The Namibian coast that is washed by the Cool Benguelan current also has rich fishing grounds. Maritime versus Continental Climates. Large water bodies such as the Ocean and huge lakes modify climates in adjacent lands. Land is solid so it heats up more rapidly during the day. The compact nature of the land means that only a thin surface gets heated. As a result, heat absorbed into the thin layer of surface rocks is released very rapidly.
The interior location does not also allow rainfall to reach such places thereby creating Warm, humid, hot and dry climates. These extremities in climate affect all states located in the interior of continents. Such climates are called Continental Climates as against Maritime climates experienced on lands located along coasts.
In places such as Timbuktu, Mail, the diurnal and annual ranges in Temperature are very high because of continentality. Since energy from the sun is transformed into heat on the surface of the earth, air temperature decreases with altitude at an average rate of 3.
Because of this decrease of temperature with height, mountainous regions such as the Ethiopian highlands have very cool temperatures. Very high peaks such as Mountain Kilimanjaro located along the equator even have permanent snow cover. The combination effect of the above factors create variations in temperature, rainfall and other climatic factors resulting in the following climatic types.
Humid Equatorial Climates Af. Semi-arid cimates Bsh. Desert Climate BWh. Mountain climates H. Humid Temperate climates C. Cool summers. Cool summers- Cape province in South Africa. The Following types of vegetation types identified:. Tropical Rain forest:. This vegetation develops in low land areas with year-round precipitation.
It is also found in a narrow belt along the Southeastern coast south from the equator. Madagascar has a unique rain forest with special species of fauna and flora not available on the main land.
Generally, a heavy canopy of foliage with lianes and epiphytes characterizes the rain forest. It occurs in regions where high temperatures are combined with heavy precipitation. Temperate Forest:. This vegetation is poorly represented in Africa. It is only found on the lower slopes of the Ethiopian highlands and elsewhere on the highlands of considerable elevation and rainfall.
Mediterranean Woodland. These are evergreen trees and shrubs adapted to the hot dry season and mild wet season. In North West Africa, the hilly belts support forests of evergreen oak, including cork oak and cedar, although they are now much reduced by clearing and grazing. Evergreen shrubs with hard and usually small leaves are common as growth is slow but continuous throughout the year. The vegetation in the Southwest corner is similar.
Mangrove Swamps. This vegetation is found at the inter-tidal flats of the coastlines within the tropics. The margin of the Savannah coincides with the rain forest belt where dry conditions begin.
In such areas, there is often a mosaic of forest savanna. Further away from the forest, as the dry season becomes more pronounced and more prolonged, the Savannah woodland thins out, and trees that are more drought resistant are found. Generally, the prevailing vegetation cover is grass interspersed with trees except in areas around streams and moist hollows.
In the zone of lower rainfall the huge baobab tree illustrates storage of water while 'umbrella' trees show adaptation to dry wind. Acacias, some producing gum, are a feature of the drier Sudan savanna.
The Savanna extends with similar differences in character over the Lake plateau across the Zambezi to the Drakensberg and dries towards the Kalahari in the thorny scrubs of the Bushveld.
Major crops produced in the Savanna: millet, sorghum, peanuts, and cotton. Temperate Grassland or Veld. This is found in the veld areas of South Africa. Characterized by short grass and plants adapted to a brief growing season but there are considerable differences due to altitude. It is by no means adapted everywhere to cultivation, but maize, tobacco and temperate cereals are grown. Semi-desert and desert.
Areas further north, the Savanna degenerate into semi-arid and then desert. This is the environment of the Sahel ranging from thorn, wooded grassland to tussocky grasses with large bare patches of bare earth between. Human and animals overpopulate the semi arid areas and both take their toll on the environment.
As pasture is destroyed through overgrazing and cultivation, the desert advances southward further restricting populations and increasing densities in a vicious circle of desertification. Fig 2. The best soils are alluvial deposits found in the major river valleys. With a few exceptions, most of the soils are difficult to cultivate although improvements can be made to increase natural fertility. Soils in the humid tropics can be quite rich due to the forest cover and the rapid decomposition of organic matter.
However, intense rainfall leaches out most of the plant nutrients. Between the wet tropics are well-formed soils rich in plant nutrients. But the high iron-oxide content turn and the alternate wet and dry climates turn it into a hard pan - luvisols. Towards the deserts, the soils are sandy and deep but low in humus and quite infertile arenosols. These give way to xeros ols that are quite low in humus. Examine the advantages and impediments that Africa's location and physiography places on the development of its people.
Discussion - Advantages:. Centrally located among continents hence the opportunity to develop early trade and embark upon the conquest of surrounding countries. The central location also allows external powers to converge on the continent and to scramble for its people and resources.
