Africa Review

What are the most prevalent (common) climates in Africa?

-Desert and Semiarid -Humid Subtropical -Tropical Wet and Tropical Wet & Dry -Humid Subtropical -Desert and Semiarid

How are the Sahel, the Sahara, desertification, and marginal lands connected?

-South of the Sahara Desert lies the Sahel, a narrow band of dry grasslands. Since the 1960's the Sahara Desert has been spreading into the Sahel due to the large amounts of farming and herding in the area, which causes desertification. -The Sahara is the largest desert in the world. -Desertification is an expansion of dry conditions into moist areas that are next to deserts. -Most of the Sahel is marginal land, or land that is not well suited for farming. People who farm marginal land may harvest barely enough food for their families to survive.

What is a cash crop?

A cash crop is grown and sold for the sole use of making money. Coffee is a good example

Why does Africa seem to have high levels of disease and despair?

After years of exploitation by Europeans, harmful dictators took control of many parts of Africa. These "rulers" were not concerned with the people in their countries, but with making money and staying in power. Other areas in Africa have had uprising from Ethnic Groups who were forced to live together by the European powers that drew their borders. The main problem facing Africa is a lack of infrastructure and education which are essential if you want to build an industrial economy. Without basic infrastructure there are no roads, no schools, no electricity, no hospitals, all of these have allowed diseases to run unchecked in Africa.

What is an escarpment?

An escarpment is a steep slope with a nearly flat plateau on top.

Where did coffee originate?

Ethiopia in the 15th Century

How did the end of Apartheid affect South Africa?

It allowed blacks the opportunity to participate in elections for the first time. When the 80% of the population was allowed to make decisions for themselves they selected black leadership to run their country, most notably Nelson Mandela.

What is the significance of the Niger River Delta?

Nigeria is the 6th leading exporter of oil in the world. They produce 2.2 million barrels of oil daily. More than 4,000 oil spills have occurred in the Niger River Delta, a region that contains most of Nigeria's oil. Many fires often result, causing acid rain and massive deposits of soot.

Are the borders of African nations divided up along ethnic group lines?

No, Europeans drew lines of fictitious countries at the Berlin Conference. Ethnic groups were not considered at this meeting. In no one knew much about ethnic tensions in Africa, which lead to many problems in which competing ethnic groups were forced to share borders and "get along."

What are the cultural significance of souks to North Africa?

North African Souks, or marketplaces, are very common in North Africa. A typical city will have a souk, located in its medina, or old section. One of the best examples of souks come from Morocco, these markets are known for their high-pressured sells and intense haggling. These are very important pieces of culture to natives; it is a place not only to buy things but to buy things that represent your culture and heritage for hundreds of years.

Which country was torn apart by genocide in the 1990's?

Rwanda, the conflict was between the Hutus and the Tutsis

Who is to blame for the lack of infrastructure in African nations?

See number 5, the short answer in Europeans. When they set up their colonies in Africa they only built roads and sea ports from the natural resources to the ocean. The paid no attention to or cared about building lasting countries that could withstand time. In fact, the preferred the countries be weak and ineffective so they could continue to exploit the resources in the countries.

Where did the "Arab Spring" start?

The Arab Spring started in Tunisia when a young street vender named Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire in protest of a corrupt local government.

What is the Suez Canal and why is it important?

The Suez Canal was built to allow European access to the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean without having to sail all the way around the African continent. The Suez Canal connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea, or the Atlantic Ocean to the Indian Ocean.

What are the affects of colonization on African nations? The Berlin Conference?

The main problem African nations faced after colonialism was what to do next. They had never been in charge of their own affairs on such a large scale, which led to corruption and mismanagement by governments. The Berlin Conference was a meeting of European nations that divided up Africa among themselves in the late 1800's. No African leaders were invited or consulted on the decisions made about their continent.

What part of Africa has the highest prevalence (dominance) of HIV/AIDS?

The majority of people living with HIV/AIDS are in the Southern Part of Africa or Sub-Saharan Africa. The majority of people living in the North are Muslim, that explains the lower numbers of HIV/AIDS in North Africa. The farther south you travel in Africa, the higher levels of HIV/AIDS you will find.

What is cultural diffusion?

The spread of ideas, inventions, or patterns of behavior is called diffusion. In this electronic age, diffusion can take place very quickly.

What do ergs, regs, and hammadas have in common?

They are all landforms found in the Sahara Desert. Ergs are great seas of sand with tall sand dunes that can reach heights of over 400 feet. Most dunes are slowly blown across the desert by the wind. Regs are gravel-covered plains. Hammadas are high, rock-covered flatlands, some of which are so tall that maps indicate their locations as mountains.

The majority of people with AIDS die of what related disease?

Tuberculosis

What does the population density map tell you about where people live in Africa?

Very few people live in North Africa because of the Sahara Desert, the exceptions are right along the Mediterranean Sea and along the Nile River. Those areas have large populations. People also live along the Great Rift Valley and West Africa. There is also a large desert in Southern Africa which limits the amount of people living in that area.