aFRICA'S gEOPGRAPHY
Africa has an extremely diverse geography. From coastal plains, to mountain peaks. Climate varies with the geography , also. Some places are in constant drought, while other locations have over 200 inches of rain a year. The vegetation also varies with the climate. The Sahara, the 2nd largest desert in the world, is in Africa. Vegetation varies from sand dunes to rocky wastes, to dense rain forests.
The people that live in Africa found unique ways to deal with the land and harness its resources.
In the middle of Africa is a central plateau. Coastlines 50 to 100 miles in length lie on the sides of the central plateau. Rivers starting in the plateau drop down and form rapids or waterfalls to the coast. This makes coming or going to the coast by water impossible.
Apart from the water, there are deserts. There is the Sahara in the north and the Kalahari in the south. The deserts are uninhabitable but huge. The Sahara stretches across the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea, an area of the United States. Only part of the Sahara is sand, the rest being a flat wasteland of rocks and gravel. The Sahara increases in size every year, taking over part of the southern savanna. This area is called the Sahel.
On the other side of deserts, there are dense, green rainforests. These rainforests are also uninhabitable. Little light reaches the bottom of the rainforest, because of giant teak and mahogany trees, up to 150 feet tall, using their branches and leafs to block out the sun. Another reason the rainforest is inhabitable is the tsetse fly. It prevented the use of cattle, donkeys, horses, and invaders colonizing the areas where the flies were.
The places that are habitable are the northern coast and the souther tip. They have Mediterranean climates and fertile soil. Many farmers and herders live here. Most people live in the savannas, however. The savannas are grassy plains. They also include mountainous highlands and swampy tropical areas. They cover 40% of Africa, and are covered with tall grass and some trees. In the savanna, there are both dry and rainy reasons, which alternate. The heavy rains strip away the minerals of the soil, however.
The people that live in Africa found unique ways to deal with the land and harness its resources.
In the middle of Africa is a central plateau. Coastlines 50 to 100 miles in length lie on the sides of the central plateau. Rivers starting in the plateau drop down and form rapids or waterfalls to the coast. This makes coming or going to the coast by water impossible.
Apart from the water, there are deserts. There is the Sahara in the north and the Kalahari in the south. The deserts are uninhabitable but huge. The Sahara stretches across the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea, an area of the United States. Only part of the Sahara is sand, the rest being a flat wasteland of rocks and gravel. The Sahara increases in size every year, taking over part of the southern savanna. This area is called the Sahel.
On the other side of deserts, there are dense, green rainforests. These rainforests are also uninhabitable. Little light reaches the bottom of the rainforest, because of giant teak and mahogany trees, up to 150 feet tall, using their branches and leafs to block out the sun. Another reason the rainforest is inhabitable is the tsetse fly. It prevented the use of cattle, donkeys, horses, and invaders colonizing the areas where the flies were.
The places that are habitable are the northern coast and the souther tip. They have Mediterranean climates and fertile soil. Many farmers and herders live here. Most people live in the savannas, however. The savannas are grassy plains. They also include mountainous highlands and swampy tropical areas. They cover 40% of Africa, and are covered with tall grass and some trees. In the savanna, there are both dry and rainy reasons, which alternate. The heavy rains strip away the minerals of the soil, however.
Human's Adaptations
The first people appeared in the Great Rift Valley, a place across eastern Africa. Throughout time, humans have moved outward from this area. The first people were nomadic, which means they went where ever they could get food. The men hunted with spears and bows and arrows and the children gathered roots and berries. They eventually learned to raise animals for food. These people were called herders, and they kept cattle, goats, and sheep. Millions of Africans today are still herders.
Agriculture in African began at 6,000 B.C. During this time, rainfall increased and the Sahara turned into a savanna. This only lasted a short while, and the Sahara began to dry up again. People began to move into the Nile Valley and South into West Africa. To adapt to their surroundings, they grew what would grow well. The people on the savanna grew grains and had cattle. People in the rainforest had no cattle, but planted root crops like yams, which did not need any sun.
Being able to farm allowed Africans to have a stable food source. This allowed them to stay in one place for a long time and build permanent shelters. The settlements got bigger and bigger as the birthrate increased. The bigger settlements also required more organization. These small governments usually were a village chief and a council of leaders. Stronger groups wanted to extend their land, and set out to conquer weaker ones. They unified all of their people under one government, and some of these societies became great empires, like the ones in Ghana and Mali.
Agriculture in African began at 6,000 B.C. During this time, rainfall increased and the Sahara turned into a savanna. This only lasted a short while, and the Sahara began to dry up again. People began to move into the Nile Valley and South into West Africa. To adapt to their surroundings, they grew what would grow well. The people on the savanna grew grains and had cattle. People in the rainforest had no cattle, but planted root crops like yams, which did not need any sun.
Being able to farm allowed Africans to have a stable food source. This allowed them to stay in one place for a long time and build permanent shelters. The settlements got bigger and bigger as the birthrate increased. The bigger settlements also required more organization. These small governments usually were a village chief and a council of leaders. Stronger groups wanted to extend their land, and set out to conquer weaker ones. They unified all of their people under one government, and some of these societies became great empires, like the ones in Ghana and Mali.