It seems however that Ancient Africans were content with what they had and had no incentive to leave the continent.
Most tropical of all continents means warm weather occur throughout the continent. Very few natural disasters such as devastating earthquakes, floods, volcanoes etc occur on mainland Africa.
Several long and wide rivers cut across the continent in both north-south and east-west directions that could provide transportation and hydroelectric power. Relatively flat land with very few mountains - ideal for transportation development. Very old crystalline rocks rich in valuable minerals such as gold, diamond and bauxite. Maritime versus Continental Climates Large water bodies such as the Ocean and huge lakes modify climates in adjacent lands.
Altitude Since energy from the sun is transformed into heat on the surface of the earth, air temperature decreases with altitude at an average rate of 3.
Humid Equatorial Climates Af 2. Semi-arid cimates Bsh 3. Desert Climate BWh 4. Mountain climates H 5. Humid Temperate climates C a. Cool summers b. The Following types of vegetation types identified: 1. Tropical Rain forest: This vegetation develops in low land areas with year-round precipitation. The driver ant is one of Africas most aggressive rain forest species. Driver ants move in columns of up to 20 million across the rain forest floor, and will eat anything from toxic millipedes to reptiles and small mammals.
The African rain forests plant community is even more diverse, with an estimated 8, plant species documented. More than 1, of these species are endemic, or found nowhere else on Earth. Only 10 percent of the plants in the African rain forest have been identified.
As the African continent separated from Saudi Arabia, large, deep cracks were created in the Earths surface. These cracks were later filled with water. This geologic process created some of the largest and deepest lake s in the world. Lake Victoria, the largest lake in Africa, is the southern source of the Nile River, the longest river in the world. The African Great Lakes region has a diverse range of aquatic and terrestrial animal life.
Fish include the kilogram pound Nile perch and the 2. Migrating savanna animals, such as wildebeest, use the lakes as watering hole s. Hippos and crocodiles call the region their home. The Great Lakes abut everything from rain forest to savanna plant communities. However, invasive species like the water hyacinth and papyrus have begun to take over entire shorelines, endangering animals and plants.
Southern Africa The region of Southern Africa is dominated by the Kaapvaal craton , a shelf of bedrock that is more than 2.
Rocky features of Southern Africa include plateaus and mountains, such as the Drakensberg range. Southern Africa is the epicenter of Africas well-known reserves, which protect animal species such as lions, elephants, baboons, white rhinos, and Burchells zebras.
Other important animal species include the impala, a type of deer, and the springbok, a type of gazelle that can spring several feet into the air to avoid predators. Southern Africas Cape Floral Region is one of the richest areas for plants in the world. While the Cape Floral Region covers less than 0. The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit.
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Landforms are natural and distinctive features. Explore how they show up in various landscapes. These resources can be used to teach middle schoolers more about the natural world, its distinctive features, and landscapes. In geography, boundaries separate different regions of Earth. A physical boundary is a naturally occurring barrier between two or more areas.
Physical boundaries include oceans, cliffs, or valleys. Select from these educational resources to teach middle school students more about physical boundaries. Among Africa's many savanna regions, the Serengeti or Serengeti Plains is the most well-known. The Serengeti is home to one of the continent's highest concentrations of large mammal species, including lions, hyenas, zebras, giraffes, and elephants.
Each year, more than one million wildebeest travel in a circular migration, following seasonal rains, across the Serengeti Plains. A terrestrial ecosystem is a land-based community of organisms and the interactions of biotic and abiotic components in a given area. Examples of terrestrial ecosystems include the tundra, taigas, temperate deciduous forests, tropical rainforests, grasslands, and deserts. The type of terrestrial ecosystem found in a particular place is dependent on the temperature range, the average amount of precipitation received, the soil type, and amount of light it receives.
Use these resources to spark student curiosity in terrestrial ecosystems and discover how different abiotic and biotic factors determine the plants and animals found in a particular place. Encyclopedic entry. It can be divided into five major physical regions: mountain systems; plateaus; plains, steppes, and deserts; freshwater environments; and saltwater environments.
Africa is sometimes nicknamed the "Mother Continent" as it's the oldest inhabited continent on Earth. Join our community of educators and receive the latest information on National Geographic's resources for you and your students. Skip to content. Twitter Facebook Pinterest Google Classroom. Encyclopedic Entry Vocabulary. Africa is home to diverse ecosystems, from sandy deserts to lush rain forests. Map by the National Geographic Society. Population Density 87 people per square kilometer.
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Physical Boundaries. Terrestrial Ecosystem.
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