West Africa

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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


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