West Africa
How long is the Niger River
2,600 miles long
Where is the regions only high mountains located?
Chad
Where does the Niger River empty?
Gulf of Guinea
What are the two most commom West African religions?
Islam & Christianity
Where are most cities in West Africa located?
coastal plains
Describe the Tropical Forest climate
humid and plenty of rainfall
Where are the Highland areas located?
in the Southwest
Where do West Africans raise crops and animals?
interior plains
Where in West Africa is oil found?
off the coast of Nigeria
Describe the climate in the Savanna.
regular rainfall, it is good for farming
Describe the vegetation in the Savanna
tall grases and scattered trees & shrubs
List 5 things about Mali
1. Came to power around 1300s 2. replaced Ghana 3.gained control of Sahara trade routes 4. Famous king Mansa Musa 5. used wealth of Sahara trade to support artists/scholars
List 2 things about Ghana
1. One of earliest kingdoms came to power around 800 2. controlled the Sahara trade in gold and salt
List three climate/vegetation related things happening in the Sahel.
1. it is becoming more like the desert 2. overgrazed land 3. people cutting down trees
List 2 things about Songhai
1. replaced Maili around 1500s 2. city of Timuktu was cultural center of West Africa with a university, mosques and more than 100 schools
What are the three West African religions?
1.Animism 2.Islam 3.Christianity
What are the five layers of the Tropical Forest (top to bottom)?
1.Emergent 2.Canopy 3.Understory 4.Immature 5.Herb
What are the three great kingdoms of Ancient Africa
1.Ghana 2.Mali 3.Songhai
What are the 4 biggest ethnic groups in West African?
1.Hausa 2.Fulani 3.Yoruba 4.Igbo
What are West Africa's TWO KEY physical features?
1.Plains 2.Niger River (Others include Tibesti Mtns & Highlands)
List the four climate zones and their locations?
1.humid tropical - Atlantic coast and Gulf of Guinea 2.tropical savanna - south of the Sahel 3.desert - Sahara desert; northenmost zone 4.steppe - south of Sahara, semiarid strip of land called Sahel
List 3 things about Nigeria today
1.many different ethnic groups 2.an oil-based economy 3.one of the world's largest cities
What 4 things have influenced West African culture
1.powerful early kingdoms 2.European slave trade 3.colonization 4.traditions from a mix of ethnic groups
When did the European countries claim colonies
1800s
What are the major resources of West Africa
Agriculture (cacao, coffee, peanuts), Oil and Mineral (diamonds, gold, iron ore, bauzite) Resources
In what religion do animimals honor the memories of ancestors?
Animism
What is the traditional religion in West Africa?
Animism
South of the Sahel which religion is most common and who introduced it?
Christianity brought by the Europeans
What important vegetation change is taking place in the Sahel?
Desertification
What caused the decline in West African's greatness
Europeans began to control the trade routes
Which Europeans wanted access to West Africa's resources after the slave trade?
France, Germany, Portugal and Britain
Who is the world's leading producer of cacao, coffee and peanuts?
Ghana
What is the the desert zone of West Africa like?
Hardly any vegetation and few people live in this area
Most Africans in the Sahel practice what religion and who introduced it?
Islam brought by North African traders
What is the most important river in West Africa?
Niger River
Who is West Africa's major exporter of oil?
Nigeria
Where is the northern most climate zone located?
Sahara Desert
What is the orange strip of land across Africa that divides the desert from wetter areas?
Sahel
What climate/vegetation zone is located south of the Sahel
Savanna (areas of light green on the map)
Where is the Sahel located and describe its climate & vegetation
South of Sahara. Steppe climate, rainfall varies year to year, very dry with enough vegetation to support hardy grazing animals
What took place in West Africa's Colonial Period and what was the time frame?
The Berlin Conference; 1880s & 1914
What is the region's only high mountain in the NW?
Tibesti Mountains
What climate/vegetation zone is located along the coast?
Tropical Forest
What is the best way to describe the physical geography, climate and resources of West Africa?
West Africa is mostly a region of plains, climates range from arid to tropical and they have important agriculture and mineral resources
What term is used to describe the four different climate regions and how they are organized?
Zonal because they stretch from east to west in bands and organized by zones.
What are the two things that may one day help the West African economy?
agriculture and mineral recources
Describe West Africa's distinct climate and vegetation zones
arid in the north to tropical in the south
Europeans ran colonies in Africa to . . . .
build schools, roads and railroads
What is the network of waterways called?
inland delta
Where does the most important river in West Africa start?
inland low mountains, not far from the Atlantic Ocean
In the Highlands, where do the people build their homes?
into cliffs
Why is the Niger River so important to West Africa?
life-giving water
Describe the culture of West Africa
many different ethnic groups, languages, religions and housing styles
What is the impact of desertification on the land?
no roots to anchor the soil and the wind blows the soil away
Are there a lot of Highland areas in West Africa?
no, there are few of these
What is West Africa's MOST valuable resource?
oil
Describe the Highlands
plateaus and cliffs
Describe the economy and political climate of many West African countries today
poor economies and political instability
Describe the coastal countries of West Africa today.
struggling economies and weak unstable governments
What are the different types of waterways?
swamps, lakes and channels
What is Animism?
the belief that bodies of water, animals, trees and other natural objects have spirits
What is desertification and how is it caused?
the spread of desert-like conditions due to drought, overgrazing and the cutting down of trees
In 1974, what happened to the European colonies in West Africa?
they became independent
What benefit do the tall trees have for animals?
they provide homes
What is the vegetation like in the Tropical Forest
thick forest with tall trees
Historically, what brought great riches to West Africa?
trade
Describe the West African Plains?
vast flat areas of land that cover MOST of West Africa
