8.19.T - Lesson: Sub-Saharan Africa: Climate and Regions

Southern Africa

-Botswana -South Africa -Namibia -Mozambique -Madagascar

West Africa

-Côte d'Ivoire -Senegal -Mali -Nigeria -Niger

Central Africa

-Gabon -Tanzania -Democratic Republic of the Congo -Rwanda

Horn of Africa/East Africa

-Kenya -Ethiopia -Somalia

Regions of Sub-Saharan Africa

As mentioned before, many people outside of Africa view the region of Sub-Saharan Africa as culturally homogeneous or culturally the same. However, this is an enormous misconception. The different regions of Africa have their own distinct cultures and histories. The various climates of Sub-Saharan Africa affect these cultures, and we'll learn more about them in our next lesson. For now, it is important to be familiar with the regions and countries that make up Sub-Saharan Africa. As with other regions of the world, such as Europe, these regions' definitions and borders have changed and will continue to change. For our purposes here, we'll use the designations below to define the various regions.

What climatic region of Sub-Saharan Africa is a transitional boundary between the Congo Basin and the Sahara?

Sahel

What climatic region near the Equator has dry and rainy seasons?

Savanna

Climates of Sub-Saharan Africa

Hot temperatures and warm climates define sub-Saharan Africa. The Equator runs directly across the African continent, and the climates both above and below it mirrors one another. These range from tropical wet and dry climates to extremely dry arid conditions. These regions play an enormous role in the cultures and lifestyles of the people who inhabit them.

Central Africa

Central Africa is home to most of the continent's tropical rainforests. While there are some groups that live under its forest canopies, most of the region's population live in the grasslands and highlands. Thick vegetation prevents large-scale agriculture; however, some areas grow coffee and cacao for export. Although there are hundreds of ethnic groups across this region (the Democratic Republic of Congo alone has over seven hundred local languages), most groups are able to communicate through Pidgin, a grammatically simplified speech. Some of the current countries in Central Africa include Tanzania, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Gabon.

Tropical Wet

In the area of West Africa and along the Equator, tropical wet climates are prevalent. These areas receive plentiful rain throughout the year and have virtually no dry season. These abundant rains result in the tremendous growth of ferns, shrubs, and mosses on the forest's lower levels. At the higher levels of the forest, massive trees tower above in thick groups, creating a canopy. Though many plants grow in this climatic region, the soil quality is poor due to the constant rain dissolving and carrying away nutrients in the soil.

Sahel

The Sahel is a transition zone between the Sahara Desert and the jungles of the Congo Basin. It runs all the way from the west coast of Africa on the Atlantic Ocean to the east coast on the Red Sea. The name Sahel means shore or edge in Arabic. The region has steppe-like conditions with low-lying grasses, shrubs, and acacia trees. The region gets minimal rainfall throughout the year.

Horn of Africa/East Africa

The eastern coastline of Africa is considered one of the earliest settled regions in the world. Its location made it a crossroads for peoples of African, Indian, Arab, and European descent. Its inhabitants live across a variety of topographies—mostly along the coast, but also in the desert, steppes, savannas, and highlands. In fact, two of its most urban dwellings—Nairobi, Kenya, and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia—are landlocked and have grown significantly over the years thanks to trade growth. Ethiopia, Somalia, and Kenya are among the countries in the Horn of Africa.

West Africa

West Africa is a region with a wide range of landscapes. These include desert, river plains, steppe, tropical rainforest, and savanna landscapes. The area is rich in natural resources and wildlife, which came to be valued and exploited by European colonists. This region contains what were known as the Gold Coast, the Ivory Coast, the Pepper Coast, and the Slave Coast, named after the main exports during the colonial period. Some of the current countries in the area are Senegal, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), and Ghana. Lagos is the largest city in Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa, with nearly 21 million people! It is also one of the world's fastest-growing cities. The city of Dakar is the capital and largest city in Senegal. It is infamous for being one of the largest trade ports during the Atlantic Slave Trade.

Desertification

Desertification is the process by which arid steppe-like climates become desert climates over time. This process occurs when a steppe region experiences long periods of water shortages and extreme dryness. Shrubs and trees that hold the moisture of the soil die off, leading to erosion. The Sahel is currently undergoing the process of desertification, with its borders shrinking yearly. Some scientists believe human land use and overgrazing by animals has contributed to the issue.

Desert Climates

In the Sahara, Kalahari, and Namib deserts, dry arid climates prevail. Little rainfall occurs annually in these regions. Temperatures are generally high except for the Kalahari Desert, which has wide fluctuations in daily temperatures—highs up to 120 degrees Fahrenheit and lows of 50 degrees. These regions have limited human activity, but certain types of plants and animals thrive in these conditions.

Conclusion

The climates of Sub-Saharan Africa are mostly warm, but the level of that heat varies between different sections of the continent. In the Sahara, Namib, and Kalahari deserts, dry heat prevails. Areas near the Equator have dry and wet tropical climates. These climates are mirrored on either side of the Equator. A few small regions of Sub-Saharan Africa have temperate midlatitude climates. Though there is a pervasive belief that Africa is monolithic, the different regions of Sub-Saharan Africa have different cultures and histories as well as climates. In our next lesson, we'll examine these cultures and histories further.

Southern Africa

The topography of Southern Africa is varied, filled with deserts, grasslands, forests, and mountains. It's home to vast reserves of natural resources such as platinum, uranium, gold, and diamonds. This made it a target of colonial expansion, the scars of which can still be felt today. Although largely rural, more people are moving to urban areas, often to work in mines. Some of the countries that make up this region are Botswana, South Africa, Mozambique, Madagascar, and Namibia. The largest city of South Africa, Johannesburg, is one of the main financial cities in the world.

Midlatitude Regions

Though not as prevalent as tropical wet and dry climates, there are temperate regions in Sub-Saharan Africa. The tip of Africa in the southernmost point of the continent has a Mediterranean climate, as well as subtropical and marine climates. The highland areas in East Africa have varied climates as well. Due to the variations in elevation, the climate is temperate with lush vegetation. Snow is also not uncommon in this climatic region of Africa.

Tropical Wet-Dry

Tropical wet-dry grasslands known as savannas cover almost half of Africa. Many of these savannas are located close to the Equator and have dry and rainy seasons. These seasons are the result of air streams from the Sahara and southwestern Africa. The Serengeti Plain is one of the world's largest savanna plains and contains the classic African imagery of lions, zebras, and giraffes. Like the soil in the tropical wet climates, savannas have poor soil quality.

Sub-Saharan Africa: Climate and Regions

What kind of climate do you think Africa has? For many, the image of sun-parched savannas with roaming wildebeests, elephants, lions, and hyenas come to mind. These dry plains are iconic scenery of Sub-Saharan Africa, but they are not the only kinds of climates in the region. For instance, much of West and Central Africa has lush tropical jungles, and some of the highlands regions have snow-covered mountaintops. The area of Sub-Saharan Africa is enormous. While many people look at the African continent as a homogeneous unit, there are many different subregions with their own cultures, climates, and histories. These include West Africa, Central Africa, Southern Africa, and the Horn of Africa (sometimes called East Africa). We'll explore more of these later in the lesson!