Regions of Africa
Chapter 22 West Africa: Use textbook pages 528-529 to list the countries that make up West Africa.
Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Chad, Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Cote D’ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Gambia, Senegal, Cape Verde
Use textbook pages 540-543 to fill in the chart below.
Physical Features /Climate
Vegetation
Animals / *Climates are zonal
*4 climate regions or zones; Sahara Desert is furthest North
*Climate varies in zones from arid desert in the north to semiarid steppe to wetter savanna and humid tropical zones in the south. / *Desert and steppe climates get the least rain and have the least vegetation. The tropical savanna and humid tropical climates get more rainfall and have much more vegetation
*Major crop in Ghana – Cacao, used to make chocolate / *Monkeys, goat, deer, camel
*Animals believed to have spirits – traditional West African Animists believe this
Resources
Economy /
History /
Culture: People, Language, Religion, Clothing, Family, Homes / *Colonial languages such as English and French and shared West African languages such as Fula and Hausa help with communication in West Africa. / *Trade helped introduce the region’s two most common religions – Islam from North Africa and Christianity from Europe.
*Animism – (belief that natural objects have spirits)- traditional religion of West Africa / *Extended families are very important to the region because they often live near one another in rural villages and in urban areas.
*Mix of traditional and modern clothing
Rural Homes – made of mud, cow dung, straw, and tin
Urban Homes – houses or high-rise apartments
Chapter 23 East Africa: Use textbook page 562 to list the countries that make up East Africa.
Sudan, South Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Djibouti, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Burundi
Use textbook pages 562-575 to fill in the chart below.
Physical Features /Climate
Vegetation
Animals / *Climate is influenced by its location and elevation
*Near equator = more rainfall
*Away from equator = seasonal drought
*Higher elevation = colder climate
*Climate Types: desert, steppe, tropical savanna, highlands
*Highlands – mild and rainy / *Vegetation includes savannas and forests
*Drought causes crops to fail, so cattle tends to die and people starve / Lions, Zebra, elephants, flamingos, hippos, and giraffes, wildebeest
Resources
Economy /
History /
Culture: People, Language, Religion, Clothing, Family, Homes / *Many diff. languages spoken here – Both native languages and languages brought by colonizers are used today.
*French, English, Swahili, Amharic, Somali
*History of Arabic trade and European Imperialism influenced language in many East African countries / *Several diff. religions practiced here–Animism included
*Islam came to East Africa gradually. Muslim Arabs from Egypt spread into Northern Sudan and brought their Muslim faith
*Ethiopia and Sudan were early centers of Christianity
*East Africans have adapted to Islam & Christianity by combining them with Ancient forms of worship. / Religion Cont’d – Religions in East Africa vary greatly, but most of them place emphasis on honoring ancestors.
Chapter 24Central Africa: Use textbook page 581 to list the countries that make up Central Africa.
Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Sao Tome and Principe, Central African Republic, Gabon, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola, Zambia, Malawi,
Use textbook pages 582-597 to fill in the chart below.
Physical Features /Climate
Vegetation
Animals / *Humid tropical climate
*Congo Basin: North & South vs Other Areas – These areas have a tropical savanna climate with distinct dry and wet seasons. The vegetation to the north and south / *Dense tropical forest vegetation
*The destruction of forests by lumber companies hurts animals and vegetation.
*Mining in open-pit mines destroys large areas of land
*Congo Basin: North & South vs Other Areas – vegetation includes shrubs, grassland, and scattered trees / *Gorillas, okapis, elephants, wild boars, birds, monkeys, bats, and snakes
*Many insects including mosquitos which spread Malaria in the region
Resources
Economy /
History /
Culture: People, Language, Religion, Clothing, Family, Homes / *European and traditional African influences have shaped the region’s culture
*Hundreds of different languages – along with different dialects of the languages
*Most official languages for this region’s countries are European (due to colonial era) / *Europeans introduced Christianity to the region (Effect: Roman Catholic and Pretestant heavily practiced here!)
*Northern Central Africa – Muslim
*Zambia – Muslim and Hindu / *Drums and horns are used in traditional music
*Region famous for sculptures, carved wooden masks, and brightly colored cotton clothing
*Popular Music Styles – likembe and makossa
*Malaria and Malnutrition are health issues that affect the lives of many
Chapter 25 Southern Africa: Use textbook page 603 to list the countries that make up Southern Africa.
Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Comoros, Madagascar, Swaziland, Lesotho, South Africa
Use textbook pages 604-619 to fill in the chart below.
Physical Features /Climate
Vegetation
Animals / *Mostly Savanna and Desert
*Two Main Deserts – Kalahari and Namib
*Lush vegetation and tropical forests in Madagascar / *Driest area in the region is the Namib Desert
*Destruction of forests in Madagascar has caused many animals to become endangered
Resources
Economy /
History /
Culture: People, Language, Religion, Clothing, Family, Homes / *Have 11 official languages
*There are many diff. languages spoken because people belong to hundreds of different ethnic groups
*Khoisan ppl. speak languages that use click sounds
*Zulu and Tswana are two of the largest ethnic groups / *Millions of people came to practice Christianity in the region because European settlers introduced the religion
*Others practice traditional African religions – some believe ancestors and the spirit of the dead have divine powers
*In other areas, like Zimbabwe, practice a combination of traditional and Christianity / *Traditional ethnic designs for clothing, lamps, & linens *Heritage Day – natl. holiday that celebrates the region’s diversity
*Christian holidays, like Christmas are celebrated
*Afrikaners – are Dutch, French, and German settlers and their descendants who live in South Africa