Mt. Kenya
Δ Mt. Kilimanjaro
Sahara Desert
Sahel
Kalahari
Desert
Namib Desert
Libyan Desert
Gre
at R
ift V
alle
y
Atlas Mts.
Tropic of Cancer 20° N
Tropic of Capricorn20° S
Equator 0°
Regional Map
Africa’s Size
# Second largest continent 11,700,000 sq. mi.
# 10% of the world’s population.# 2 ½ times the size of the U. S.
5000
MILES
4 6 0 0 M I L E S
The African Plateau
ESCARPMENTS
A long steep slope or cliff at the edge of a plateau or ridge; usually formed by
erosion...
Valleys&
Plains
Gre
at R
ift V
alle
y
Great Rift Valley
3,000 miles long
Deserts Sahara Desert
Sahel
Kalahari
Desert
Namib Desert
Libyan Desert
Sahara• desert in northern Africa• largest desert in the world at
3,500,000 square miles• from Arabic word Al-Sahra
Kalahari Desert• located in south Africa and covers
Botswana and parts of Namibia and South Africa
• not a “true” desert because it receives 3-10 inches of rain per year
• because of the precipitation can sustain some animal life
The Sahel
Sahel• “Transitional Land”• the transitional land between
desert land and savanna• semi arid land, which is still dry
but gets more rain than the desert
Africa:
The“Tropica
l”Contine
nt
Tropic of Cancer 20° N
Tropic of Capricorn20° S
Equator 0°
Tropical Rainforest• a forest that receives more water
through precipitation than is loses through evaporation – What are these processes?
• more than 80 inches of rain per year• 1/5 of Africa is rainforest• Africa contains 1 of the 3 major
rainforests in the world.
Savanna• tropical or subtropical grassland
containing scattered trees• receives enough rain to support
drought resistant undergrowth but not enough to support “forest type” vegetation
BodiesOf
Water Nile River
Congo River
Zambezi River
Niger River
Orange River
Limpopo River
Mediterranean Sea
Atlantic Ocean
Pacific Ocean
Indian Ocean
Red Sea
<--Gulf of Aden
Nile River• It’s the world’s longest river at 4,150 miles!!!• located in eastern Africa • depended upon for water• Flows north into the Mediterranean sea!
Niger River• principal river in western Africa• runs through Guinea, Mali, Niger, Benin
and Nigeria • significant water source for the city of
Timbuktu
Congo River
• largest river in western central Africa
• flows through the third largest rain forest in the world
Zambezi River• southeast African river flowing
through Zambia and Angola, also along many of the borders of many countries
• empties into the Indian Ocean• contains Victoria Falls
Lake Tanganyika• deepest lake in Africa• located in central Africa• divided between Burundi,
Congo, Tanzania, and Zambia
Lake Victoria• largest lake in Africa • 2nd largest fresh water lake in the
world• vital in supporting the millions of
people that live nearby
Victoria Falls
• It’s the largest and most unique waterfall in the world!
Drajen
sburg Mts.
Ruwenzori Mts.
Δ Mt. Kenya
Δ Mt. Kilimanjaro
Mountains&
Peaks
Atlas Mts.
Atlas Mountains
• mountain range in north Africa between the Mediterranean Sea and the Sahara desert
• extends from Morocco to Tunisia
Mount Kilimanjaro• It’s the tallest free standing volcanic
mountain in the world! • It is the highest peak in Africa at 19,340
feet!
Southwest Asia. It looks like this:
SW Asia vs. the U. S.Latitude Lines
Peninsulas• The biggest peninsula is the Arabian peninsula, which is
dominated by Saudi Arabia
• The other big one is the Anatolian Peninsula, which is modern-day Turkey.
Bodies of Water
TigrisRiver
Nile River
EuphratesRiverJordan
River Persian Gulf
ArabianSea
Mediterranean Sea
IndianOcean
Red Sea
Black Sea
Gulf of Aden
Strait ofHormuz
Suez Canal
Dardanelles Strait
AtlanticOcean
Gulf ofOman
Caspian Sea
Waterways• Red Sea
TheJordan River
System:
• Jordan River• Important water source
that also serves as the boundary between Israel and Jordan.
• Flows into the Dead Sea.
The Tigris & Euphrates
River System
Mesopotamia: ”Land Between the
Two Rivers”
Marsh Arabs, So. Iraq
• Tigris and Euphrates Rivers• Twin rivers that run through modern-day Iraq.
• The land in between the two rivers is very fertile and a lot of agriculture takes place there.
• Because of this, the area is known as the fertile crescent.
• Some of the earliest civilizations developed here because of its agricultural bounty.
The Fertile Crescent
Fertile Crescent
Suez Canal
Completed by the British in 1869
• Suez Canal• Connects the Red Sea with the Mediterranean Sea,
which makes it a very important waterway.
• Black Sea• Just above Turkey.
• Arabian Sea and the Persian Gulf• The Arabian Sea is north of the Indian Ocean and the
Persian Gulf is sandwiched between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
Dead Sea: Lowest Point on Earth
HighestSalt
Content(33%)
2,300’ below sea level
• The saltiest lake is the Dead Sea in Israel and Jordan. It has no outlet and a high evaporation rate, so the salt concentrates even more. It’s so salty (about nine times that of the ocean), it can’t support life.• Its shores are also the lowest dry point on Earth:
about 1,350 feet below sea level (you’re currently about 45 feet above sea level)
• And the salinity (saltiness) allows you to float without effort. Like these guys:
That’s because the water is so much denser than you that it makes you naturally buoyant.
Just don’t get the water in your eyes. It’ll sting.
Wadis – Instant Springs
Are riverbeds that remain dry except
during rainy seasons
Mountains & Plateaus
Elburz
Mts.
Taurus
Mts. Zagros Mts.
Iranian Plateau
AnatolianPlateau
Hejaz
Mts.
Mountain Ranges in SW Asia
Elburz Mts., Iran Zagros Mts., Iran
Lebanese Mts. Taurus Mts., Turkey
Deserts
Sahara Desert
ArabianDesert
NegevDesert
SinaiDesertLibyan Desert
Rubal-Khali
Rub al-Khali:“The Empty Quarter”
Desert Oases: Water at a Premium!
Fresh Groundwater Sources
Completed Map
TigrisRiver
Nile River
EuphratesRiverJordan
River Persian Gulf
ArabianSea
Mediterranean Sea
IndianOcean
Red Sea
Black Sea
Gulf of Aden
Strait ofHormuz
Suez Canal
AtlanticOcean
Gulf ofOman
Caspian Sea
ArabianDesert
NegevDesert
SinaiDesert
Rubal-Khali
Atlas Mts.
Elburz
Mts.
Taurus Mts.
Zagros Mts.
Iranian Plateau
AnatolianPlateau
Caucasus Mts.
Hejaz Mts.Sahara Desert
Libyan Desert