4 major climate zones of africa
How much sunlight in Congo?
1% of sunlight reaches ground
How much of Africa is rainforest(Congo River Basin)?
10% of Africa
Temperature in the Sahara
110 degrees during the day
How big is the Sahara desert?
3,500,000 square miles; largest desert in Africa
How much of Africa is desert?
40%
How much of Africa is grasslands?
40%
Med. agriculture centers
Agriculture centers and centers of civilizations, very prosperous
Nighttime in the Sahara
Can get very cold because there are no clouds to retain the warm temp. from the sand
Camel facts
Can go without water for 3 days. They can keep their balance on sandy terrain-land
Climate of the Sahara(south)
Climate or temp. is hotter or more tropical in the southern portion
Farming in Congo
Difficult to farm: no sunlight, dense vegetation, root crops (like yams) can be grown, soil can get over used and erode away/ loose nutrients
How is the med. zone characterized?
Dry & hot summers and cooler mild winters with adequate(enough) rainfall
Animals and plants in Congo River Basin
Extinct & Endangered plants and animals due to deforestation
Is the Climate Dry in the Sahara?
Extremely arid- less than 4 in. of rainfall per year
Agriculture
Farming crops or raising animals for their resources
Mediterranean Climate Zone land
Fertile land can produce an abundance of crops(surplus)
What did the Sahara do to the people?
Isolated North Africa from Sub-Saharan Africa, people could not travel thru the desert
What happened to the Sahara(temp. wise)?
It was once a Savannah then seasonal rains decreased and it became a desert(desertification)
Where is the Med. climate zone
North along the coast of the Med. sea and in Southern Africa
Sahara civilizations?
Not suitable for civilization unless bordering a river that can provide silt
Med. climate zone animals and crops
Olives, grapes, lemon and orange trees, domesticated sheep and goats
What is Sahara made of?
Sand, dry valleys, and salt flats
What makes up the grasslands?
Savannah and Sahel
Camels in the Sahara
The intro of the camel led to major trade routes between the Northern Berbers and the people south of the Sahara(Kingdom of Ghana and Mali)
location of sahel
between the savanna and the Sahara desert
Population of Med. climate zone
can support a large and growing population- some areas are over populated
Tropical
describes the region between the tropic latitude lines, hot temps. year round
Erosion
due to mining
subsistence farming
farming only for your family and not for selling
Savannah farming
fertile soil, uneven rainfall, too much at one time, often destroying crops. Adequate rainfall, just not predictable
Basin
landform of low elevation with highland surrounding it. like a sink
commercial farming
large scale farming to sell as a business
canopy
layer of trees that block the sun from reaching the ground
deforestation
logging due to mining and agriculture
Climate change Savannah
making the rainy season drier and more difficult to farm
Which region or climate zone is most suitable for building a settled community?
med. climate zone
Humid
moisture in the air
Sahel vs Savannah temp/climate
much more arid than the Savannah. Going thru desertification. Very difficult to farm, little to no fertile soil
Landlocked
not near any large body of water, lacks permanent and safe roads
People in Sahel
people are nomads, they hunt, experiencing much longer periods of drought and famine. areas in a humanitarian crisis
Pastoral Nomads
people whose main way of life is raising animals that graze grass. They travel in search of grasslands for their animals such as goats and sheep
rainforest
thick or dense forest and abundant year long rain
arable
used or suitable for growing crops
Med. climate
warm, mild temps. year round, ideal for farming
Contaminated
water from pollution and erosion (ant: potable, drinkable)
